30 May How Veterans are Changing America
“The 2 million veterans who are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan have had their lives changed by war. As they come home, they have the potential to change the lives of civilians, too.”
At the recent UCLA and Zocalo event “How Veterans Are Changing America,” I had the opportunity to look in-depth at issues veterans face returning home and how we can be of service to them after they’ve lived a life of service.
This event discussed the advancements and improvements of new medical techniques as well as corporations and non-profits alike who are resources for returning veterans as they re-integrate with themselves, their families and society after being involved in military conflict or survival environments that often leave the veteran with serious physical, mental or emotional trauma.
At the event, I asked the panelists’ opinion of the value of creative engagement as a healing tool, a tool to work in concert with a traditional Western medical approach in the recovery process. A VA panelist affirmatively acknowledged the positive value of “healing through art.”
Our veterans consciously choose to put themselves at risk on behalf of our country. They deserve our creative, compassionate and respectful assistance for quality recovery from serious trauma.
Artists for Trauma offers our one-on-one artist pairings and group workshops to these veteran trauma survivors, their spouses and children, as trauma affects the entire family.
At Artists for Trauma, we advocate the known perspective that “it takes a Village” in all our lives, not only to raise a child but to continue raising each other, to higher levels of Awareness and continued growth as individual human beings and a society at large.
The desire for change begins with each and every one of us as human beings and begins in our soul and is expressed through our feelings which manifest themselves in our actions.
If you’d like to read more about how veterans are positively changing America, please read the wonderful article from Zocalo.
Artists for Trauma would like to acknowledge UCLA’s Operation Mend and their wonderful doctors and staff. We recognize them for not only their scientific and medical professionalism and ability but their artist’s eye and compassionate heart in surgically reconstructing returning qualified veterans at no charge to them or their families.