Healing the Invisible Wounds of War
Creative Forces: Healing the Invisible Wounds of War was an interactive online exhibition of 45 pieces of visual art, music, and performances by military service members and veterans who are current or former participants in the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network.
The National Endowment for the Arts originally organized the exhibition in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Museum of Health and Medicine, a division of the Defense Health Agency Research and Development Directorate. It was slated to open in March 2020 at the Kennedy Center’s REACH. The former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie was scheduled to provide opening remarks. Due to COVID-19, it was reorganized as an online exhibit.
Explore this archive of veteran artwork and listen to their stories about how creative arts therapies can provide a pathway to healing from wartime trauma.
A Pathway to Healing
This blank mask represents where many service members and veterans began in treatment: contemplating their identities and how their wartime experiences have shaped and continue to shape their lives. Through creative arts therapies treatment, service members and veterans from across the Creative Forces network are given the materials needed to begin making meaning of those experiences.
Transcript
Michael (Rod) Rodriguez (00:35):
"Today we're gonna, we're gonna paint a mask." And I was like, "Paint? How, how in the heck could that help me?"
Glema Gordon (00:41):
I've tried a lot of stuff. It was not resonating. He said, "Well how about art therapy?" I said, "Okay, I'm willing to try anything."
Michael Schneider (00:50):
The first day of treatment was upstairs in this area, and all I see is bongo drums, some weird instruments that were hanging on the walls, and she looked at me and said, "What do you wanna do?" I had no idea.
Heather Spooner (01:10):
They're really looking to express their experiences in a new way, and sometimes they've been in other therapy programs for quite some time, and just feel like they're stuck. They're not quite able to get there by putting words to what they're trying to talk about, or they're not able to express their experiences that way. And so, for many people, being able to put something into an image is completely fresh and different.
Michael Schneider (01:34):
Music and art and, and writing was a safe place. It was a place that I could be in myself, in a safe place, an environment.
Christopher Stowe (01:45):
Art therapy is something that I really kinda shied away from, because it's so intimate, it's so, uh, it's so real. Uh, at least it was for me. So it opened up a lot in me. It actually, it saved my life, it kinda saved my marriage. It got me back on a road to recovery and, and that's where we are now.
Music (02:02):
I'm light as a feather
(02:02):
I'm bright as the Oregon breeze
(02:02):
My black shroud
(02:02):
Frightened by my feelings
(02:02):
I only wanna be a relief
Merrilee Jorn (02:06):
There may be something said like, "I haven't been able to share this with anyone. You know, this is the first time that I've, that I've said this to anyone." And it's this picture that made this come out.
Michael (Rod) Rodriguez (02:17):
This provided me a nonjudgmental way to express a message to myself without the constraints of, of the written word or anything, you know? And then it was in that moment, you know, the aha moment where I realized the beauty of art.
Christopher Stowe (02:37):
So I think that the understanding w- for military folks, trying to find success in an artistic platform, where they end up, I think, having this new creative process they didn't have before. The military doesn't necessarily all the time lend itself to individuality or creativity. It tends to be more, um, "You're a square peg, you need to be in a square hole, 'cause that's, that's what we need you to be at the time." But that ends up, I think, probably stymieing a person's individuality or their individual creative process. Where, I think, the arts end up really opening that up for people.
Glema Gordon (03:14):
Making my quilt, I had so many emotions. I thought about my trauma, the combat trauma, and through the combat trauma how anxiety, depression, and all these feelings came to me. So I showed it to my mentor. I drew it out, sketched it out, and the name of my quilt is, "Behind the Mask." So she knew that I really wasn't myself, and if I could put on a mask, I could make it through everything.
Heather Spooner (03:58):
Again, to put it into an image, a poem, even when you're describing your own experience, oftentimes happens on a level that everyone can see themselves in. And it doesn't have to be the same kind of pain, it doesn't have to be the same kind of experience, but they can see themselves in it. And that's what we're seeing in the work from these veterans and service members, perhaps in part because the themes they're dealing with are so powerful.
Michael Schneider (04:25):
My therapist was able to introduce me to that, and really show me where I was able to heal by utilizing music, was able to heal by utilizing the arts. I was able to see it, feel it, and I knew it made me better.
Merrilee Jorn (04:41):
I've actually had several people tell me, "It took me six months or a year or more to tell my therapist about that, and you got it out of me in one hour. How did that happen?"
"Today we're gonna, we're gonna paint a mask." And I was like, "Paint? How, how in the heck could that help me?"
Glema Gordon (00:41):
I've tried a lot of stuff. It was not resonating. He said, "Well how about art therapy?" I said, "Okay, I'm willing to try anything."
Michael Schneider (00:50):
The first day of treatment was upstairs in this area, and all I see is bongo drums, some weird instruments that were hanging on the walls, and she looked at me and said, "What do you wanna do?" I had no idea.
Heather Spooner (01:10):
They're really looking to express their experiences in a new way, and sometimes they've been in other therapy programs for quite some time, and just feel like they're stuck. They're not quite able to get there by putting words to what they're trying to talk about, or they're not able to express their experiences that way. And so, for many people, being able to put something into an image is completely fresh and different.
Michael Schneider (01:34):
Music and art and, and writing was a safe place. It was a place that I could be in myself, in a safe place, an environment.
Christopher Stowe (01:45):
Art therapy is something that I really kinda shied away from, because it's so intimate, it's so, uh, it's so real. Uh, at least it was for me. So it opened up a lot in me. It actually, it saved my life, it kinda saved my marriage. It got me back on a road to recovery and, and that's where we are now.
Music (02:02):
I'm light as a feather
(02:02):
I'm bright as the Oregon breeze
(02:02):
My black shroud
(02:02):
Frightened by my feelings
(02:02):
I only wanna be a relief
Merrilee Jorn (02:06):
There may be something said like, "I haven't been able to share this with anyone. You know, this is the first time that I've, that I've said this to anyone." And it's this picture that made this come out.
Michael (Rod) Rodriguez (02:17):
This provided me a nonjudgmental way to express a message to myself without the constraints of, of the written word or anything, you know? And then it was in that moment, you know, the aha moment where I realized the beauty of art.
Christopher Stowe (02:37):
So I think that the understanding w- for military folks, trying to find success in an artistic platform, where they end up, I think, having this new creative process they didn't have before. The military doesn't necessarily all the time lend itself to individuality or creativity. It tends to be more, um, "You're a square peg, you need to be in a square hole, 'cause that's, that's what we need you to be at the time." But that ends up, I think, probably stymieing a person's individuality or their individual creative process. Where, I think, the arts end up really opening that up for people.
Glema Gordon (03:14):
Making my quilt, I had so many emotions. I thought about my trauma, the combat trauma, and through the combat trauma how anxiety, depression, and all these feelings came to me. So I showed it to my mentor. I drew it out, sketched it out, and the name of my quilt is, "Behind the Mask." So she knew that I really wasn't myself, and if I could put on a mask, I could make it through everything.
Heather Spooner (03:58):
Again, to put it into an image, a poem, even when you're describing your own experience, oftentimes happens on a level that everyone can see themselves in. And it doesn't have to be the same kind of pain, it doesn't have to be the same kind of experience, but they can see themselves in it. And that's what we're seeing in the work from these veterans and service members, perhaps in part because the themes they're dealing with are so powerful.
Michael Schneider (04:25):
My therapist was able to introduce me to that, and really show me where I was able to heal by utilizing music, was able to heal by utilizing the arts. I was able to see it, feel it, and I knew it made me better.
Merrilee Jorn (04:41):
I've actually had several people tell me, "It took me six months or a year or more to tell my therapist about that, and you got it out of me in one hour. How did that happen?"
Accessibility Statement
Find our full Accessibility Statement in the footer.
Anatomy of an Aha Moment
Hear clinicians and former patients discuss how creative arts therapies can enable meaning-making, positive reframing, and the ability to experience “the flow state.”
Transcript
Heather Spooner (00:34):
When people experience a traumatic event, oftentimes the parts of the brain, neurologically, that are responsible for visual or emotions are very active. And parts of the brain that are responsible for language tend to shut down.
Michael Schneider (00:53):
They found out I had damage to my right brain, which caused a non-epileptic seizure disorder, and my left brain is an epileptic seizure disorder. So the damage that was done on my left brain is controlled by medicine. And the only way you can control my right brain is by utilizing different forms of therapy. And music and art is that main output for me to control the seizures on my right brain.
Heather Spooner (01:20):
One of the things that people often experience when they're doing art is what people talk about as the flow state, and so it's very similar to what people may experience during meditation. There's physiological change that occurs in the body and it creates this relaxation state. People may forget about pain for a while, they may lose track of time. And for many people it's getting into that flow state that feels so beneficial about the art making, and that they really enjoy.
Michael Schneider (01:53):
One session with my music therapist, I went the next day almost seizure free. And it was an aha moment for me almost immediately of like, well, the only thing that changed was I went and she made me sing. That moment I knew the art was going to help me immensely.
Patrick Spiro (02:16):
For me with art, it's almost in a sense like going to the gun range where I'm focused through a scope and I'm looking at crosshairs, then I'm firing shots. And I'm going down and I'm looking at the target and I'm able to go, all right, I processed all this with my mind clear. With art, I'm like, you're getting a natural high off of what you're doing, not a fake high off a bottle of alcohol that's going to come with extreme lows or crazy side effects.
Danielle Braxton (02:41):
One of the things I do talk about during my intake is the state of flow, and how they're going to come in and we're going to get them set up. I might go over some materials. I will explain a directive that I have for them, and then I tell them, you're just going to work. I'm going to sit over there and look like I'm not working, and you are going to work.
Glema Gordon (03:02):
Keep your hands busy so your mind won't go where it shouldn't go. When I use my hands, I have to pay attention to what my hands are doing. That means that I don't give my mind a chance to have intrusive thoughts.
Heather Spooner (03:20):
And the ability to be able to start doing that on their own, while there's many things that, as a therapist, I need to guide them through, getting into that flow state once they've experienced it is often something that they continue even between and outside of our sessions together.
Michael Rodriguez (03:36):
It's very taxing, but when I'm in those moments, being emotional for that length of time; it allows me to face and focus on a lot of the shadows that I carry around. I get in the flow state, hours will fly by, but it provides me an opportunity to heal. I just feel free.
Michael Schneider (04:03):
Music therapy was the first aha moment that said, stop, look, listen, and see what's around you. The music was the outlet for me that brought me to the next day.
Michael Rodriguez (04:20):
My sons, it allowed me to talk with them and share with them not only how I really feel, still being that strong male figure that they still need in their lives, but it allowed me to maybe say things that I probably wouldn't have said, or say things differently. It took the fear away from me. It allowed me to move forward.
Glema Gordon (04:47):
Making that quilt was a positive, positive thing. And now that I can reflect back on that, I could give myself some advice and say, it's going to be okay. You're going to go through some things, but you're not by yourself.
Michael Rodriguez (05:07):
This mask is just representation of the open dialogue that I have with myself that I never had up until that point in my life. My experience in the military made me the person that's sitting right here and I'm proud of it. The experiences and traumas that happen to you, they're going to affect you, but it's what you choose to do with those experiences to those around you. I don't bottle them up and stick them on a shelf in the closet. I identify them and help those experiences make me a better man.
When people experience a traumatic event, oftentimes the parts of the brain, neurologically, that are responsible for visual or emotions are very active. And parts of the brain that are responsible for language tend to shut down.
Michael Schneider (00:53):
They found out I had damage to my right brain, which caused a non-epileptic seizure disorder, and my left brain is an epileptic seizure disorder. So the damage that was done on my left brain is controlled by medicine. And the only way you can control my right brain is by utilizing different forms of therapy. And music and art is that main output for me to control the seizures on my right brain.
Heather Spooner (01:20):
One of the things that people often experience when they're doing art is what people talk about as the flow state, and so it's very similar to what people may experience during meditation. There's physiological change that occurs in the body and it creates this relaxation state. People may forget about pain for a while, they may lose track of time. And for many people it's getting into that flow state that feels so beneficial about the art making, and that they really enjoy.
Michael Schneider (01:53):
One session with my music therapist, I went the next day almost seizure free. And it was an aha moment for me almost immediately of like, well, the only thing that changed was I went and she made me sing. That moment I knew the art was going to help me immensely.
Patrick Spiro (02:16):
For me with art, it's almost in a sense like going to the gun range where I'm focused through a scope and I'm looking at crosshairs, then I'm firing shots. And I'm going down and I'm looking at the target and I'm able to go, all right, I processed all this with my mind clear. With art, I'm like, you're getting a natural high off of what you're doing, not a fake high off a bottle of alcohol that's going to come with extreme lows or crazy side effects.
Danielle Braxton (02:41):
One of the things I do talk about during my intake is the state of flow, and how they're going to come in and we're going to get them set up. I might go over some materials. I will explain a directive that I have for them, and then I tell them, you're just going to work. I'm going to sit over there and look like I'm not working, and you are going to work.
Glema Gordon (03:02):
Keep your hands busy so your mind won't go where it shouldn't go. When I use my hands, I have to pay attention to what my hands are doing. That means that I don't give my mind a chance to have intrusive thoughts.
Heather Spooner (03:20):
And the ability to be able to start doing that on their own, while there's many things that, as a therapist, I need to guide them through, getting into that flow state once they've experienced it is often something that they continue even between and outside of our sessions together.
Michael Rodriguez (03:36):
It's very taxing, but when I'm in those moments, being emotional for that length of time; it allows me to face and focus on a lot of the shadows that I carry around. I get in the flow state, hours will fly by, but it provides me an opportunity to heal. I just feel free.
Michael Schneider (04:03):
Music therapy was the first aha moment that said, stop, look, listen, and see what's around you. The music was the outlet for me that brought me to the next day.
Michael Rodriguez (04:20):
My sons, it allowed me to talk with them and share with them not only how I really feel, still being that strong male figure that they still need in their lives, but it allowed me to maybe say things that I probably wouldn't have said, or say things differently. It took the fear away from me. It allowed me to move forward.
Glema Gordon (04:47):
Making that quilt was a positive, positive thing. And now that I can reflect back on that, I could give myself some advice and say, it's going to be okay. You're going to go through some things, but you're not by yourself.
Michael Rodriguez (05:07):
This mask is just representation of the open dialogue that I have with myself that I never had up until that point in my life. My experience in the military made me the person that's sitting right here and I'm proud of it. The experiences and traumas that happen to you, they're going to affect you, but it's what you choose to do with those experiences to those around you. I don't bottle them up and stick them on a shelf in the closet. I identify them and help those experiences make me a better man.
Accessibility Statement
Find our full Accessibility Statement in the footer.
I thought about my trauma, the combat trauma, and how anxiety, depression, and all these feelings came to me. I drew it out, sketched it out and the name of my quilt is “Behind the Mask.”
Glema Gordon, U.S. Army (Retired)
Image gallery
Healing the Invisible Wounds of War
Hear how creative arts therapies can help service members and veterans reduce isolation and stigma through improved interaction with family, peers, and providers.
Transcript
Speaker 1 (00:10):
I was a combat company commander. When I came home, I had so many anger issues. Then it turned into depression. It turned into hurt, shame.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
The most difficult thing I ever had to say, those three words we're all terrified to say is, "I need help."
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Art and art therapy are probably one of the only things that I've had in my life that I would equate to post-traumatic growth. It's how you're going to grow, how you're going to change.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
I was able to heal by utilizing music. I was able to heal by utilizing the arts. I was able to see it, feel it, and I knew it made me better.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Even though I have PTSD and trauma, it's going to be okay. You're going to go through some things, but you're not by yourself.
I was a combat company commander. When I came home, I had so many anger issues. Then it turned into depression. It turned into hurt, shame.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
The most difficult thing I ever had to say, those three words we're all terrified to say is, "I need help."
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Art and art therapy are probably one of the only things that I've had in my life that I would equate to post-traumatic growth. It's how you're going to grow, how you're going to change.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
I was able to heal by utilizing music. I was able to heal by utilizing the arts. I was able to see it, feel it, and I knew it made me better.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Even though I have PTSD and trauma, it's going to be okay. You're going to go through some things, but you're not by yourself.
Accessibility Statement
Find our full Accessibility Statement in the footer.
When my physicians told me they wanted me to go to art therapy, I said “you got to be kidding me. My brains got all jacked up and you are putting me in arts and crafts?’ It saved my life; and not just because I’m supposedly talented at painting, but because it gave me back something that had been taken away.
Anonymous patient
Video Credits
- Bill O’Brien, Producer
- Amanda Voisard, Lead Videographer
- Alex Mandiola, Florida Videographer
- Sarah Grile, Florida Videographer
- Jason Arthurs, North Carolina Videographer
- Molly Brock, North Carolina Assistant Videographer
- Natalie Rich, North Carolina Camera Assistant
- Michelle Price, Media Coordinator
- Brennan McClean, Editing & Post Production
- Kelly McClean, Editing and Post Production
- Bridge Post, Color Correction, Special Effects and Final Mixing
Featured Music
- “Should Have Known Better” by Sufjan Stevens (BMG)
- “The Black Hawk War, or How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning…” by Sufjan Stevens (BMG)
- “The Walk” by Kyle Vanick
- “Helium” (Extreme Music)
- “Inside Influences” (Extreme Music)
- “Laying Low” (Frisbie Music)
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