Creative Forces—A Path Forward With Art

Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network uses the transformational power of the arts to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of veterans and service members. Path with Art is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals recovering from homelessness, addiction, and other traumas through creative engagement. Founded in 2008, the organization harnesses the power of art as a bridge to community and a path to stability. A Path Forward With Art shares the powerful stories of veterans whose lives have been transformed through the healing power of art. Path with Art, is dedicated to fostering the restoration of individuals, groups, and society from the effects of trauma through art and community engagement. In 2019, Path with Art began working intentionally with veteran communities, offering programs like visual arts, music, writing, and photography to help veterans find healing and agency. This video highlights the experiences of several veterans, including a Vietnam War nurse who turned to music for sanity, a Marine who survived trauma and found recovery through visual art, and a former soldier who rediscovered his voice as a writer. Through programs like the Veterans Choir and spoken word poetry classes, Path with Art provides a safe and creative space for veterans to express themselves and reframe their narratives. In addition to fostering individual healing, Path with Art builds partnerships with veteran service organizations and the VA to address the unique needs of veterans. These programs emphasize the importance of the creative process itself, allowing participants to process their emotions and regain a sense of purpose and connection. Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs that seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. The program increases access to community arts engagement activities to promote health, well-being, and quality of life for military service members, veterans, and their families and caregivers. It also places creative arts therapies at the core of patient-centered care at clinical sites throughout the country, including telehealth services. Creative Forces is managed in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and Mid-America Arts Alliance. Special Thanks Rachel Androski Riishaar Baker Sarah L. Blum, U.S. Army veteran, Artist Ghaddra Gonzales Castillo Civic Arts Holly Jacobson Michelle L. Murray, U.S. Army veteran, Artist Mid-America Arts Alliances (MAAA) Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network Path With Art Path With Art Jam Session Seattle Opera Luz Helena Thompson, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Artist Sarah Westlake