As creative arts therapists working within the VA, we have one of the most rewarding jobs imaginable. The veterans we work with inspire us every day and we work within a system that values our contributions. It is an exciting time to do this work, as the arts and creative arts therapies are receiving increased recognition by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, thanks largely to programs such as the National Initiative for Arts and Health in the Military: Americans for the Arts and Creative Forces: The NEA Military Healing Arts Network.  

Additionally, Florida has the third largest veteran population in the nation and houses two of the eleven clinical sites for Creative Forces. Many veterans, service members, and their families are interested in the arts. They may wish to integrate creative arts therapies into their clinical care, or simply integrate arts practices into their life to support overall wellbeing.

Florida is also home to an incredibly rich array of artists and arts programs, many of whom are incredibly interested in working with military service members and veterans.  One of our biggest challenges is how to connect these artists with those service members and veterans who would love to partner with them. There are also a seemingly infinite number of questions: What should an artist know to do this work? How can veterans and artists connect with one another? And how do we demonstrate the value of these partnerships?

This year, the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine is partnering with the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs on a project to answer some of these questions. We are in the process of creating an open-access online resource for veterans and community artists who wish to engage in community arts interactions with active service members, veterans, and their loved ones.

We began by tugging on the end of a thread to feel the ways it was connected to the rest of the cloth. We discovered regional webs across the state of Florida committed to artistic excellence and arts access among individual veterans, artists, and arts organizations. We are working even now to collate the professional and personal experiences, input, and ideas from those who may want to share the great work they are doing, with the express vision to capture as many voices and expertise in this work as possible.

In this effort, we dream of interweaving creative input to shape and inform the content and to ensure we include the most helpful, relevant, and meaningful information to artists who are engaged in building healthier communities as part of the wider effort to formalize the intersection of arts in public health. Sitting down together to curate a collection of Florida veteran artists’ stories, personal experiences, and expertise is both a daunting task and a privilege.

The open access resource will highlight Florida’s vibrant arts in health community and arts programs for veterans and military personnel; demonstrate the impact of the arts with military services members, veterans, and their families; and address special competencies needed for this area of work. We are actively seeking input from artists and veterans who would like to highlight their work in this process and welcome you to share your stories with us in the comments; or join the Facebook group we have started for this purpose: Community Arts for Military Health and Wellbeing.

Examples of modules we are currently working to populate include:

1. What is community arts for military health and wellbeing?
2. Where is it happening? (featuring program examples from Florida and around the nation)
3. What’s it like for the artists, service members, veterans, and families who participate? 
4. What do I need to know? (including scope of practice for artists working in communities to ensure relevance, relatability, and meaning)     
5. Where do I begin?
6. Then what?

We know the inherent value of being more active contributors in a more deeply socially embedded role in our communities. We believe the arts can help. We hope this project increases arts access in support of our service members, deepens their connection to their local communities, and enhances the overall wellbeing of all involved.