Statements
Mission
CreatiVets' mission is to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music.
Our goal is to empower veterans with tools they can use for the rest of their lives to combat stress, depression and other side effects of war.
Background
Richard Casper, Executive Director and co-founder of CreatiVets, was serving with the United States Marine Corps in Iraq when he was hit by IEDs in four separate incidents, suffered multiple concussions, and lost a close friend while they were on patrol. Richard was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, deemed unfit for duty, and sent home. Once he returned home, he found that the symptoms stemming from his TBI and post-traumatic stress were debilitating. After his efforts seeking relief through psychiatric treatment and psychotherapy were unsuccessful, he discovered that engaging in art was the only thing that really helped him manage his symptoms and allowed him to heal. He applied to an undergraduate program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he was accepted, and he earned his BFA in art. Linda Tarrson has extensive experience with non-profits and philanthropy and, being part of a military family, she is very passionate about helping our returning veterans. After a chance meeting, Linda befriended Richard, and in July of 2013 they conceived and launched CreatiVets together in order to share and expand upon what Richard learned from his own experience using art to heal the unseen wounds of war. The stated mission of CreatiVets is to identify United States combat veterans who struggle with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury and to provide opportunities to use art, music, and creative writing and begin the healing process.Through a unique peer-to-peer approach, veterans learn to express their thoughts and feelings without having to verbalize or directly confront their trauma, while avoiding the stigma of receiving mental health treatment. CreatiVets creates a safe environment and provides an outlet for expression that does not threaten that feeling of safety. By fostering self-expression in a way that transforms their stories of trauma and struggle into a tangible form, CreatiVets helps veterans create artwork that inspires and motivates continued healing for themselves as well as others.
Impact
During the past few years, the art programs have grown substantially, and our songwriting programs have expanded exponentially. The art programs are 3-week long summer programs held at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Southern California, and Virginia Commonwealth University, all well-respected and fully accredited institutions, and each enroll 8-10 students per session. The Nashville-based songwriting program enrolls an average of two veterans per month for a three-day session. This program was recently expanded into a traveling version where CreatiVets facilitators and professional songwriters travel to the veteran participant in order to conduct the session. In partnership with Zac Brown's Camp Southern ground, we now host a CreatiVets 'Warrior Week' where up to 16 veterans are served per session. We also have partnered with Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame in offering an online songwriting program designed to keep wait-listed veterans engaged and excited about participating in the peer-to-peer songwriting sessions CreatiVets co-founder and Executive Director, Richard Casper, participated in the George W. Bush Institute's Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program and was part of the program's first graduating class. And recently he spoke about CreatiVets at the Forum on Leadership at the Bush Center. In 2017, Richard Casper was named one of TIME Magazine's Next Generation Leaders for his role in co-founding CreatiVets and for his ongoing work helping combat veterans address post-traumatic stress through art and music. Along with this honor, Richard Casper and CreatiVets were featured in a short film by TIME Magazine's Diane Tsai called "Evidence of Things Unseen" which was recently screened and well-received at the Cinequest Film festival in San Jose, California. In terms of local and national recognition, Richard Casper was invited to present a lecture at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, the National Veterans Art Museum displays the artwork of CreatiVets participants at the conclusion of each program, and CreatiVets is in the process of organizing a proposed exhibit in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Community Museum. CreatiVets plans to expand programming by adding a winter program, a film program, a travel art program designed specifically for Vietnam veterans, and additional summer and community programs.
Needs
Veterans who have served our country, faced combat, and sought help should never have to pay for it themselves; therefore all CreatiVets programs, instruction, materials, supplies, and instruments are 100% cost-free. All program costs include travel, food, and lodging.Art programs include the cost of tuition, art supplies, and equipment totaling $7,000-$7,500 per participant. Each class is limited to 8-10 students, and while we plan to offer additional sessions, we currently lack funding. Songwriting sessions cost up to $2700, and expanding the program will require additional CreatiVets facilitators. While professional songwriters are volunteers, each participant is assigned a "battle buddy," a veteran who has also experienced combat and gone through the CreatiVets program. Community Programs, weekend or one-day seminars, will cost about $3200 annually when fully implementedCreatiVets also seeks general funding. In addition to program costs, this includes operational expenses, and fundraising efforts. Other ways to donate: Examples of in-kind donations include instruments, materials, studio time, demo production, workspace, etc. To arrange, please contact Richard at 309-712-8404. For those who wish to mail donations: CreatiVets672A Westboro DriveNashville, TN 37209
CEO Statement
Linda and I started CreatiVets seven years ago because I discovered that art and music facilitated healing that I hadn't found through other approaches. Taking pills and sitting in a room talking to a therapist didn't make me feel less anxious or more connected?it had the opposite effect. When I got home, after everything I'd been through in Iraq, I'd failed my first college class and learned that I had a traumatic brain injury that would affect my ability to learn. After I discovered that art was something that I could use and could excel at, I wanted other veterans to get the same benefits that I got. For me, it was a way of talking about it, without having to talk about it. Art is this loophole that lets you heal in your own way. It's an amazing thing to see how art can transform someone who can't talk about the things that happened to them or that they witnessed. It's like a veteran can suddenly say, "I don't have the words, but I have this. I have a piece of artwork or a song that I can talk about?or to not talk about." Sometimes just the act of creating something from an experience, a piece of artwork or a song, helps a veteran look at the experiences more objectively. The thing that I would emphasize about CreatiVets is that we rely on peer-to-peer support in the songwriting program and in the art program. Veterans who have experienced combat and who have already gone through a CreatiVets program are stepping into mentoring and teaching roles, providing instruction, feedback, and support for current participants as the programs continue to expand. What I've realized as CreatiVets has grown is that the healing is exponential. Getting veterans through the program has had an incredibly positive effect on those participants. But afterwards, it's been amazing to watch how our alumni stay in touch, spread the word, and want to be involved in helping veterans in their own communities. Veterans who go through the programs experience obvious benefits, but when others veterans see the artwork or hear the songs, it helps them as well.
Board Chair Statement
In 2016, I had the pleasure of attending a Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation event here in Nashville, TN that honored living Medal of Honor recipient, Sp5c Charles Hagemeister. Richard Casper, whom I had not met prior, happened to be in attendance with a veteran he had flown in for a songwriting session. I remember very distinctly there being this palpable energy and optimism surrounding both Richard and this veteran. So much so that I became instantly curious about CreatiVets and the work they were doing in the veteran community. Richard and I grabbed coffee the following week and, again, there was this palpable energy and optimism surrounding him from the moment we sat down. Needless to say I was fascinated. Over the course of that conversation, Richard shared the story of his service - how his vehicle was struck by multiple IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), and how Luke Yepsen, his friend and gunner, was shot and killed next to him in Iraq. He shared the story of coming back home - the struggles he and many other veterans face in suffering from the effects of PTS (Post-Traumatic Stress) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), and the overwhelming feelings of being isolated, disconnected, and hopeless. Lastly, in a beautiful twist, he shared his redemptive story - how he was able to foster self-expression in such a way that allowed him to transform his stories of trauma and struggle into an art form that inspired and motivated continued healing. These stories are not Richard's alone. These are the stories of thousands of service men and women across the country. What became abundantly clear to Richard was that he needed to utilize his talents and resources to help his fellow veterans emerge from the depths that he himself had experienced. Thus, CreatiVets was born. In my short time with CreatiVets, we have rapidly expanded our programming and partnerships to meet the needs of the veteran community that we serve. While extremely grateful for the progress and support we have experienced, we know we have only begun to scratch the surface of what we are capable of building. Veterans are still committing suicide every day, and it is critical that we reach them. We have amazing plans to impact thousands of veteran lives through CreatiVets, but we can't do it alone. YOU have the ability to be the force multiplier that we need. With continued support and additional funding for these critical programs, fewer veterans will have to wait for the creative outlet that they so desperately need.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Public & Societal Benefit - Military/Veterans' Organizations |
| Secondary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Arts,Culture & Humanities NEC |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
All veterans are eligible for CreatiVets programs, regardless of geography. While the vast majority of veteran songwriting sessions are held here in Nashville, TN, we've held sessions elsewhere to support partnerships with other organizations. However, flying veterans to Nashville, breaking their isolation, is an integral part of the songwriting experience. Currently, art programs are held at the University of Southern California, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and others.
| TN - Davidson |
