{"id":115351,"date":"2020-11-04T14:49:25","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T19:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=115351"},"modified":"2020-11-04T15:21:10","modified_gmt":"2020-11-04T20:21:10","slug":"helping-veterans-heal-through-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/helping-veterans-heal-through-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Veterans Heal Through Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

About 20 minutes west of UCF\u2019s main campus, a domiciliary within the Lake Baldwin VA Medical Center campus houses veterans who need a temporary place to live while they get back on their feet. These veterans all fought in different wars, served in different branches and suffered different injuries. They have one thing in common, though \u2014 they\u2019re suffering from some sort of pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we see here are veterans who are dealing with substance abuse, alcoholism or homelessness, often because of post-traumatic stress disorder. Some have developed addictions as a way to deal with their pain,\u201d says Michael Weaver, a recreation therapist at the Lake Baldwin VA.<\/p>\n

Thanks to a UCF professor, these veterans now have a weekly, healthy outlet for their pain: art.<\/p>\n

Kevin Haran, a professor of art<\/a>, hosts weekly drawing lessons via Zoom for veterans of the Lake Baldwin VA Domiciliary. In August 2019, Haran began hosting in-person, hands-on weekly art sessions on drawing, sculpture, printmaking and more, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person classes had to cease. Haran and the VA staff knew of the joy and the benefits these art lessons were bringing the veterans and found ways to improvise around the limitations.<\/p>\n

Following COVID-19 guidelines and in the comfort of their rooms, veterans each Wednesday tune in via Zoom to learn to draw a new image. Haran arranges his camera to focus on his hand and drawing so that the veterans can follow along. For veterans who don\u2019t have a device of their own, the VA provides them with a laptop and webcam. And although COVID-19 has restricted these art lessons and social interactions, the benefits from this program are evident.<\/p>\n

Weaver has noticed the art lessons are a social outlet for the veterans, they help with hand-eye coordination and cognitive functioning, boost self-esteem and serve as a mental relief.<\/p>\n