Artistic talents were on display during the 18th annual Veterans Creative Arts Festival local competition at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center last month. View the full video story here.<\/u><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The competition included 51 categories in the visual arts division that ranged from oil painting to leatherwork to paint-by-number kits. In addition, there were 100 categories in the performing arts pertaining to all aspects of music, dance, drama and creative writing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of this event is to showcase the arts as a healing modality for our Veterans,\u201d said Erin Todd, Music Therapist, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System<\/u><\/a>. \u201cA lot of Veterans are dealing with PTSD, depression, physical ailments, mental health ailments\u2026it runs the gamut\u2026but all of them have found a way for art to be a meaningful activity in their lives and some have even used it to help with their rehab and recovery,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n According to Todd, Veterans enrolled at VA health care facilities across the country compete in a local creative arts competition each year. Through a national judging process, first, second and third place entries in each category are determined. Select winners will be invited to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival scheduled for October 23-29 in Buffalo, New York.<\/p>\n \u201cI get great relief in painting,\u201d explained George Avery, a World War II U.S. Army Veteran and multi-year participant in the Veterans Creative Arts Festival. \u201cWhen you paint, it drives everything out of your mind and you have to concentrate on a very small area\u2026it\u2019s relaxing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Nationwide, VA medical facilities use the creative arts as one form of rehab to help Veterans recover and cope with physical and emotional disabilities \u2013 like first year competitor and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Kevin Forbes.<\/p>\n \u201cMusic therapy, for me, is very relaxing,\u201d Forbes said. \u201cIt helps me gather my thoughts and deal with my daily stresses. The conversation that we have\u2026our actual therapy\u2026is very helpful. I tell [the therapy group] all the time…it\u2019s like I come to church because the group speaks to me.<\/p>\n To learn more about the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, call 727-398-6661, extension 15884, or visit www.CreativeArtsFestival.va.gov<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Artistic talents were on display during the 18th annual Veterans Creative Arts Festival local competition at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center last month. View the full video story here. The competition included 51 categories in the visual arts division that ranged from oil painting to leatherwork to paint-by-number kits. In addition, there were … Continue reading Veterans Display Artistic Talents During Local Veterans Creative Arts Festival<\/span>