While the stigma against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder continues, veterans around the country have found a way to let the healing process begin—making art. Although many may never fully recover, creating art has provided a chance for them to express the joy, pain, fear and devastation of their experiences in Vietnam, becoming an outlet for their inner voices. The artistic process, alone, has been an essential ingredient for the recipe of good mental health and spiritual nourishment; something they never had before. It has taken several veterans 20 years to begin using art to explore their past experiences, their emotions towards those life-altering moments. “Trauma & Metamorphosis II” shows the transfiguration of these soldiers’ memories of the atrocities they’ve experienced, turning it into art. For the first time, these veterans and artists gain some measure of control over their Vietnam traumas, allowing the process of healing to begin. All of “Trauma & Metamorphosis’” artists endure symptoms of PTSD in varying degrees and have chosen to share their journey of healing through this very special exhibit. Reflections Michael J. Gatton, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, and Director Indianapolis Healing Art Project Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center Indianapolis, Indiana I have been privileged to have a long career in assisting combat veterans in their healing journey. War is an intense, all-encompassing encounter with the ultimates of life and death. War is a vision of both man’s inhumanity to man, and of the greatest love man has for his fellow man—a real live contradiction. Many, many combat veterans have told me that what happens in war is unimaginable and incomprehensible. The “loss of innocence” combat soldiers talk about is not really a commentary on what they have done or failed to do. Rather, “loss of innocence” is a statement about the knowledge they must carry around—they know too much. They know much they don’t even want to know, literally unspeakable things. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that when traumatized combat veterans attempt to share their war experiences, they become overwhelmed with emotion and thoughts concerning their trauma, and the speech centers of their brains shut down. Since 2001, thanks to the generosity and inspiration of the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, I have witnessed many times the wonder and power of the art of combat veterans as a healer. Their art speaks in a manner that is not possible any other way. Art conveys what is in the hearts, minds and spirits of artist-veterans. Their art is a connection and validation for other combat veterans who experience the work of the artists. We have seen this art enable many veterans to tell their own sacred stories, of their own encounters with the “knowledge of good and evil.” As well the art expresses symbolically and metaphorically the meaning of the veterans’ war trauma in a way which enchants, and leads them to open up and tell their story to others. When this occurs in psychotherapy, it enables the veterans to process and sort out their war experiences with the therapist. I encourage anyone who works with trauma victims to look to the creations of their arts to open windows for healing. NVVAM is open Tuesday-Friday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon-5:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 general admission and $7.00 students. Call the Museum at 312/326-0270 for information on group admission reservations.