In recent years, veterans have taken over Instagram and it has been amazing to watch that community unfold with a social media presence. I admit though, most veterans I follow are men. I know women veterans are leading in this space, too, but perhaps are not as amplified for one reason or another. Maybe it’s the ever-evolving race to find a presence in the algorithm. 

Cue in Visionary Veterans (VV), a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Florida, is in their first year of operation, but pack a powerful punch! I found this organization through a repost on Instagram. Two things resonated with me - the word “visionary” and their logo - which I would describe as an 80s-era synthetic rainbow. I could almost hear synthesized music in my head when I saw it. I think at the time they had less than 100 followers but I knew I had to reach out. It called to me. 

I sent a message through Instagram not knowing their mission, but knowing I felt drawn to it. It read “This is so dope! I have plans to open a ‘retreat center’ nonprofit for veterans in a few years. I don’t know if you guys are in need of a social work degree but I’d love to be involved somehow. Or if you ever want to have a discussion about the broken system, I’d love to…”

I was referring to the healthcare system - which has its place, but in my humble opinion, falls short in both innovative and ancient alternative and complementary modalities for treatment for all types of dis-ease. 

Veronika, founder of Visionary Veterans, Marine Corps veteran and former nurse, responded quickly with her phone number. We linked on a call and spent quite a bit of time discussing our experiences and our belief systems. The conversation had a fiery tempo, one full of passion, but it flowed like water. I felt energized speaking with her, thinking to myself - “yes! THIS is the type of movement I have been looking for!” 

Later VV posted about a campout at The Hostel in the Forest, and I knew I had to attend. I was in an interesting situation, though.  I  would be only 6 months post-ACL reconstruction and was facing extreme hardship after losing my job due to my injury. All it took was one injury and losing my job to humble me, and make me realize the amount of healing I was in need of spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, etc. I was almost alone in this, and what I was in desperate need of was a healing community. 

I made the defiant decision - I would dip into my funds for rent to attend. I did not care how I had to make it happen, I just knew I had to. I was lucky to receive a scholarship from a very kind donor for partial payment. And, as usual when I bet on myself, I figured out the rent situation.

I have dabbled in alternative and complementary modalities over the years post-service, after having garbled a slew of psychotropic medications like many others. Side note: I am not anti-psychotropics, and ethically could never discount any modality, if by choice. But I believe in the ethical responsibility of informed consent. What I saw missing in the Western healthcare system during my time as a social worker in the mental health arena were holistic approaches to treatment and dissemination of information on available options. Likewise, modalities were not accessible financially to many veterans who are often on a fixed income, myself included. Even having dabbled in energy work and with a 200-hour yoga teacher training under my belt, I would still consider myself a novice. 

From the moment I received the schedule for the campout, I knew this would be powerful - a 4-day intensive with disciplined and versatile practitioners, enveloped in the dense forest, away from the busy world. A weekend chock full of energy work, spirit medicine, creative expression, breathwork, movement, and healing community and connection.

I called a few of my friends (other amazing women veterans I know), and shared my excitement. Before I even departed for the event, I was already envisioning returning to their next event with my closest friends.  

​Stay tuned for Part 2......

Written by Marine Veteran and Visionary Artist, Veronika Rose. 
Hey, guess what? I believe everyone is an artist. Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught to believe that we couldn’t be creative or make art. Our 5-year-old self didn’t care if what we created was “Good” we just created it for fun. If you can sign your name, squirt ketchup on a hot dog, or put on eyeliner, you have the skills necessary to create. I believe in you. Sometimes, all you need is more training. 

Here are 6 ways that veterans can use their training to tap into creativity.  

1. Attention to detail- remember the polishing your boots days? Or checking for IPs or exact measurements for placements with your uniform? Using this level of attention and focus can help you master a skill. It’s in those tiny details that take artists from lame... to, WOW! Learn the skills and practice the techniques and then let your attention to detail take hold and get into the flow state. Give your finished piece a final inspection, and call it done.. Or as Leonardo    Da Vinci once said, "Art is never finished, only abandoned." Ouch, very true.​
2. Resourcefulness- As a former Marine, one skill that we acquired was to be resourceful a.f. and make the best of what we had. In our Martial arts training, we were also taught to look for “Weapons of opportunity” as in what can you use right now during a fight? -  Here, let's tweak that and look for Weapons of creativity- So....I recommend scanning your environment. What materials are easily accessible and inspire you? Look around and work with what you've got. What recycled containers can you reuse to create a pallet or cup to hold water/paint? How can I take this pile of random shit and turn it into a sculpture, photoshoot, IG story, furniture, functional clothing, etc. the list goes on.  Allowing yourself to play with ideas can spark solutions. You were trained to problem solve and think outside the box.  
3. Adaptability- Hey, sometimes your art is going to suck. And many art projects go through awkward stages (Remember bootcamp?) So it’s important to remember to not get too caught up in what it looks like early on. Trust and keep pushing until you’ve added many layers or adequate time into your craft. How quickly can you recover if you’ve made a mistake?  Remember the famous words of Boss Ross, (Army veteran btw) "There are no mistakes, only happy accidents." Sometimes those “fuck ups” can turn your piece into something amazing if you just roll with it. How can you add to this mistake to make it something else? (a big lesson in non-attachment). Don't like something?   Put a bird on it. No really, maybe you could cover it with a flower, a star or something else. You already know how to push through when something is hard, and creating art isn’t always easy and flowing. Sometimes all you need to do is to take the next step and put down 1 brush stroke and allow the next part to unfold to adapt and overcome. 
4. Active meditation- Don’t say you can’t meditate- If you ever went to the rifle range, you in a way were learning how to calm your system, breathe and sit still to clear your mind and ensure a clearer shot. It’s the shot you take between the breaths, right? Remember that flow state you reached when you were marching with your unit, all in cadence, all in alignment, looking sharp? Your mind was fully present and in a flow state. How can you recreate this in your art process? What are some hobbies that you have so much fun you lose track of time? Tap into this space and ride it while the inspiration lasts. Creating, painting, coloring, and cooking can help us get focused and calm. **Art tip- Unstable hand? You can paint your strokes in between the breaths to ensure a more stable line or rest your hand on the canvas while you are painting- (on dry areas.)
5. Teamwork- Not all artists are hermits and some like to work as a team to create badass art. Music festivals, fairs, and theme parks all need artists to make things look awesome. Festivals are amazing because you work for a specific period of time, with a small creative team to make shit happen before the festival or art show begins. You build a traveling family and it reminds you of the military days and a sense of community (think art installations, tiny houses,  retreat centers, events, theme parks (Disney, Universal) etc.)  Also having a team helps us gain feedback from our peers to help us fine-tune our craft and suck less. 
6. Experts in sleep deprivation- So yes, this was a tough part of our training. This gives many of us the edge to work intensely for short periods, like for a festival build, wild late-night inspirations, large art installations, or project deadlines- We know how to push through. 

Want to learn more from me? I will be leading a how-to-paint a visionary mural at our next retreat, Visionary Veterans Holistic retreat at the Hostel in the Forest, on Oct. 14th. Reserve your bed today and sign up at www. visionaryvets.org
Thank you, and happy creating!
-Veronika 

 Navy Veteran and retreat facilitator, Ryan Bean, is the host of this own podcast show called, Life as
an Observer. On this latest episode he interviews, Marine Vet Veronika Rose about alternative veteran health options and our Visionary Veterans Campout at the Hostel in the Forest coming up this October! Check out our link below to hear this inspiring interview!