CreatiVets Competitors

Project Healing Waters – More Than Just Fly Fishing For many Veterans, the hardest battles don’t happen downrange. They happen when the uniform comes off, in the quiet moments, when the mission is gone, and the weight of service lingers. At Project Healing Waters, we don’t just teach fly fishing. We rebuild purpose. We reconnect Veterans to a community. We get them back in the fight. Fly fishing isn’t just a hobby, it’s a tool. A tool for healing, for connection, for finding peace in the places that once felt unreachable. PHW provides hands-on instruction, gear, and outings, all free of charge, so Veterans can get back to something real. Something that pulls them out of isolation and into the wild, surrounded by people who understand. We work directly with VA hospitals, military bases, and community partners across the country to reach Veterans where they are. Whether it’s a warrior transitioning from service, a Veteran battling PTSD, or someone just looking for a reason to get outside again, PHW is there. This isn’t just about fly fishing. It’s about saving lives, restoring confidence, and proving that the best days aren’t behind us, they’re still out there. Veterans, donors, volunteers, there’s a place for you here. Let’s get to work.

As an active DOD Skillbridge location offering transitioning service members support, space, mentoring, arts practice, the overlap of public health, policy, advocacy and access to a expanded wellness opportunities through the force impact of creativity. The Veterans Art Project (VETART) is a community based arts organization serving Veterans, Active Duty, Spouses, first responders, dependents, their caregivers, and the community through the process-driven, Deep Arts Engagement, D.A.E.(c) with art therapy options provides a process-intensive arts encounter proven to promote health and wellness. By providing an avenue for Veterans and Active Duty (some with post-traumatic stress, TBI, or MST) to find their voice and work through the life-changing process of transitioning from military to civilian life. Through on-site community arts classes, demonstrations, exhibitions across the state of California supported through a multi year MHSOAC, INNOVATION contract for Veterans mental health and wellness through pop up arts cafes. VETART educates and advocates for expanded community arts activities through out San Diego County and the country. VETART provides space for Veterans to connect with others and discover an outlet to express their experiences through the art-making process. Connecting service families and support systems through community art programming, VETART offers free classes in the process-heavy art disciplines of Ceramics, and Glass casting. VETART facilities build relations between military families and civilians through sharing art-making in a culturally-competent, safe, welcoming, relaxed, and fun environment. Classes are held within state of the art facilities and taught by artists of all cultural/social backgrounds and M.F.A. instructors. We provide artistic support and development, and a dignified display of completed artworks. These dignified displays help engage the broader civilian community through artist/participant presentation.

OUR MISSION: To support emotional healing through art and creative expression for those living with pain, grief, fear, or stress. WHAT WE DO: We assist children, women, men, families, and military personnel suffering from the emotional impacts of abuse, illness, grief, fear or stress using our Art4Healing® method. Our workshops, designed for non-artists and artists alike, provide expression, encouragement, clarity and insight, and are held at our facility in Laguna Hills, CA, and on-site at hospitals, treatment centers, schools, military facilities, shelters, and other non-profit centers. Since 2000, Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, has served more than 50,000 individuals and partnered with 35 other nonprofit agencies. With support from foundations, corporate and private donors, we provide programs and services for approximately 3,000 Orange County and San Diego residents each year. We serve all individuals regardless of race, creed, sex, age, or emotional stability. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HEALTHCARE: Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc. partners with hospitals, treatment centers, healthcare agencies and caregivers to integrate Art4Healing® programs and provide professional development for healthcare professionals. Our programs are designed to work in conjunction with and enhance other therapeutic models including traditional talk therapy. Our mix of artistic development and expression, coupled with a creative healing model, allows participants to learn a new way of communicating through color that encourages emotional breakthroughs and further enhances the therapy process. Unlike other art programs that employ a loose format of free expression, our curriculum contains strictly guided exercises (led by our trained facilitators) designed to elicit emotional responses.