Art may also be mightier than the sword

Richard Casper was only a junior in high school when the September 11th attacks hit New York City. And like many others, something changed in the Illinois teen that day. Feeling a desire to serve and protect his loved ones, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps infantry.

🪖 The reality of sacrificial service: Richard’s time in Iraq changed his life in more ways than he could count.

The dedicated Marine survived multiple IED explosions and attacks. And he was devastated when his best friend and fellow soldier, Luke Yepsen, died right next to him in the line of duty.

• “It was so hard to comprehend what happened because we go to work the next day like nothing happened,” shared Richard. “When you’re in the infantry, they have to strip away all your vulnerabilities. They have to, because (otherwise) you’re not going to survive in war.”

🙏🏼🖌 It gets better… Understandably, Richard had a difficult time readjusting to life in the States when he returned. After failing out of college his first semester back as a business major, he decided to switch to something “easier” and study art.

• “I didn’t want to do it, I felt like I had to,” Richard said of his major change. “And then art changed my life.”

Studying art healed Richard in ways nothing else could. Being creative and working with his hands helped him process his time in the Marine Corps, as well as work through his newfound PTSD.

• It didn’t take long before he decided to share the power of art with fellow vets.

🎸 Let's get creative CreatiVets… In 2013, Richard started CreatiVets, a nonprofit offering immersive visual art and songwriting programs to wounded combat veterans. There are two programs to choose from. 

• Vets can either create visual art through programs at schools like the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 
• Or they can sign up for a four-day songwriting intensive at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

💬 What he's saying: “After they write that song, they’re on cloud nine because they finally had the words to say what they never could say before,” Richard said of the program. “It’s incredible to see their life experience go from just a story I tell to a song I could share with everybody.”

❤️ The impact: CreatiVets has already helped more than 900 veterans find healing through art. And every single time Richard sees a life change through the program, he thinks of Luke.

• “I just know he’d be looking down just being like, ‘You’re doing what you’re meant to do,” he said of his late best friend. “You’re truly living for both of us now.’”

+Note: An earlier version of this story was published in Positive DONUT in August 2022. It was so sweet that we had to share it again 🥰.