ST. LOUIS – A talent show is giving veterans a new opportunity to express themselves through art.
Wednesday night was the first night of the ‘Veterans Association’s Got Talent’ event at the Jefferson Barracks in south county. It encourages soldiers to step into their creative side, through music, dance, art, and poetry.
Organizers say this kind of expression and gatherings help decrease a trend of veteran suicide deaths.
“Sometimes you just can’t say what you can sing, you just can’t say what you can write, you just can’t say what you can show,” Occupational Therapist at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Danielle Cobbs.
“There’s a camaraderie between veterans that nobody else can really understand, and we get to have that when we are here,” Mike Vassen of the Marine Corps explained.
Saturday is the second and last night of the VA’s got talent. The ‘Artist and Creative Writer Showcase’ starts at 11:00 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., veterans will talk about how therapeutic art helped them in their healing process.
Afterward, they will announce the winners from all the performances.