Army Sergeant uses art therapy to express himself

When asked which of his seven mixed media artistic compositions on display at the 2015 Wounded Warrior Healing Arts Recognition exhibit is his favorite, Army Reserve Sgt. Timothy Michael Goodrich didn't hesitate in pointing to his Revolutionary War-like pamphlet containing nine powerful sentences about the importance of not forsaking the hard fought gains of the warrior class.

Titled "Join or Die" and set upon distressed canvas mounted to a section of wooden fence, it's ironic that Goodrich's most expressive piece of art reveals itself through words.

Wounded as a result of indirect fire in Afghanistan, and then assigned to Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB), Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Goodrich says he at first avoided talking to people and felt as if it were up to him alone to sort through his injuries. "It had a lot to do with feeling like I was being judged for everything that I had to say," said Goodrich, who discovered painting and building works of art to be a better form of communication than words.

Dr. Jonathan Woodson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, underscored the fact that wounded, ill and injured Soldiers often have difficulty in externalizing their state of mind. According to Woodson, artistic expression is a way for wounded, ill and injured service members to "reconnect" and "dial down" from the darkened outlook that frequently accompanies their wounds.

Goodrich says that he created "Join or Die" at a time when he was extremely upset with the world. "I didn't think it through," said the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native. "It's simply a raw, completely honest expression of where I was at that point in time."

The November 12th event, held at the Pentagon as part of the 2015 Warrior Care Month activities, featured the artwork of eight wounded, ill and injured Service members. The event highlighted the important role that healing arts and healing art therapy plays in a service member's recovery, rehabilitation, and transition process.

It was during his initial evaluation, upon entering the WTB, that Goodrich was directed to Jaqueline Jones, the creative arts therapist at Fort Belvoir. From the moment Goodrich reached into a drawer of fabric scraps, clay, and chicken wire stored within Jones' studio he felt energized. He immediately took to acrylic painting, depicting the chaos that exists in combat, and the many dangers that most people will never experience, but are commonplace to the ground assault Soldier.

Goodrich's other works were in the form of dioramas that represent his feelings and those of his fellow Soldiers, and pay tribute to his "brothers and sisters who didn't come back."

"Most of the art is about what I see, feel and experience," said Goodrich. "To those of us who have experienced combat there is nothing expressed through my artwork that is all that unique. I have experienced things on many different levels and try to convey messages that others can connect to."

According to Jones, the primary consideration for a creative arts therapist is in setting up an environment where the wounded, ill and injured feel safe in expressing themselves. Soldiers go about creating their artwork without fear of judgement. "We don't worry about what they want to say, what colors to use, where things should go, what to include or what to take out," said Jones.

Given that her program isn't run like an ordinary art class, Jones says that wounded, ill and injured Service members are free to explore. There is also no pressure to produce anything. "What's important is that individuals can use art therapy as a way to springboard their healing process and to help them to learn problem solving skills," said Jones.

Woodson praises the "infinite potential" of healing arts in exploring human emotion, saying "we're only beginning to understand how arts can help those undergoing rehabilitation."

Woodson also acknowledged art therapy doesn't help everyone equally, saying, "No two Soldiers are alike." According to Woodson, some Soldiers react to talking, while others don't. Similarly, some will take to music, art and creative writing, whereas others won't.

"Artists by their very nature get us to thinking differently and feeling differently," said Woodson.

It's a point that is echoed by Goodrich. "It's not about me as an artist, but in getting a point across that others can relate to. All of us at the WTB have stories to tell. Not everyone is willing. But if I can tell a story through my art then it will get people to understand and to think."