TEMPLE, Texas — Art therapy has been known to help people through a number of mental health troubles, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
At Help Heal Veterans in Temple, they give local vets the chance to be creative in a supportive environment and now they’re showing off some of their best work.
Robert Bardin retired from the Army in 2015 and now spends a lot of his time making Perler bead art at the facility. He says the artwork keeps his mind busy on days he needs it the most.
“It’s relaxing for me,” he told 25 News.
“When I’m foggy or kind of trying to not remember memories, I come here and ask for my Perler, put my headphones on and find an outline on my tablet. It’s a release for me.”
Bardin uses plastic beads to recreate designs he finds online then melts them together into the final project.
A picture he made of John Wayne will be on display at this weekend’s veteran art showcase. His fellow Army veteran Laura Wagner will also have a few pieces on display.
“I crocheted a hat and scarf,” she said.
“The second one I did was a fleece pull over shirt which was an arctic Native American print with all the animals on it. The third one is a leather bookbag and I lasered the traditional buffalo skull on the front of it.”
Wagner has been sewing and working on clothing her whole life and said it’s really important to her to include her heritage in her work.
“I’m proud to be half and half. I like both,” she said. “The crocheting and all that comes from my half white side. The Native American with the leather and laser print come from the native side and I can combine them together.”
The show is this Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cultural Activities Center of Temple on Third Street.
