This course invites service members and veterans into a guided exploration of how those who fight wars have long made sense of their experiences through creative expression. Across history, warriors have used art, story, sound, and symbol to process conflict, preserve memory, and assert meaning in the face of violence and loss. This course situates contemporary military service within that enduring human practice, framing creative work not as abstraction, but as a vital form of reflection, testimony, and continuity.

Participants will examine representations of warfighting across twelve historical periods: Prehistory and Early Civilizations, Ancient Civilizations (Parts I and II), Medieval Warfare, Renaissance to Enlightenment, Pre-Columbian Americas, Revolution in the Americas, Industrial Warfare, World War I, World War II, Cold War Conflicts, and the Global War on Terror. Each period is approached through the lens of those who served, emphasizing how combatants and military communities understood their roles, remembered the dead, wrestled with moral injury, and carried war back into civilian life.

Following each session, participants will engage in structured art therapy practices using visual art, poetry, and music. These exercises draw directly from the materials, forms, and expressive strategies of the historical moment under study, offering participants a way to explore their own service experiences in dialogue with those of earlier generations. Through creative practice, participants are supported in shaping personal narratives that honor complexity rather than closure.

This session focuses on Week 1: Prehistory and Early Civilization and examines the earliest evidence of how humans represented conflict, survival, and communal memory. The session is free and open to all service members, veterans, and members of the greater military community.

This event is free. Please consider donating $10 to Mission United, a nonprofit that builds bridges between veterans and civilians through the arts and creative expression.