Veterans showcase their artistic side at free program by Dr. Phillips Center and the VA

In one moment, they were silly. In the next, they were profoundly deep, reflecting on pain, love and hard times.

A group of about 25 Central Florida veterans showcased their creative side at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.  They read spoken word poetry about life and loss or played improvisational games, pretending to slip on ice or get stuck in honey to the amusement of the crowd of nearly 100 people.

Since 2024, the Dr. Phillips Center and Orlando VA Healthcare System have partnered together to provide free opportunities for veterans to express themselves, build friendships with each other and to heal. The artistic classes are taught by professional Central Florida artists.

It started with a drum circle. Then it grew.

Today, the program has expanded to add choir, spoken word poetry and improv theater for 10-week sessions.

“This initiative reflects our shared vision to create a community where veterans can heal, connect, and thrive through creative expression,” said Suzette McNeill, associate director of patient care services at the Orlando VA in Lake Nona. “Through the arts, we see lives transform, stress relieved, confidence restored, and new connections form. This is a holistic action, nurturing the mind, body, and spirit.”

For Alston Philips, 58, of Orlando, this new creative outlet was a way to connect with other veterans. It was a safe place where they could write from the heart or take risks. There was something therapeutic about drumming, letting your mind rest and letting the rhythm and the beat take over.

Philips served 13 years in the U.S. Army, including on two combat tours. Several of the other veterans participating in the program had also served in conflict or went on multiple deployments.

“It takes a toll on you,” Philips said. “Physically, mentally, emotionally.”

He saw he was “looking for something to feel better and this has been a great outlet.”

“I feel better just coming. So every time I leave here or every time I’m with my group and you listen to a piece of poetry and it’s like, ‘Wow, it resonates with you,’ and you remember that.”

Phillips, who grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, read an emotional poem about his mom during Wednesday’s showcase.

“Oh mom, how I miss you. If I can steal an hour just to sit beside you. Oh mom, I would ask you what magic you used to raise 10 kids together, helping to love and care for each other,” he read. “Oh mom, I’ll miss you every passing day.”

More information on how veterans can sign up for the next session of classes is available online.