Creativets

THE MISSION OF CREATIVETS IS TO EMPOWER WOUNDED VETERANS TO HEAL THROUGH THE ARTS AND MUSIC. THE GOAL OF CREATIVETS' PROGRAMS IS TO EMPOWER VETERANS WITH TOOLS THEY CAN USE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES TO COMBAT STRESS, DEPRESSION, AND OTHER SIDE EFFECTS OF WAR. THESE PROGRAMS ALSO ENABLE VETERANS TO SEE THEIR OWN CAPACITY FOR SUCCESS IN AN ARENA OUTSIDE THE BATTLEFIELD.

VETERAN SONGWRITING PROGRAMS - 40 VETERANS AND 40 VETERAN MENTORS PARTICIPATED IN OUR INTRODUCTION TO SONGWRITING PROGRAM DURING THE 2021- 2022 FISCAL YEAR. THIS PROGRAM PAIRS VETERANS WITH ACCOMPLISHED SONGWRITERS AND MUSIC ARTISTS TO ALLOW THE VETERAN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATIVELY EXPRESS THEIR STORY THROUGH A SONG. THE VETERAN TRAVELS TO NASHVILLE, TN, WHERE HE OR SHE IS MET BY A VETERAN THAT HAS GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND CAN HELP MAKE THE VETERAN COMFORTABLE WITH THE EXPERIENCE. THE VETERAN THEN PARTICIPATES IN A SONGWRITING SESSION TO WRITE A SONG THAT IS RECORDED AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE VETERAN TO SHARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THROUGH THE SONGWRITING SESSIONS, VETERANS ARE PROVIDED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THEIR STORIES IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND THEY TAKE SOMETHING FROM THE PROGRAM THEY CAN KEEP FOREVER. WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR IN-HOUSE SONGWRITING AND GUITAR LESSONS, HOSTED AT THE CREATIVETS HEADQUARTERS IN NASHVILLE, TN WITH HIT SONG WRITER JESSE WAYNE TAYLOR. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, VETERANS CAN SIMPLY WALK IN TO OUR FACILITY, OR LOG ON VIRTUALLY, WHERE THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH LIFE SAVING SONGWRITING AND MUSIC LESSONS WITHOUT THE NEED TO WAIT FOR OUR NEXT SCHEDULED PROGRAM. CREATIVETS HAD 60 VETERANS PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROGRAMS THIS FISCAL YEAR. 51 VETERANS ALSO COMPLETED OUR VETERAN SONGWRITING PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME (CMHOF). THIS PROGRAM IS BASED ON THE CMHOF WORLDS & MUSIC PROGRAM - THEIR CORNERSTONE K-12 PROGRAM PROVIDING EDUCATION RESOURCES FOR LANGUAGE, ARTS, MUSIC, AND OTHER CURRICULUM. 87 VETERANS COMPLETED OUR SONGWRITING PROGRAM HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JONI & FRIENDS, THE MISSION CONTINUES, HEROES HAVEN AND OTHER PARTNERS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE UNLIKE OUR MAIN SONGWRITING PROGRAM BECAUSE IT IS A GROUP SETTING THAT MULTIPLE VETERANS COLLABORATE TO CREATE A SINGLE SONG.

INTRODUCTION TO ART FOR VETERANS - DUE TO REDUCED COVID RESTRICTIONS, CREATIVETS WAS ABLE TO HOST 2 FULL INTRODUCTION TO ART FOR VETERANS PROGRAMS WHERE 20 VETERANS COMPLETED AND/OR TAUGHT THE 3-WEEK COURSE. ONE CLASS WAS HOSTED AT THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO AND THE SECOND WAS WITH A BRAND NEW PARTNER, BELMONT UNIVERSITY. THESE PROGRAMS ARE THREE WEEK, FULLY-ACCREDITED ART PROGRAMS FOR DISABLED VETERANS AT NO COST TO THE VETERAN. VETERANS HAVE FULL ACCESS TO STUDIOS AND EQUIPMENT AT THE SCHOOL, AND THE PROGRAM GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AND DISCUSS ART WITH SOME OF THE BEST ART INSTRUCTORS IN THE COUNTRY. CREATIVETS ALSO CONTINUED OFFERING PROGRAMS BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON FROM OUR VERY OWN ART FACILITY IN NASHVILLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS AND VA HOSPITALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. CREATIVETS ALSO LAUNCHED NEW ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FOLLOW UP PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS A SPECIFIC MENTOR TRAINING CLASS TO KEEP OUR MENTORS UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST VETERAN SERVICE INFORMATION AND TECHNIQUES. THESE NEW PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS ALLOWED US TO SERVE MORE VETERANS, WITHOUT SACRIFICING PROGRAM QUALITY. THESE ART PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH OUR SONGWRITING PROGRAMS ENDED UP COSTING ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE REVENUES RECEIVED FOR THE YEAR. WHILE WE KNOW THAT WE EXCEEDED OUR TOTAL EXPENSE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR (DUE MOSTLY TO THE EFFORT TO MAKE UP FOR REDUCED PROGRAMMING IN 2020 BECAUSE OF COVID), A SURPLUS IN REVENUE ALLOWED US TO MAINTAIN A SOLID CASH FLOW PROJECTION. AS THE MARKET RECOVERS AND RESTRICTIONS CONTINUE TO RELAX, WE EXPECT THAT WE WILL MAINTAIN SOLID GROWTH OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS.