MILWAUKEEE — Carissa DiPietro has only played guitar for 2 years, but she has already performed at Summerfest and the Waukesha County Fair.
"So we're pretty big right now, so let us know when you want us to perform for weddings or whatever," DiPietro said.
DiPietro was in the Army for 13 years and learned how to play through the Milwaukee VA. It's also where she learned to write poetry.
"How do we continue to live a life of illusion of fairytales and happily ever after whilst being complicit," DiPietro said while reading one of her poems.
See more art at the Veterans Art Showcase here...
But she wasn't always so artistic.
"About 10 years ago, I couldn't even get out of bed," DiPietro said.
While in the Army, she was sexually assaulted. Then, in 2001, right before 9/11, her then-husband murdered their 5-year-old daughter.
"And that kind of derailed my military career. It made me freeze and not be able to find emotions because I had no time to grieve, so I just pushed all those down and carried on with the mission," DiPietro said.
Eventually, it caught up to her. She felt lost. But then, about 10 years ago, she was introduced to the arts programs at the VA.
"The arts saved my life," DiPietro said.
Now her art, along with dozens of other veterans, is on display for the VA's annual National Veterans Creative Art Festival. Veterans from across the country submit performing and visual arts to regional competitions, and then, if they win, can compete in the national contest. Viewing is open to the public on Aug. 13 and 14.
"It hits different parts of the brain. It makes people come out in different ways, and it's a really special way to express oneself and experience the world differently," Makenzie Cojis, a acreative arts therapist and board-certified music therapist at the Milwaukee VA, said.
You don't have to tell me twice that art has healing powers. I've played guitar and done theater for a very long time. But what is important is when people put their art on display, whether it's painting, photographs, or poetry, that we celebrate it and encourage it so that way they feel empowered to use art as a healing tool.
"It's really about being able to showcase your joy and your beauty and be able to tell your story," DiPietro said.
DiPietro's story has deep pain in it, but ultimately it's about hope, resiliency, and strength.
"I've been able to really just blossom. I'm going to be graduating from college next spring," DiPietro said.
The showcase is split up into two different parts. All of the visual arts submissions are displayed on Aug. 12 and 13. The performing arts submissions will be seen on Aug. 14.
She is getting a studio arts degree from UW-Milwaukee. Soon, her poetry book "A Fairtyale Broken" will be published on Amazon.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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