Hello All! My name is Amelia Templeton and I'm the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Artists in Arms. Here in the SitRep area, you'll find everything from updates about Artists in Arms to helpful articles and ideas we find and want to share.
To start, I'll share a little about myself and how I got here.
I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. I honestly do not recall a time before I was sneaking into my mom's studio to use the "good" crayons, or experimenting with various paints, tools, and techniques. I was fortunate to have a family who valued creativity and exploration and I had no end of tools and mediums at my disposal. My grandmother was forever painting,firing ceramics, sewing, and making jewelry. My bother loved music,my cousin sews, and my sister danced. My father used to forge knives in our garage while my mom carved everything from wood to stone. It was not unusual for my brother and I to try our hands at whatever activity happened to be available in our house from week to week. In middle school I branched out from visual art to theatre and found a whole new realm of creativity to explore.
Art and creative expression have been my solace and constant companion through every hardship and joy in life. Losing my home to a fire, my brother to a car accident, and my Marine Corps career to an injury were all things that threatened to destroy me to some degree, but I have been able to navigate these events and others by immersing myself in the act of creation. When my career as a theatrical props artisan came to a screeching halt in 2020 (thanks, Covid) I found myself rather at a loss as to where to go from there. I searched for an organization that would bring me into contact with other Veterans who had a love for art and creativity. Unfortunately I couldn't find any operating in the Houston area and while folks in other cities and states were welcoming and kind (shout out to Art Spark in Austin and Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving on the East Coast!) I really wanted to build a network of local friends and peers.
My spouse finally looked at me and (to paraphrase) said "If it's something you want to see exist, you're gonna have to build it. You have an idea, you're unemployed. Don't talk about it, be about it. Or hush." and so after a significant amount of hand-wringing and talking it over ad nauseam with friends (thank you Becky, Mel, and Lindsey!) and a shove from a visiting Marine Corps brother, we signed the paperwork to bring Artists in Arms into being in 2021. In the following years we have taken slow but steady steps and listened to feed back and ideas from our fellow Veterans and artists to grow it into what it is today.
We are currently poised for another huge step forward and I'm so grateful to all who have been with us from the beginning, those who have joined us along the way, and to my co-founder, partner, and biggest cheerleader, Josh.
I look forward to continuing to grow this organization and serving my siblings in arms. I'm grateful to still be taking steps forward and for the ability to pivot, listen, grow, and persevere. Thank you all, and I'll see you in the New Year, Semper Fidelis, Amelia
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