Lilla met Michael Heufelder while he was giving a “show and tell” to the kids at A Place to Be. When Lilla saw what he was doing, she was very moved. Michael is a veteran who served in the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since his return from an extended service, where he went above and beyond his original call to duty, Michael has used the arts for self-induced therapeutic purposes. Art therapy is a particular interest of Youngblood’s, so we are happy to embrace someone who so beautifully lives the benefits of self-healing through the arts. Michael now captures peace with his iPhone, implementing similar strategies of focus and timing that he needed in his life as a warrior. He also spends hours burning detailed wood carvings of animals to give himself a reason to focus for long, intense periods of time. His astute training in observation shines in his artistic endeavors. He has found a new way to use the skills he developed as a soldier and beautifully he captures peaceful moments, transforming them into images he can share with his viewers.