Student Spotlight: James Lightle
James Lightle is a student in the Sculpture program at the Haliburton Campus. He is a former soldier who was injured in Afghanistan and now suffers from PTSD. Read about his journey discovering art as therapy:
I had been a soldier for 14 years prior to enrolling at the Haliburton School of The Arts. I was injured in 2006 during op medusa, a battle that was a Canadian led NATO battle in Afghanistan. My physical and mental injuries had left me a shell of my former self. I fought to get help for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at an institution called Homewood and it was there that I was introduced to art therapy– that is when art took seed in my brain. My injuries stopped my military career, but they created this artist that wanted to paint and sculpt.
Because my passion since my injury has been art, my military bosses told me that I could only attend a school that teaches art. Haliburton seemed like the only choice to me, because it is set in a beautiful town with a small population and has classes that could benefit someone with PTSD.
People have accepted me since day one. There is an open-mindedness in an art school that I am not used to; it is a great feeling for me, I am not afraid of being myself. The environment is one that is great for learning and pushing yourself to try new things within your program. My favorite experience so far is the friends I have made and the lessons I have learned. The idea of working together on something artistic before was never an option but now I have the opportunity to collaborate with many different students and from different programs. The students at Haliburton have made the difference between a good time and a great time.
Within my old career as a combat engineer in the Canadian Armed Forces, I strived to be the best at my job. When the injury happened, I no longer had the ability to grow my military career. The School of The Arts has given me this chance, the chance to strive in my passion of sculpture and arts in general. It let me be myself in a place that feels safe and in an environment that is right for learning.