Veteran wellbeing programs in Australia have always included craft, but the best ones share a structure: same time each week, same chairs, no pressure to talk. Painting fits the shape exactly.
Here's why paint-by-numbers groups work, and how to start one through an RSL sub-branch, Men's Shed, or community centre.
Why Painting and Not Conversation Groups
A lot of veterans aren't going to sit in a circle and talk. They will, however, sit at a table for two hours doing something with their hands while a conversation happens around them.
That sideways conversation is where the connection happens. The painting is the excuse.
The Right Format
Same day, same time, weekly. 90 minutes is the sweet spot. A hot drink and biscuits at the 45-minute mark.
Everyone paints their own canvas. No instructor up the front. Someone — anyone — opens the door, sets up the tables, and packs up at the end.
Choosing Subjects That Resonate
Landscapes, vehicles, and dogs all work. Avoid kits with overtly military imagery unless the group has asked for them — the point of the session is often a break from that part of their history, not a return to it.
Australian landscapes (the Kimberley, Tassie coast, outback dawn) are reliably popular.
Funding the Materials
RSL sub-branches can usually fund this from welfare or wellbeing budgets. DVA-funded community programs often qualify too. Reach out to your local Veterans' Centre for current grant options.
Budget around $40–60 per veteran for an entry kit, with re-use of brushes for subsequent sessions.
What Success Looks Like
Quiet rooms. Half-finished canvases left out on the tables between sessions because the men trust the room. New attendees within three months because someone brought their mate.
These groups grow slowly. That's the point.
Veterans' painting groups don't need a clinical framework or a charismatic facilitator. They need a room, a table, a kettle, and the same time each week. The rest takes care of itself.
— Be Artistic Club