Local Paramedic Turns PTSD in to Art
One man's trash is another man's treasure, at least that's the case for paramedic Andy Closs.
Closs has spent 35-years with Essex-Windsor Emergency Services dealing with incidents that would wear anyone down, but he's found his happy place in the form of found art — repurposing an array of items to create unique sculptures and collages.
He displayed dozens of pieces he'd created to combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at Mackenzie Hall in Sandwich Town Friday.
The exhibit will continue until February 23.
"Creating music or poetry or art, you're doing something positive, you're not dwelling on something and getting yourself into a deep pit of despair that can happen if you let it," says Closs. "You're making something beautiful out of what some people would consider junk and you're flipping it around."
Andy Closs has served 35 years with @EssexWindsorEMS. The life-long artist started creating art from “found items” 2-years ago as his own form of therapy to deal with the stresses of the job. #@AM800News #cklw pic.twitter.com/YYm9iuMa1d
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) February 16, 2019
He says the greatest challenge for many first responders is bearing witness to a tragedy they can't always bring victims back from, and art is how he keeps grief from overtaking his thoughts.
"Sometimes two or three bad calls in a shift that would keep a normal person up at night, you become a little bit hardened to it, you have to," he says. "You don't necessarily become desensitized, but you learn to put it aside because you have to go to another call."
Closs says what works for him may not work for everyone, so the first life-line should be on the job support.
Preventing medics from going into crisis is something Closs says has become a priority over the years.
"Realizing that's money well spent in prevention rather than just letting the wellbeing of their medics deteriorate so after 10-years they can't do it anymore," he says. "At least this way, after 30-years they can still maybe retire with a healthy mindset."
The 59 year old sells his work to offset the cost of making it. He says, shockingly, found-art actually comes with a few expenses.
Closs doesn't plan on retiring from his day job or his hobby any time soon.