Wounded Warrior Project Peer Support Mentor, Artist Co-Found Ink Therapy Project
Duo Promotes Healing Through Stories Beneath the Skin

“Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” – Jack London

Army veteran Derrick Brooks was looking for an additional way to reach out to his fellow warriors. During his two years as a peer support group leader for Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), Derrick has worked hard to connect with others dealing with the visible and invisible wounds of war – to assure them they are not alone and to guide them toward helpful WWP resources on their paths to recovery. But he struggles with coordinating schedules and setting meeting places with the injured veterans residing in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

“Nights never seem to work out for anybody,” the former infantryman said. “A lot of the warriors are busy doing night classes and other things. So then comes the question of ‘How else can I reach them?’”

Derrick was still mulling that question over at Rochester Tattoo, where at the recommendation of his wife he booked an appointment with local artist Misty Chastain. As she inked the countenance of Scottish hero William Wallace onto his skin, Derrick noticed several things about Misty – she was soft-spoken, her touch was light, and she was incredibly kind.

“Being that most of us injured veterans hurt all the time, it was nice to escape,” Derrick said. “When you do this, your mind sort of goes away from all the other pain.”

Ink therapy: It is the unofficial term for the zen-like state some people attain while in the chair of a tattoo artist. And as a friendship began to grow between the warrior and the artist, so did the idea for a unique way to reach wounded warriors in the area – and hopefully parts beyond.

Finding a Calling
While Misty has been tattooing for the past five years, she has been an artist her entire life. She knew she would lean heavily on her creative side when it came time to choose her career path, but there was another element of her disposition she felt could not be denied.
“I’ve always been compassionate toward people,” she said. “I’ve always known that I wanted to help people. I just couldn’t figure out where I fit in.”
She believes everything happens for a reason, which is why she feels it was more than just a random whim that brought Derrick and his wife to her shop. As their friendship blossomed, Misty began to learn quite a bit about Derrick, especially about his service to the United States. It was a trait shared with the man who has always been a hero in Misty’s eyes – her grandfather.

“He fought in Vietnam and had exposure to Agent Orange, so he’s had health problems ever since,” she said. “Grandpa’s still alive and kicking though, and he and my grandmother have done so much for me growing up.”

Knowing about Derrick’s work as a WWP peer support group leader, Misty was moved to offer assistance.
“He’s always there for his fellow veterans when they’re struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other issues,” she said. “He goes through those things himself, but he tries to be there for everyone else. I asked him how I could help.”

Derrick identified many of his brothers and sisters in arms could benefit from a few hours of ink therapy. He felt the gift of a tattoo would be a perfect way to bring wounded veterans into his healing circle – and he could provide whatever they needed to adjust to a life outside of war, even if it was just a shoulder to cry on. Misty recognized some stories are carried within because they are too hard to articulate. She also knew that with her trusty machine and a rainbow of inks – her sword and shield – she could bring those stories to the surface.

With that, Derrick and Misty founded the Warrior Ink Project. Each Sunday, Misty opens her shop to a single veteran for a three-hour session. The warriors never pay for the work, at least not with money. Stories are the currency at Warrior Ink Project. Veterans share their personal struggles and triumphs. Derrick lends a sympathetic ear and a bevy of shared experiences. And because stories are invaluably enriched when there are illustrations, Misty provides visual elements the veterans can enjoy forever.

“Most of the stories are forward-thinking,” Derrick said. “We want them to be able to look back on this happily, and we want them to leave with a very positive experience.”

Rage No More
Hector R. Matascastillo is a man who has worn many hats. For nearly two decades, he served the country as a U.S. Army Ranger. He has spent the past several years advocating veterans’ rights and helping injured warriors through his career as a social worker. He is both a wounded warrior and a volunteer for WWP, much like Derrick. When Hector learned of the project Derrick had organized with Misty, he was excited. It was a chance for him to close a particularly dark chapter in his eventful life.

“Back in 2000, I was in the crux of my angry days,” Hector said.
At the root of that anger was a series of hazardous missions to hot zones in the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Kosovo. The visions of humanity at its worst seared his memory, plaguing him with nightmares. He would awaken to a different pain – a battle scar on his back that he said felt like it was always bleeding.
When a friend and fellow Ranger veteran showed him an article about amputees using ink therapy to deal with ghost limb issues, he readily agreed to give it a try. Soon his back was emblazoned with large, Old English letters spelling out a single primal sentiment: RAGE.

“Mine wasn’t any ordinary rage,” Hector said. “It was how I felt and how I behaved. And after the twin towers went down, that rage increased. Somehow, this tattoo became an open doorway to every demon that wanted a place to stay.”

With his PTSD at a critical point, Hector endured failed marriages – including one in 2004 that ended with a flashback-induced standoff with police that nearly cost him his life. Gradually, he turned things around. He became a therapist and a family man. And while he was working to improve what he carried on the inside, his own skin betrayed him. It was a constant reminder of the man he no longer wished to be.

Hector reached out to Derrick and received an almost immediate response, and soon he was making the hour-and-a-half drive to Rochester.
“I walked into the tattoo parlor, where I saw the humble giant who is Derrick with the mighty ink warrior, Misty,” he said. “She may be small at first glance, but she grows into a titan as the minutes pass while getting to know her.”

Hector knew he didn’t want a cover-up. His was a past that could not be hidden – it was better to show that from a seed of grief and anger grew a plant of hope and perseverance. With “the touch of an angel doing God’s work,” Misty added six new letters to his body to form a new message: COURAGEOUS.
The reveal, Hector said, was fraught with emotion.

“I flashed back to hundreds of events where my rage destroyed, hurt, and left others in its wake,” he said. “I turned to Misty and saw in her face a deep understanding of what she had done. In case anyone is wondering, some angels are inked. The hard ones – who have been there with us and know that this is the place where most angels fear to tread – are inked.”
The transformation goes beyond mere symbolism, and Hector feels that Derrick and Misty have helped his journey continue in a positive direction.
“There is no more bleeding out from scars – I feel calm,” Hector said. “I feel my past has now caught up to me and it was met with a courageous soul that can heal the beaten up and tired part.”

Drawing the Way Ahead
Since the recent inception of the Warrior Ink Project, Derrick said the inbox of the Facebook page has been flooded with interested parties.
“I get requests every day, and at this point I could literally keep Misty booked for years,” he said. “At first I started working with WWP wounded warriors, but I’ve had other veterans reaching out to me. I find out they’re struggling and don’t even know about the resources out there to help them – and I can help provide them with that.”

The team scans the requests together, with Derrick fielding the veteran-related inquiries and Misty handling the tattoo-related questions. Everything in tandem – that is the key to their newfound success.

“Derrick shows up every Sunday with me,” Misty said. “That makes the veterans feel comfortable to share their stories. Derrick knows what to say, what questions to ask. I don’t think any of this would have been possible without him. And he’d say the same about me.”

The relationship between Derrick, Misty, and the veterans they help is a symbiotic one. Derrick has another source for finding and assisting his fellow wounded warriors. Participants leave Rochester Tattoo with a piece of art they can carry on their skin. And Misty receives a sense of completion.
“I’ve always felt unappreciated as an artist,” she said. “It’s not that I’m expecting anything out of this, but I have felt more appreciated in the past month than I ever have in my entire life. I feel like this is my purpose. It is definitely something that is going to stick around.”

Misty said her motivation at the start of this new project was to honor her grandfather – a man who hates tattoos.

“But he entirely supports me doing this,” she said. “He is truly proud of me for this, and that really means a lot. It’s not really complicated – we’re just trying to help the best way we can.”

Derrick is thankful he’s found a way to build on the assistance he provides to wounded warriors through WWP’s peer support group. Peer support plays an important role in the recovery process as injured veterans rely upon each other’s learned experiences when managing day-to-day challenges.
All WWP programs and services have an aspect of this support structure, while the Peer Support program is solely dedicated to ensuring every injured veteran, family member, and caregiver encourages one another in recovery, thus embodying the WWP logo of one warrior carrying another off the battlefield. Derrick has shifted from needing to be carried to now lifting up others through their difficult times.

“Most warriors want to feel loved and welcomed and that they’re a part of something,” Derrick said. “Working with these first participants has set a precedent for the veterans I’m booking who aren’t really involved with much but need somebody to bring them out of the cold. They can see these stories, see that they’re not alone and that we genuinely care.”