The Author
My name is John Ferguson, and after serving three combat tours I retired from the Marine Corps in 2010. During the next years, I had challenges transitioning into civilian life. For me, the civilians just did not understand. They were engrossed in their phones, TVs or electronics in some form. They valued themselves over others. We did not come from that world. We put our brothers' and sisters' safety first. The civilian world was different, and I no longer fit. I was lost, angry, confused and had no patience.
I decided it was time I needed to fix me; get to living or get to dying, and dying was not an option.
First of all
Reviews of the Author by fellow Veterans
...this book guides anyone seeking to relieve stress and find peace, in a simple and straightforward manner. The art work gives readers a visual understanding of the anguish too many people feel. John makes it easy to practice on your own by creating an acronym-CENTER-to guide your process. I also very much enjoyed the life guiding quotes he provided. The book mentions John's singing bowls, truly they need to be experienced to appreciate their powerful calming power.
...it's changed my life in a positive way. My prior experiences have not had this affect.
...thank God for angels like "John" who sacrifices personal and family time to help others be released from the "ghosts" that followed us home from combat hell
...needs to be offered to every veteran, with mental and physical benefits for everyone. I am in a much better place now than when I retired after +37 years in the Army to include 30 months in Iraq/Afghanistan
...my experience so far with the singing bowls; [the bowls] allows and trains or retrains the mind to get to a clearer state. I feel as a veteran truly wanting to start treating PTS. I believe this is the first step.
Not to mention
About the Illustrator
When Tim is not sketching and drawing, he enjoys hiking and people watching in his spare time. Many of his art pieces are directly influenced by studying people in their natural surroundings. Tim loves recreating scenes and personalities in portraits and paintings. When he was in third grade, his teacher said someday he would be an artist. As he got older, this love never faded and eventually he began to study art, particularly portraiture. He uses many mediums and prefers to paint in acrylic and oil. He believes that working in many mediums expands the artistic process. Each idea manifests in its own individual style. He also served his country with honor, thank you for your time and dedication to this book.
And let's not forget
The Illustrator's Gallery of PTS Pain and Trauma
Tim Crisman has graciously donated the illustrations in this book. I would like to thank him for donating his touching art, which demonstrates and brings into painful illustration the challenges and pain that we veterans feel.
Contact Tim at https://crisman-art.com
