We recently connected with Adam Schwartz and have shared our conversation below.

Adam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

I embarked on this journey in late 2022 fueled by a deep understanding of the struggles faced by veterans and service members. I was motivated by my own experiences and injuries from combat, recognizing the therapeutic power art has had on me and my photography.

The idea for TWO BLACK RAVENS FOUNDATION was born out of the realization of two things. The first was I noticed many organizations raised awareness about the current veteran suicide rates, but nothing was truly being accomplished, because they lacked any actionable goals. The second was that creative expression could serve as a beacon of hope and healing for those grappling with trauma and the weight of their service.

TWO BLACK RAVENS FOUNDATION was ultimately created to be a space where wounded, injured, or ill service members and veterans can rediscover their strength, resilience, and inherent worth.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Yeah, so I was a TACP, which is one of four career fields that make up the Air Force Special Warfare community, and I did that 16+ years. During my time as a TACP, I was deployed several times to Iraq, which is where and how I incurred my injuries, that eventually led to my medical retirement in early 2016. By mid 2016 I bought my first camera, a DSLR Nikon 5200 camera kit, and taught myself photography. My journey into the creative arts world, specifically photography, stemmed from a personal need to visually convey thoughts and emotions that I struggled to articulate verbally. By 2017, I won 1st place at the local, regional, and national levels for some of my photos. By 2021, I transitioned into Boudoir Photography, and found that I really excelled in this genre. I was able to blend the male and female gaze into one single image, and my work was immediately published. By 2022, I was a seasoned published photographer and newly published writer. And in 2023 I founded TWO BLACK RAVENS FOUNDATION.
At TWO BLACK RAVENS, we’re on a mission to assist wounded, injured, or ill service members and veterans through artistic expression. And our participants come to these week long events at no cost to them. Everything is covered by our generous donors and corporate sponsors. What sets us apart is our follow through and instructors. What I mean by that is we incentivize healing! We have a three phase approach to our programs, and in order to progress to the next phase our participants are required to show continued utilization and improvement on the skills learned in the previous phase, through scheduled check-ins, and objectively based critiques/assessments throughout the year(s). This ensures our participants take ownership of their own healing! And our instructors are selected based on the objective merits of the intent/work relationship, and not based on popularity or salesmanship. Meaning, the work created was based on the intent to create, because art without intention isn’t art.

We offer a range of events with a variety of programs to support our mission. From workshops to gallery shows, we aim to create a supportive community where veterans can find solace, healing, and self-confidence. What I’m most proud of is the impact we’ve had on the lives of those we serve. It’s immensely rewarding to witness the transformation and healing that can occur through the power of art. I want our potential donors, followers, participants, and fans to know that TWO BLACK RAVENS is more than an organization; it’s a movement dedicated to fostering hope and resilience in our military community, in order to stop generational trauma, and focus on generational healing.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The alarming statistics on veteran suicides, both intentional and those resulting from accidental drug overdoses, underscore the critical mission that propels my creative journey with TWO BLACK RAVENS FOUNDATION. Every year, 6,570 veterans intentionally take their own lives, equating to approximately 18 per day. When we include accidental drug overdoses resulting from veterans resorting to self-medicating practices, this number surges to 14,600 per year, or roughly 40 per day.

The loss of friends to these negative coping mechanisms has been a deeply personal and motivating factor. TWO BLACK RAVENS is not just about art; it’s about addressing the profound challenges faced by our service members and veterans. Our mission is to reduce these devastating numbers by providing meaningful support, healing, and hope through creative expression. It’s a mission that fuels every step we take at TWO BLACK RAVENS FOUNDATION.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The term “pivot” has never quite resonated with me. Pivoting implies rotating from a central point, and if you’re only pivoting, you’re essentially staying stationary while opportunities pass you by. Since leaving the military, my journey has been more of a constant shifting of paths, particularly toward the creation of TWO BLACK RAVENS FOUNDATION.

This journey has involved shifts from military to civilian life, from using expressive photography as a personal healing tool to turning it into a boudoir photography business. The most significant shift, however, has been from solely serving clients to serving the military community in a capacity I believe has been underserved and neglected. It’s not just about changing directions; it’s about navigating a purposeful evolution towards a mission that deeply matters — whether that’s the mission of helping clients find self confidence and self acceptance through boudoir, or the mission of empowering and healing wounded, injured, or ill service members and veterans through art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twoblackravensfoundation.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/twoblackravensfoundation
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092714443191&mibextid=2JQ9oc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-black-ravens-foundation/

Image Credits
Adam Schwartz