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Need a basket? If so, Rebekah Picard has got you covered. The U.S. Navy Veteran, 62, has become enamored with basket weaving, producing some 50 baskets since taking up the hobby about three

years ago. And she’s so good at it that her work has qualified her for the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, to take place May 11-18 in Indianapolis. However, in a weird twist, the

basket that earned her the national distinction in the Fiber Arts Pattern category was either taken or mistakenly discarded a few months ago. So while other winning pieces will be on display

at the festival, Picard’s work will be represented by a photo. “It’s disappointing that I don’t have it anymore,” she said. But that doesn’t mean she lacks for baskets. Picard rarely sells

her baskets, saying she could never break even related to the labor and material costs. Instead, she either keeps them or makes them for others. When she does the latter, she keeps the

recipient in mind while applying her craft. “It’s a way of connecting and giving something of myself for that person, showing I care enough to put in the time and effort to create something

they can have as a keepsake,” she said. Basket weaving entered her life because she wanted something she could do with her mother. The two enrolled in a basket-weaving class, and Picard was

immediately hooked. “I really enjoy the creativity and the camaraderie,” she said, comparing the classes to an old-fashioned quilting bee. “That’s what I really find fulfilling — the

relationship that I have with this small group of women. “It can be very cathartic. It’s a safe place where we can talk about anything, and you get great advice from each other, and we’re

still making something. And every time I look at a basket, I have memories of the people I was with and the conversations we had. So each basket tells a story to me.” Picard was a hospital

corpsman in the Navy and went on to become a nurse. She worked for 17 years in the Milwaukee VA Medical Center Emergency Department before moving into her present role as an assistant nurse

manager for the Milwaukee VA’s Community Living Centers. “I love being at the VA and working with the Veterans,” she said. “It’s my service and my honor. It’s what I’ve dedicated my life to.

There’s a camaraderie and atmosphere here you don’t find anywhere else.” While fairly new to basket weaving, Picard said she has always been involved with “artsty-craftsy stuff.” She spent

many years singing with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus and has also done needlepoint, crocheting, knitting and quilting. Trying new things and keeping busy are important to Picard. She said

maturity has taught her to be more adventurous.  “When I was younger, I was always afraid of being different, afraid of showing vulnerability, afraid of failure and my weaknesses. Therefore,

I didn’t pursue the things I could have and should have,” she said. “It wasn’t until I got older that I realized the error in my ways and gained the strength to step outside of my comfort

zone. “And the more I tried, the more I succeeded and surprised myself. It opened up a whole new world of possibilities. “And looking back, I’m thinking, ‘Why was I so afraid?’ So what if

you fail? Failures are stepping stones to successes because you learn from your failures.” This is Picard’s first experience with the Veterans Creative Arts Festival, and she said she’s

looking forward to the event. “It’s quite an opportunity to network and build friendships,” she said. “It’ll be fun.”