COMMUNITY CARES: Business Owner Offers Unique Stress Relief For The Holidays

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KSAZ) - The holidays can be a stressful time of the year. In between the gift shopping, party hosting, party preparations, and dealing with other family members, things could get stressful.

One Valley business owner, however, is offering a little relief, in a unique way.

Johanna Ingram has been making jewelry for 13 years, in a studio in Downtown Phoenix.

"I got really into metalsmithing years ago in college," said Ingram. "I wasn't sure what I wanted to do and joined the Lapidary Club and fell in love with it, and my grandfather, Harold, encouraged me to pursue jewelrymaking."

Johanna later went to a goldsmithing school after college, and learned how to become a properly trained goldsmith. She opened her jewelry-making studio six years ago, and named it after her grandfather.

"We do have a bunch of different classes where you can learn how to metalsmith, and you can also learn the tools and equipment to make your own works of art," said Ingram.

Ingram said a lot goes into making the handcrafted pieces, but it's more about what each artists gets out of it. Studies have shown that there may be health benefits to making jewelry as a hobby, including stress and anxiety relief.

"It just gives you such a sense of accomplishment, but also is really therapeutic because you can focus on only the thing that you are making," said Ingram. "Everything else, all of your stresses kind of melt away."

The studio in Downtown Phoenix is calm and serene, and the time spent there, according to Ingram and her clients, offered a sense of inner peace.

"I've got somebody that comes in -- she works at Phoenix Children's Hospital, and has a pretty stressful job, and she just loves being able to come here and create, and have something that is her own," said Ingram.

Classes consist of no more than eight people, with the small, intimate group settings providing a time to reflect for anyone willing.

"If youve never done art before, or you don't feel like you are creative, you definitely have more creativity than you think," said Ingram.

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