- Now more than ever, we need to come together as a community.

We need to look for opportunities to heal and that is exactly what Street Craftery is.

(upbeat music) Hi, I'm Da'Shika Street.

I am the owner, chief executive officer of Street Craftery which is a DIY studio located Downtown Akron, Ohio.

You come into the space and just kind of walk around and see what inspires you, you would select a project, and we guide you through the process of making that project.

During the pandemic, I had just given birth to my now two-year-old, so I started making face masks.

Quickly, the project grew way bigger than what I could handle on my own.

So I started leveraging the work of black women in the area who have been displaced from work and I started teaching them how to sew remotely.

Quickly, I learned that I love teaching and I started doing these one-on-one workshops and group workshops and coffee shops and things like that, and people loved it and they were like "Can you do this more often?

Can you get a shop?"

(upbeat music) During the middle of the ribbon cutting, I got news of what had happened with the police shooting in the Jayland Walker case, and it just felt like the breath was sucked outta me.

We closed our doors in anticipation of riots and things like that.

It was really hard to think about how we could move forward as a business.

We decided to show the resilience that small business owners show every single day.

I appreciate you being here and I'm ready to have a good time with you all.

Izzy has been officially dubbed the assistant manager, so she'll be kind of running the show today.

We are all hurting in some capacity.

We all need healing and crafting has a way of doing that.

(upbeat music) - It was a release, a good release.

Very therapeutic.

- And it's just amazing to see how people just go in and come out feeling liberated, and telling all their friends.

Our Google reviews are amazing.

(laughs) - So, I picked Wild Jasmine, Peach Belini.

- Everyone loves candle making.

You come in, you pick your own fragrances.

You pick the vessel that's gonna contain your candle, and you make something beautiful to emit the mood or help you create the mood in your space that you're looking for.

We do a little bit of cement work.

You come in and you learn how to mix and pour and dye your own cement.

So having this space, I think is kind of pivotal to take time out for yourself, to take time out to listen to your heart, and to move as your heart leads you, and also to let go of anything inside that would tell us that we can't do something or that we're not good enough.

It's okay to be a beginner.

It's okay to try something new and there are no mistakes when it comes to art.

Wow, she'll love it.

(Da'Shika laughing) - [Announcer] Idea Stream Public Media receive support from PNC Bank which has made a home in the heart of Cleveland by investing in businesses, communities, and people.

Focusing on giving back is part of an ongoing commitment to the communities that PNC serves.

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