Art as Therapy: The Beaded Path Thrives in S.O.

South Orange Village has quite possibly one of the least expensive therapists in the region. She doesn't work at a fancy doctor's office; her work requires no professional license. Yet women from around the area stop by her store and leave feeling relaxed; feeling that they have put their stress or sorrow into something positive.

She is Jennifer Berkeley, owner of The Beaded Path, located in Village Plaza. Her method is beading, helping women create necklaces, bracelets, earrings of all colors, shapes and sizes.

When Berkeley has the chance, she sits down with customers as they bead, offering advice on everything from how to string to a necklace to dealing with personal matters.

"They pour their hearts out," she says. "People come in here and they talk to each other. It's a real social atmosphere. It's almost a spiritual experience for some people, like art therapy."

For plenty of others, including children and teens, it is simply a fun way to spend the day. Her favorite moments in the store are when customers realize what they've created, what she calls the "ah ha" moment.

"They're all picking from the same pool of beads, but every piece is so dramatically different," she muses.

The store moved to South Orange in March, after six successful years in Maplewood. The move was inspired by the need for more space, as well as her desire to be closer to her husband, George Berkeley, owner of the UPS Store on South Orange Ave. She originally planned to ride her bike to work – the couple lives in Maplewood, just three miles from the new location – but a knee injury sustained in January put those plans on hold.

It new location has been such a hit with local shoppers that Berkeley says they are still unpacking. So far, she is incredibly happy with the decision. The most notable change has been the increase in foot traffic.

"People walk by, see us, and they're like 'Oh what's that?' There's a lot of curiosity, about what we do here. They're just fascinated by the colors."

She chose the Village Plaza location because she wanted to attract more drop-in customers, to add to her growing destination-shopper clientele.

"The move has definitely increased my sales," she says. "Not that they were bad over there, but I love it, I love the space, I love the openness of this space."

She says parents feel safe sending their children to the store, often dropping their daughters off for hours without having to worry that they will get into trouble.

Berkeley incorporates her first career, in the business world, into the yearly Beaded Path summer camp. Aside from daily beading, the campers learn how to run a successful business, complete with branding and packaging. At the end of camp, their parents come in and shop at the new "stores."

Her campers are not the only young women she is teaching about the business world. Two of her employees, including 2010 CHS graduate Chelsea Hirsch, have created their own jewelry lines. Hirsch has been working with Berkeley since The Beaded Path first opened. She now has a website featuring her designs – www.chellebdesigns.com.

"I love it, love working with beads, love working with my hands," says Hirsch. "It's a lot of fun, a very creative atmosphere."

"I do whatever I can to encourage their own creativity and sufficiency," adds Berkeley.

Beading has always been one of her hobbies. "I would lay my beads on the table, and that was my way to relax," she explains. "You don't have to think once it's laid out. It's a meditative process; very relaxing; very creative; very instantaneous."

She finally decided to leave the corporate world and turn the hobby into a second career on August 8, 2003.

"I woke up and said that's it," she says with obvious joy in her eyes. "Within one day, I left. I remember sitting on the train thinking 'if only I could walk to work, if only I could bring my dog to work."

These days, that's exactly what she does. "Basically, I'm living that dream," she says.