Jennifer Hanson has always been a self-motivator – and she has discovered with the help of Pikes Peak Community Action Agency that she is one savvy business woman. Early on in her professional career, Jennifer realized family funds were not going to stretch far enough for her to go to college to study art, particularly during the 1980s recession. She, however, was determined to “buckle down and do what you have to do” to pursue her dreams: She worked multiple jobs in high school, saving enough funds to pay cash for her first university semester. Over the years, Jennifer walked a tightrope artists often do, sometimes working a separate full time job, but always determined to return to her art as her mainstay. In 2008, when her ability to make it as a professional potter, artist and business woman was newly challenged, she found a dynamic solution through Pikes Peak Community Action Agency’s Individual Development Accounts (IDA) matched savings program. In April, 2009, Jennifer opened her independent Spinning Star Studio in the acclaimed Cottonwood Center for the Arts. She is forging forward in her business, with kilns and production and promotional materials purchased through IDA’s four to one match – clients at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level save up to $1,000, and PPCAA contributes $4,000 for an investment in a business, a home purchase, or education. Jennifer said the required business plan training empowered her to get “secure as an artist with numbers…I learned to speak the numbers language…figuring out how to break even, teaching myself computer skills…and then figuring out that just breaking even is no fun, you want to make money!” Now Jennifer is combining teaching, kiln firing, distributing specialty New Mexico tools and her own pottery production and sales to build a sound, well rounded business that combines “multiple ways of earning a living.” After hours, Jennifer is dedicated to helping individuals struggling with depression and other mental health challenges heal – through art. She works with the Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance, Fort Carson’s Medical Processing Company division and the Concrete Couch, hosting a once a week drop-in class for their affiliated clients. “I want to use the space I have to help other people. So many people have helped me get to where I am, I need to give back. Our world is pretty depressing. I can’t change that, but I can make a difference with a few people here, and then trust that just spreads out.” To see Jennifer’s art visit her website at www.spinningstarstudio.com.