Exception dans le thread" AWT-EventQueue-0 " java.lang.Erreur NullPointerException

Bonjour je suis un nouveau programmeur au niveau secondaire par conséquent, je ne sais pas grand-chose sur la programmation et je reçois pas mal d'erreurs qui ont été résolues tandis que d'autres je ne comprends complètement pas. Je dois faire un programme de sélection simple Check Box où l'utilisateur peut choisir entre une variété de choix et en fonction de leur action, l'image change. Le programme lui-même compile parfaitement mais quand je l'exécute, il me donne quelques complications. Voici mon programme:

package components;

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import javax.swing.*;

public class Workshop extends JPanel
                      implements ItemListener {
JCheckBox winterhatButton;
JCheckBox sportshatButton;
JCheckBox santahatButton;
JCheckBox redshirtButton;
JCheckBox brownshirtButton;
JCheckBox suitButton;
JCheckBox denimjeansButton;
JCheckBox blackpantsButton;
JCheckBox khakipantsButton;


    StringBuffer choices;
JLabel pictureLabel;

public Workshop() {
    super(new BorderLayout());

    //Create the check boxes.
    winterhatButton = new JCheckBox("Winter Hat");
    winterhatButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_Q);


    sportshatButton = new JCheckBox("Sports Hat");
    sportshatButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_W);


    santahatButton = new JCheckBox("Santa hat");
    santahatButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_E);


    redshirtButton = new JCheckBox("Red Shirt");
    redshirtButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_R);


    brownshirtButton = new JCheckBox("Brown Shirt");
    brownshirtButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_T);


    suitButton = new JCheckBox("Suit");
    suitButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_Y);


    suitButton = new JCheckBox("Denim Jeans");
    suitButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_U);


    blackpantsButton = new JCheckBox("Black Pants");
    blackpantsButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_I);


    khakipantsButton = new JCheckBox("Khaki Pants");
    khakipantsButton.setMnemonic(KeyEvent.VK_O);



    //Register a listener for the check boxes.

    winterhatButton.addItemListener(this);
    sportshatButton.addItemListener(this);
    santahatButton.addItemListener(this);
    redshirtButton.addItemListener(this);
    brownshirtButton.addItemListener(this);
    suitButton.addItemListener(this);
    denimjeansButton.addItemListener(this);
    blackpantsButton.addItemListener(this);
    khakipantsButton.addItemListener(this);


    //Indicates
    choices = new StringBuffer("---------");


    //Set up the picture label
    pictureLabel = new JLabel();
    pictureLabel.setFont(pictureLabel.getFont().deriveFont(Font.ITALIC));
    updatePicture();

     //Put the check boxes in a column in a panel
    JPanel checkPanel = new JPanel(new GridLayout(0, 1));
    checkPanel.add(winterhatButton);
    checkPanel.add(sportshatButton);
    checkPanel.add(santahatButton);
    checkPanel.add(redshirtButton);
    checkPanel.add(brownshirtButton);
    checkPanel.add(suitButton);
    checkPanel.add(denimjeansButton);
    checkPanel.add(blackpantsButton);
    checkPanel.add(khakipantsButton);


    add(checkPanel, BorderLayout.LINE_START);
    add(pictureLabel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
    setBorder(BorderFactory.createEmptyBorder(20,20,20,20));
}


    /** Listens to the check boxes. */
public void itemStateChanged(ItemEvent e) {
    int index = 0;
    char c = '-';
    Object source = e.getItemSelectable();

    if (source == winterhatButton) {
        index = 0;
        c = 'q';
    } else if (source == sportshatButton) {
        index = 1;
        c = 'w';
    } else if (source == santahatButton) {
        index = 2;
        c = 'e';
    } else if (source == redshirtButton) {
        index = 3;
        c = 'r';
    } else if (source == brownshirtButton) {
        index = 4;
        c = 't';
    } else if (source == suitButton) {
        index = 5;
        c = 'y';
    } else if (source == denimjeansButton) {
        index = 6;
        c = 'u';
    } else if (source == blackpantsButton) {
        index = 7;
        c = 'i';
    } else if (source == khakipantsButton) {
        index = 8;
        c = 'o';
    } 


    if (e.getStateChange() == ItemEvent.DESELECTED) {
        c = '-';
    }

    //Apply the change to the string.
    choices.setCharAt(index, c);

    updatePicture();
}


protected void updatePicture() {
    //Get the icon corresponding to the image.
    ImageIcon icon = createImageIcon(
                                "images/bear/bear-"
                                + choices.toString()
                                + ".gif");
    pictureLabel.setIcon(icon);
    pictureLabel.setToolTipText(choices.toString());
    if (icon == null) {
        pictureLabel.setText("Missing Image");
    } else {
        pictureLabel.setText(null);
    }
}

/** Returns an ImageIcon, or null if the path was invalid. */
protected static ImageIcon createImageIcon(String path) {
    java.net.URL imgURL = Workshop.class.getResource(path);
    if (imgURL != null) {
        return new ImageIcon(imgURL);
    } else {
        System.err.println("Couldn't find file: " + path);
        return null;
    }
}

  private static void createAndShowGUI() {
    //Create and set up the window.
    JFrame frame = new JFrame("Build a Bear at Safeer's Workshop!");
    frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);

    //Create and set up the content pane.
    JComponent newContentPane = new Workshop();
    newContentPane.setOpaque(true); //content panes must be opaque
    frame.setContentPane(newContentPane);

    //Display the window.
    frame.pack();
    frame.setVisible(true);
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
    //Schedule a job for the event-dispatching thread:
    //creating and showing this application's GUI.
    javax.swing.SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
        public void run() {
            createAndShowGUI();
        }
    });
}
}

Bien jusqu'à cette partie, il fonctionne bien et se conforme, mais lorsque je lance le programme, j'obtiens cette erreur.

> run components.Workshop
Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
at components.Workshop.<init>(Workshop.java:75)
at components.Workshop.createAndShowGUI(Workshop.java:195)
at components.Workshop.access$0(Workshop.java:189)
at components.Workshop$1.run(Workshop.java:209)
at java.awt.event.InvocationEvent.dispatch(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.access$000(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

Pourrait être une erreur stupide mais je ne peux pas sembler comprendre cela. Veuillez aider et merci

     Here is the line that generates that error 
     private void jButtonSendActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt)   {                                                
    // TODO add your handling code here:
    String message;
    if(messageBox.getText().length() > 0){
        message  =  messageBox.getText();
        chatBox.append(message+"\n"); 
        printStream.println(message);//this line 
        printStream.flush();
        //printStream.close();
        messageBox.setText("");
    }
}