Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Erickson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Through the years of running Blowfish Designs I have been most inspired by the collaborative projects with artists and other small businesses doing creative endeavors. I have loved getting to connect with others who have a vision of creating something to speak for their mission or their business and having the opportunity to bring that to life for them. Some of my favorite projects include making hats from prayer flags that were strung up on the top of a mountain to then raise money to preserve these places, putting trail maps on fabric for a mountain biking organization who supports trail building, or making hats for a group of women who were about to set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. The hats have felt like a bridge for peoples stories in a physical form. We have worked with artists to get their work on to a wearable product so that they can share their passion with the world. All the time we get stories of someone running into another Blowfish hat wearer on a beach in a faraway country and how they stopped to talk to each other. These connection are simple but mean a lot when you are behind the scenes in the daily spin of running a business. I like to know that there is a personality that we stand for that is creative, personable, and functional as a way to connect peoples stories and their missions in the world.

Erin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

While living in a mountain town in Colorado a few of us friends just started sewing up hats just because we thought they were cool fun looking and we decided we needed them. We loved that they felt expressive to wear because they all could be different but also really useful for our outdoor lifestyles in the mountains. Eventually people started buying them right off our heads when we were at Summer concerts our out and about. We decided to start making more to sell them at the Carbondale Mountain Fair, which was a homegrown Community festival that we loved attending. Our booth was packed with people all wanting to get a hat and so excited about which fabric they could pick out. We brought a sewing machine and made custom hats plugging away on creating. Shortly after, pregnant with my son, we moved to San Diego with new hopes in mind for finding a new place to land. It was in Southern California that we saught out manufacturing, did more street fairs, created out baby line, and expanded an online presence. Eventually we made our way to new home in southern WA state and continued to grow the business through taking on bigger orders, expanding our online shops, and navigating the new world of showcasing ourselves online. Our entreprenaul spirit always in tow in these years while also taking an organic approach to growing. We always believed in not making a mass produced product and to keep creating something unique while also keeping our prices fair we tried to not take on a lot of the middle men philosophy. We have always liked to be close the source of what we are making with our small sewing team of stay at home moms and a hat maker in Southern California who we created a relationship directly with. Staying in the USA felt important to us. Our hats travelled throughout the country mostly through word of mouth and very little mass marketing. I think we have always exuded a grassroots philosophy that is very authentic to our little family during this time in our lives as we navigated making something fun that we believed in while also learning what the market wanted and how to make that come to life for our customers.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

We live in a time of growing inequality, where buying art or handmade creative products can feel like a luxury for many. The convenience of free shipping from big corporations and the dominance of major retailers—driven by price and ease—have made it increasingly difficult for independent makers and small businesses to be seen and succeed.

That’s why it’s so important for our communities to support makers, small shops, and artisans—those who fix things by hand, write, create, and invest their earned money back into the same local spaces. As a part-time teaching artist in local schools, I’ve seen firsthand how younger generations are rethinking what it means to be a creator. The traditional idea of an artist as someone naturally gifted in drawing or painting is shifting. Instead, creativity is increasingly recognized for its therapeutic and process-based value—something that can be shared within communities and supported in others.

These handmade creations add meaning and richness to our world. They are not just products but vital contributions that sustain culture, connection, and economic growth. Encouraging young people to explore their creative journeys is essential—not only for their mental well-being but also for the livelihoods they can build through their talents

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey is constantly evolving as I grow older. I have always been drawn to the idea of a creative lifestyle as a path to self-discovery. There is a curiosity in how I adapt to the world around me and how I find my place within a space or community.

I have never felt the need to confine myself to a single career or medium, even though stepping outside this typical paradigm can be challenging. I am driven by the possibilities of using whatever materials I have, finding mental stimulation in working within limitations, and embracing resourcefulness. I love used materials and recreating them in ways that feel good, almost more of a therapeutic act, and less of the need to have a done piece to show to the world.

As a mother and someone in the middle phase of life, I feel many shifts in how I engage with creativity. Time is often scarce for fully exploring my interests, but this constraint allows me to be more freeform in my approach. It helps me detach from rigid outcomes and instead view everyday life as a creative pursuit. While this may not result in an extensive repertoire of work, it is gratifying in a way that reinforces the idea that life itself is a creative act.

Through my business and my work as a teaching artist, I strive to embody a sense of playfulness and expression, sharing this philosophy of creativity with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blowfishhats.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blowfishdesigns/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blowfishdesigns/

Image Credits

Kelly Turso
Kate Schwager