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Author: Andrew Kuhn, BSU student  Erin Slayton of Hanson, MA, is the founder and creative mind behind Pocket of Sunshine. Weekdays, Slayton can be found teaching high school English, but outside of the classroom she dedicates herself to creating unique, handmade pieces for her company, Pocket of Sunshine. The motivation for Pocket of Sunshine began when Slayton started to casually craft jewelry for herself, customizing it to her outfits and style. With some encouragement, she began to take custom requests and began selling her jewelry and art with the aid of Instagram. Over the next three years, her online presence generated over 3,000 followers. Since the inception of Pocket of Sunshine as a jewelry shop, Slayton has slowly started to incorporate different pieces of art into her catalogue, and has focused on developing and expanding upon her talents. Recently, Slayton has incorporated epoxy resin pieces in her catalogue. With the unexpected passing of a close friend, Slayton wanted to preserve the flowers from the funeral. With this skill set, she is able to create not only beautiful pieces, but truly personalize her products towards her clients and create sentimental pieces to celebrate various moments and lives. Pocket of Sunshine is a one-woman operation, which gives Slayton the artistic freedom of what she creates and control over how the company is presented. While being an independent business owner may have its struggles, Slayton remains true to her original intentions she began Pocket of Sunshine “to engage in creative work as a way of filling [me] up, a way of healing the soul.”  Pocket of Sunshine encouragers shopping locally and sustainability. Slayton emphasized the importance of shopping local, as you feel at ease knowing an individual will be reaping the direct benefits of your purchase. By shopping locally, you are supporting individuals rather than corporations, who may unequally distribute those profits to their employees. Through Pocket of Sunshine, Slayton establishes a sense of community and uses her platform to promote other brands and creators as well. When looking at these issues it is hard to look past social justice and how a local business may play a role in change for the future through advocacy and education. As a biracial woman, Slayton expresses herself and her experiences through her creations and her company. She encourages her customers to know who they are purchasing from, and she makes sure to use her platform to focus on key issues and give back directly to the community. In June 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Slayton fundraised through her platform, shaving her head on Instagram live, where viewers could donate to help raise money for arts and education for local youth minority’s. In less than two weeks, Pocket of Sunshine raised $12,564, which was donated directly to OrigiNation of Boston and the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South, Brockton Clubhouse. To learn more about Pocket of Sunshine and owner Erin Slayton, visit her website at: www.pocketofsunshine7.com.
You can also contact her via: Email: erinslaytonerin@gmail.com Instagram: pocketofsunshine7 Twitter: @MissSlay77 Facebook: @pocketofsunshine7 All of these are wonderful ways to learn more about Slayton and the community she has built around Pocket of Sunshine, as well as purchase her beautiful handcrafted creations!
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