Tracy Perkins

Graphic Design and Brand Development

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What Does It All Mean?

"It is only by studying the past that we can foresee, however dimly, the future." —Winston Churchill
Like a great many people I have experienced a wide range of emotions in the last week. The week started with hopeful optimism that was quickly replaced with grief and revulsion. I was angry, I was hurt, I was saddened, I was defeated, and I was vulnerable. I was resigned to my fate of living in a country that was moving away from the ideals that I hold dear. And like any other person experiencing a dark time in their lives, I wanted there to be a glimmer of hope on the horizon. 
It took an early morning plane flight in the midst of that emotional turmoil to show me that hope was not lost. Flying at 35,000 ft, being cutoff from the outpouring of grief and frustration on social media, gave time for my emotions to cool and my rational thought processes to kick back in. I am a creative. A designer and an artist. I have a voice. Is it not the responsibility of designers and artists who to use their skills to highlight social issues and bring about public discourse on the challenges of the day? When the plane landed, I felt I had a new mission to take up arms with my brush and my pen and carry on the fight for progress.
The following two days I spent in a typical American small town, surrounded by people who had a very different world view than I did. During this time I saw calls to keep fighting and friends participating in protests, yet I also saw the reactions of the people in this town. They didn’t understand why people were protesting and I knew I needed to change my approach.
Currently there is a significant amount of misunderstanding on all sides. The calls to come together are not unfounded, but the calls to back down are. A middle point, where civil dialogue and understanding can take place needs to be reached. We all need to listen, share and love.

We creative professionals have a duty to use our skills to start the dialogue, share information, bridge the divides, and create a new culture of love and understanding. But in order to achieve this, we need to educate ourselves on where we have come from, what has been fought for before. Only then can we address the issues that need addressing and move forward as one. 

Unplugging in a Digital World

For the last couple months I’ve been somewhat of a nomad, constantly traveling between different locations, not all of which have internet. It’s a crippling feeling not being connected digitally to world. I hadn’t realized how dependent I had become upon a round the clock interconnected lifestyle. Yet, being cut off for the internet has helped me redefine the necessary parts of my digital life.

Like going without any creature comfort in the world, there’s instant withdrawal the moment you realize you don’t have that comfort available. There is an instant need to check your feeds, play your video games, and browse the web. Then a panic sets in. “How am I supposed to email my clients?” “I can’t check the new webpage I’m working on.” “How do I send cat pictures to people?” I have to admit all of these disjointed thoughts have gone through my mind at one point or another. Thankfully once this irrational jumble is out of your mind, logic takes over and you start thinking proactively.

The first step is to identify what you CAN do without internet access. For instance, I can still build the HTML and CSS for that new webpage while I’m offline, test the code in my browser and then upload it to the hosting site once I have internet access again. And it’s not just limited to digital habits, you and work on tangible projects as well. In my case, I finally set up the bullet journal I had been thinking of starting. (Bonus, the bullet journal is analog and doesn’t require internet!)

The second step is to schedule time to go to a place where there’s internet access, such as a coworking space or coffeeshop, when you need to do internet-based work. I use this time to correspond with clients, upload projects, and plan for not being connected to the internet. The first two are self explanatory and the latter is easier than is seems.

When planning to be disconnected form the internet for a bit you have a lot of tools at your disposal. Webpages can be saved as HTML or PDF documents allowing you to review their content offline. Remember that bullet journal? I saved the linked page as a PDF to review when I was offline and in the process of setting up the journal. I also use this time to download new magazine issues and books to my iPad. Google Docs allow me to make specific documents available in “offline mode” and will update the next time you reconnect. You’ll be surprised at how much content can be made available offline.

One of the biggest adaptations for me was adjusting to being away from social media feeds. I had become accustomed to checking Facebook and the likes multiple times throughout the day. So when I got the desire to check my feeds I picked up my iPad and started reading one of those magazines or books.

All in all, it takes some time to adjust, but I feel as though I have a much healthier balance between my online and offline life.

The Beauty in the Darkness

It seems the world is focusing on all of the negativity, disasters, tragedy and violence, to the point that we forget to look around and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of all the focus on the dark, ugliness of the current human condition.

Humanity has an inherent desire to explore, understand and create. We forget this all too often and let the media machine influence are our thinking.

I was out walking recently shortly after sunrise and took a minute to look across road at the open country near my house. It was absolutely gorgeous and reminded me that whatever fear mongering goes on, the world is truly a beautiful place and we are lucky to live in it.

As a creative person, I feel that in the these dark times it’s my social responsibility to express the beauty in the world and remind society through my talents that the world has not gone to shit. I encourage other creatives to follow suit and use your talents to better the world.

Break the Cycle

Whenever tragedies happen, such as the ones this week—the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the five police officers in Dallas—my heart goes out to the victims, their families and my friends and family who are part of the affected communities. I have good friends who are African American and good friends who are Police Officers. When the tragedy in Orlando happened just a few short weeks ago, I thought of my LGBT family and friends. I don’t want those I love and care about to suffer the same tragic fate.

Despite what you tell yourself, you know people in the affected communities and those communities are tired of your prayers and sympathy.

We live in a changing world and all of this violence is a result of people resisting the change, not looking for constructive ways to work with it. I know change is a scary thing. I’ve been forced to change and adapt to new situations with little notice. Here’s the difference, the change I experienced was a singular occurrence. The systemic change that is currently happening is part of the long slow process of overhauling a broken system.

As a white cis-female from a middle income family I don’t know the true struggles that every affected group has gone through. But as a human being I know what pain, anguish, hardship, compassion, and love feel like. When other human beings are hurt, I can imagine how I would feel if I were in their situation. While what I imagine pales in comparison to their reality, I understand that I can do something to help break the cycle. Each of us can do something and each of us should.

So lend your talents to help amplify voices, participate in peaceful protests, write to (hand write letters—it’s more impactful) and call your government officials, do something kind for someone who is not like you, etc. I could go on, but you get the picture. There is too much negativity in this world and it needs to be wiped out with compassion and love. So do your part for humanity and make the world a better place.

Downsize and Minimize

Lately I’ve found myself increasingly interested in the concept of living minimally and creating more room for what really matters in life. I’ve specifically been drawn to the idea of having a “designed” lifestyle that blends aesthetics and functionality. 
This concept appeals to me as a designer since the blend of aesthetic and function is the basis for what I do. I’ve also been finding my environment has a chaotic nature that tends to get in the way of my focus and creativity. I’ve known for years that your work ethic is influenced by your surroundings and that a messy space can cause you to focus on that rather than projects and creative endeavors, but I’ve made little effort to combat my situation. 
With our move and the fact that we went from a two bedroom apartment to a single room, it’s the perfect opportunity for us to downsize and embracing some minimalist principles. We really don’t need everything that we have and most of what we own doesn’t add value to our lives. We also place a lot of emphasis on keeping things as they are attached to a memory or have placed an artificial value on. Yet these items tend to make up the bulk of our belongings, which seems to be the opposite of how possessions should play a role in our lives.
I want to focus on my design and art, not the chaotic nature of my house. A calm environment promotes a calm mind, thus making it easier to relax and find my creative inspiration.

Still Breathing

It’s been a month now since I stopped working at my old job. Finances are tight and soon we’ll be moving out of Oakland and in with the other half’s dad to save money on rent.

All in all, there’s been some painful personal growth, but things are still moving along and up.

  • I’ve netted a handful of new freelance projects with more to come once these are complete. 
  • The other half has started a small production company with a couple friends and they’ve started to find some clients. 
  • During a visit to my parents in Washington, we scored some kitchen equipment for the gastropub the other half wants to open.
  • I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to participate in the 100 Day Project. But instead of giving up, I keep jumping back in after I’ve missed a few days.
  • Moving is giving me the opportunity to downsize my possessions, hopefully shedding my packrat tendencies along side.
  • No matter what happens we still have our little family, fur-kid and all.
As the title of our old roommates’ band hit song says, we are ‘Still Breathing‘.