Defining the Non-Negotiables of Creative Success with Patrick Perkins
Owner and Creative Director at Stay In Touch (S.I.T.) Studio
When I first meet a creative person, I am immediately curious to hear about the things they are passionate about and when they first discovered that passion. Was it scribbling verses of poetry on scrap paper and turning it into a song? Or, perhaps it was cutting up an old jean jacket and transforming it into something extraordinary.
Over time, I realized that the better question to ask is how these individuals continued to forge art when the environment around them may not have encouraged it.
When we were children, we were all creative. “Being creative” was synonymous with “being.” Over time, though, some of us were urged to grow out of it - to mature and spend time doing more “serious” things.
So, as I meet creatives now (in all their grown-up glory), I recognize that creatives are those among us who never stopped playing, imagining, building, illustrating, tinkering, making, and putting into the world the manifestations of their artistic minds. Some of them may have experimented with more “in-the-box” endeavors throughout life, but - when they ultimately return to art - it all feels painfully obvious.
The protagonist of today’s story is a creative through and through. No number of environmental factors have kept him from his imagination and inventiveness - not even growing up in a setting that was materially, geographically, and culturally inaccessible to the arts.
Introducing Patrick Perkins, Founder of Stay In Touch (S.I.T.) Studio
Walking into Patrick’s 2nd-floor creative home at The Archery, I feel a sense of expansiveness. Elements of wood, metal, and foliage coalesce to create a minimalistically designed haven. Actually, the ceiling is so high it quite literally feels like the sky is the limit. Think: architect’s home office meets workshop in a treehouse.
His primary work surface is an impressive slab of end-grain butcher block perched at counter-height, and looking over to courtyard-facing windows.
Founder of the San Francisco-based visual design consultancy Stay In Touch (S.I.T.) Studio, Patrick Perkins grew up on a small family-owned apple orchard in Washington State - located near the Columbia River - with two sisters and a brother. From an early age, though, Patrick felt somewhat like a fish out of water. He did not enjoy the day-to-day farm life nor did he dream of following in his father’s footsteps - going up against Big Agriculture’s soul-crushing antics on the daily just to keep the business barely afloat. While he had a deep appreciation for his family’s labor of love and the beautiful land they lived on, Patrick was a bit (or a lot) of a nerd, preferring to spend most of his waking hours studying and getting good grades. Whether it was chemistry, literature, math, or drawing, Patrick loved everything about school.
It was not until he sat down in his teen years to think more seriously about what he wanted to be when he grew up did he decide to pursue art. Out of all the subjects in school, “it seemed the most fun.”
Patrick spent most of his time outside of school sketching, drawing, and all-around goofing around illustrator tools on his grandmother’s old laptop (where he tinkered on a pirated version of Adobe Flash).
“[For college,] I originally wanted to go to art school to be an animator,” Patrick shares. Though, when it came time to apply and after some consideration of job prospects, he chose to pursue graphics design instead - at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA.
Fast forward a decade, Patrick now introduces himself as a visual designer. His practice is rooted in graphics design with specializations in motion design, photography, and brand design. And, he also identifies as a business founder, though that title still does not always come naturally.
Patrick: “The other day, I told someone ‘I own a studio.’ And, that's the first time I didn’t feel like I was not lying.”
When asked if imposter syndrome is something he has had to overcome over the years, he shares candidly that growing up poor came with the internal narrative of already being less competent than others. Being the first in his family to get a college degree, Patrick went into higher education feeling like he was not smart enough - that somehow his family’s lack of economic means stemmed from some predetermined fate. Social psychologists might call this phenomenon “internalized classism.”
But, Patrick soon realized that he was just as smart as the others.
“We were all just dummies,” he laughs.
Today, four years (and some) in the making, S.I.T. Studio is the culmination of Patrick’s dedication to the art of design, brand strategy, illustration, typography, cross-functional thought leadership, videography, photography, service to the community through pro bono offerings, and a persistent zealousness for experimentation (and fun). Since its inception, the studio has focused on early-stage startups and have worked with brands across the food and beverage industry, children’s apparel, hospitality and tourism, music, customer service and developer platforms, real estate, and social justice movements. As a generalist design studio, the breadth of S.I.T. 's work not only showcases their versatility, but is a testament to Patrick’s ability to deeply recognize the needs and character of every client brand, and execute a vision that is undeniably them.
The bottom line is that Patrick’s visuals are evocative, dynamic, and distinct. Whether it be a website or industrial product, Patrick is a mastermind of delivering his clients’ story and mission in engaging and out-of-the-box ways.
One of his favorite clients, Michael Grieg Thomas of the innovative vinyl manufacturer Echo Base, comments on Patrick’s process: “[Patrick] brought an earnest curiosity about what motivated us as a brand, and who we wanted to design for. Right out of the gate, when he started bringing initial discovery work to the table, everything was a hit…and we gave him very little pushback.” In addition to Patrick’s technical capabilities, Michael also lauds him for his authenticity, openness, and honesty throughout their partnership, expressing that “I would trust [Patrick] more than anyone to do a good job.”
So, how did Patrick go from tinkering on an old laptop on his family farm to…here?
In many ways, it has less to do with things happening in a particular chronological order, but rather in alignment with certain philosophies and practices. Let me explain.
Philosophy No. 1: Try Random Things
“I just try random things, and - time and time again - I’ve seen that they lead to results.”
- Patrick Perkins
Throughout my conversation with Patrick, there surfaced a motif in his stories that can only be described as a gravitational tendency to absorb interesting skills, approaches, and perspectives into his universe of creativity - in a somewhat random manner.
Patrick always has his hands in multiple endeavors at once: band posters, short stories, mini documentaries, offbeat client assignments, formal S.I.T work, and personal skill-building projects. Ultimately, maintaining this volume of simultaneous projects means that some have to sunset in an incomplete form.
Previously, he would feel really bad for not finishing things.
“Over time, though, I would just forget to feel bad about it,” he remarks matter-of-factly. “Instead of seeing [an incomplete project] as something I didn't finish, I think instead: I could have not started. Like…that could have not been an experience I had at all. But, I did.”
In fact, the seedling for S.I.T. was first planted in the summer of 2020 when Patrick dusted off his DSLR camera and began taking pictures of the post-apocalyptic California skies (dyed blood red by summer wildfires, intoxicating smoke, and the doom of climate change’s permanent impacts on the West Coast). Patrick randomly posted one of these photos to the curated photography site Unsplash and also shared it with a few friends. A few months later, he was notified that the photo had won Unsplash’s 2020 Community Photo of the Year: kind of random, but awesome - and a definitive pivot point.
“After I won that award, I thought, huh, I should do more photography, And, so I invested in a new camera and upgraded some other equipment.” And just like that, Patrick was motivated to evolve what was previously a hobby - photography - into a profession. He started with just offering pro bono photography services to local small-businesses. Then, word spread.
Currently, most of Patrick’s time at S.I.T. is spent photographing for big brands like Airbnb, as well as smaller startups and nonprofits, overall playing a huge role in the studio’s recognition.
Another growing (and signature) practice at S.I.T. is motion design, a skill Patrick picked up after first saying “yes” to an assignment from a past employer who required some motion graphics skills that were - at the time - out of his wheelhouse. Then, after successfully exceeding his and others’ expectations, he fell in love with the way that motion and dynamic visuals enhanced an audience’s experience of a story. Patrick proceeded to spend the next 5 years honing his motion graphics skills. These days, Patrick incorporates movement, interactivity, and dynamic user interfaces into everything he creates - perhaps a little homage to his childhood dreams of being an animator.
Moral of the story: a “pursuit of randomness” mindset can (and does) yield incredible results.
Being the visual person that he is, Patrick invites me to imagine: “Have you ever seen a video of slime mold growing?” he asks me. “It just kind of moves outwards, until it touches a piece of food, then it [engulfs] the food and keeps going (and growing).”
In other words, Patrick is slime mold.
But, even being the slime mold that he is, there is one thing that Patrick stays far far away from…
Philosophy No. 2: Work with Good People
“I only work with good people.” - Patrick Perkins
Patrick stays far far away from people and organizations that fundamentally do not align with his morals and values. Growing up in poverty and witnessing first-hand hardworking families earn their living, Patrick really values companies that are supportive of (and collaborative with) mom-and-pop businesses and uphold the utmost care and respect for their employees.
Earlier in his career, it was very difficult to be selective with where his money came from. Patrick actually turned away some shiny opportunities in his initial job-hunting days, which left him struggling financially to make ends meet: 70 grand in debt and working multiple part time gigs. At one point, Patrick did take on some work with large corporations, but soon realized the full mental toll of working on projects that were not aligned with his core.
Then, in 2016, Patrick was hired by an awesome team at the legendary UX design firm Adaptive Path (bought out by Capital One in 2019). With 800 dollars in hand and no more than a duffel bag over his shoulder, Patrick moved from his home state of Washington to downtown Oakland, CA. It felt like a large leap: a new chapter.
Since then, Patrick has made various other big decisions in life, one of them being departing the corporate world to open S.I.T. Not only did it mean building and emanating confidence in his skills and capabilities as a one-man LLC, but it also meant intentionally positioning himself in spaces with a high concentration of cool people doing cool things - and, demonstrating the innovative possibilities of collaborating with him.
Earlier this year, Patrick met one of his recent clients, Mathew York of Pflow, through a mutual friend. Matt works on an open source Web3 application (a.k.a internet built on blockchain technologies), and in his words: “Patrick is not just any contractor. He took the time to fully understand what we were asking for in a rebrand and redesign, and took a holistic approach to telling the story of a product that was in many ways challenging to explain.” Another client, Sophie Bohnen of Swissnex, concurs: “From the first call to the final product…Patrick intuitively understood what [my team] was looking for and was skilled at taking our wild, vague ideas and turning them into designs we love.”
Patrick actually finds the process of getting new clients and work to be the most mysterious part of the whole business: “you just never know where your next connection and partnership is going to come from.”
When asked if there is a particular community he taps into for some of these connections, he reflects and offers up that there is definitely a community of UX designers in the San Francisco Bay Area, but perhaps less so for graphic designers like him and in his particular niche.
His approach: show up in spaces as authentically as possible and absorb (like slime mold) the goodness that shows up to play.
And, that brings us to our third and last philosophical bucket.
No. 3. Do What You Love (As Cliché As It Sounds)
“I enjoy my work. And, I just don’t bother doing the parts that I don’t enjoy.”
- Patrick Perkins
To participate in economic life, every person - no matter the occupation or trade - must do some things that are totally tedious, boring, frustrating, or otherwise not likable. That is just reality.
But, as much as possible, Patrick enforces boundaries that help him identify and do more of what he loves. For example, he does not formally provide any services around search engine optimization or design production. Although these topics intersect with his work and he is qualified to consult on them (and does occasionally), he tries to keep his work to the specific things he loves to do (brand and motion design), and leave room for other experts to weigh in.
Patrick: “Economically, there’s always something else I should be doing…but not everything is in scope for every project. [In most cases,] what I deliver is a piece of a larger puzzle.”
Lately, part of doing what he loves is also identifying what administrative parts of running his business does he not love, and delegating some of those tasks.
“The accounting side of [the business] really intimidates me,” Patrick admits “It’s actually one of the most frightening parts of life. [Because], it feels like there is a lot at stake if I make any mistakes with the IRS.” Like a child, he cannot hold still. When sharing that he recently hired an accountant, Patrick’s excitement is unmistakable. “It feels like such an adult thing to do,” he laughs. After managing this aspect of the business all by himself up until this point, he is beyond grateful that the studio is in a place where he can divert some of those responsibilities.
So, what’s next?
Looking Ahead: The Future of the Machine
“Owning a company is like building a machine. And that machine sustains me to live the life I want to live.” - Patrick Perkins
As Patrick continues to grow S.I.T. into a household name in the visual design consultancy world, he looks forward to one day expanding his one desk and chair into a few more desks and chairs. He imagines a way to work more regularly with specific talent around the world and formalize some of his existing, go-to relationships with designers, developers, and copywriters.
But, building a big firm and being the “big boss” is not the goal.
“I am a bit of a socialist. I have grand visions of one day converting the company into a worker-owned commune.” He smiles.
For now, he is more than happy with being able to wake up every day energized to go to work and seeing so much growth in himself and the company he has built.
He likens it to a machine: “The machine sustains me, like the clothing I wear…and the life I want to live. There’s a lot of trial and error, and there’s always a million different ways to tweak things…to make improvements.” Ultimately, the company Patrick has built enables him to do what he loves - professionally - and then also what he enjoys personally: to spend quality time with his loved ones, to cook, to work on random projects like co-writing poetry with his sister, and exploring the outdoors.
S.I.T. is the means and making of a creative life, not the end.
And, much like the slime mold analogy, over time, parts of the machine get replaced and updated, and new components get integrated.
“It’s funny…photography was outside the machine until the machine absorbed it.”
So, as Patrick and I wrap up this philosophical journey, I am sure of two things:
That creatives have always (and will always) create. There are certainly varying life seasons and diverse approaches to fueling that creativity, but it is like an itch that must be scratched.
And, that defining and staying true to one’s own principles within that creative space is critical. For Patrick, it is to lean into random opportunities, to exclusively hang around good humans, and to always make time to do the things that he truly loves.
And with that, Patrick - thank you so much for sharing your story with our community, and for elaborating on your tribulations and triumphs as a creative and small-business owner.
Dear readers, thanks for sticking around! And, if you have not had the chance to check out Patrick’s work, please go peek into S.I.T. Studio, located physically at The Archery space (along with dozens of other creatives) in the SF Mission district. Happy community-gathering!