On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, my phone rang at 8:20 as I was getting out of my car at work. It’s my friend, Jane, saying,  “Isn’t Justyna Palka the designer who did your brochure?” Yes, I say. And Jane says quietly, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but she was killed last night.” Stunned and shocked, just like that, beautiful Justyna was gone. In my remembrance of Justyna, when my thoughts float to her as they often do, she is always “beautiful Justyna”. My first blog post is a tribute to Justyna’s memory, she will have been gone from us 2 years in May. Because she designed my logo, my business cards, brochure and the first draft of my website, she is ever present in my business identity and I treasure that she left me a piece of her design legacy. I met Justyna in 2009 as she was getting ready to graduate from the Art Institute in Graphic Design. I wanted a brochure and a new logo, having changed my business name from Massage Therapy Professionals to Full Circle Health the prior year. What I got was a creative collaboration with a truly gifted artist. From the moment of our first meeting, I knew I had just lucked into working with a great talent and a true professional, and she hadn’t even graduated yet! She was so young, yet it was clear to me that this was a woman destined for success, she impressed me with her talent, her drive, her work ethic and her lovely smile. Whenever I look at my website, I am reminded  of the care she took to create an identity that was really me and that represented all facets of the work I do with my clients. She designed my logo, which is the intersection of 3 circles, after interviewing me for hours about the massage work I do, my approach to health coaching, my love for cooking and all of the other aspects that go into the holistic approach I take with my clients. She gave me the visual representation of Body + Mind + Lifestyle that you see on my website today. So, thank you for reading this and in this unusual way, helping me to remember Justyna. In Justyna’s Statement for her design show application at the Art Institute, She said, “I like to strive for excellence, because I think it’s boring to settle for less.” That really sums up the essence of Justyna.