Justyna Green is an award-winning illustrator and the host of the On Design podcast, where she talks with the most inspirational figures in the fields of arts and design.
Her diverse professional journey, like that of many creatives, has taken twists and turns. She began as a communications assistant, ventured into her own PR agency, and eventually shifted her focus to illustration and podcasting.
Justyna’s illustration is characterized by vibrant colors, intricate patterns and a sense of optimism. It exudes confidence and vitality. Noteworthy clients such as WeTransfer, Refinery29, The Conran Shop, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health, Women’s Running, and Knix have featured her work.
Her mission is to capture the raw realities of women’s lives unfiltered, addressing topics ranging from challenging periods to existential anxieties, from struggles with mental health to the fear of failure. She treats these subjects with humor, sensitivity and wit.
By encouraging open conversations about these experiences, Justyna aims to facilitate a collective journey through them. Using her words, “the more we open up and talk about things that suck, the easier it is to go through them – together”.
We talked with Justyna to find out more about her career path from working in PR to becoming an illustrator, starting her successful podcast series On Design and tackling key issues, such as her experience with endometriosis, through her illustration practice.
Can you tell us a bit about your career and what brought you to where you are now?
I have always loved the visuals arts, but I’m also fascinated with how we work as humans – how our behaviours are influenced, how we tell and create stories, what makes us tick. Throughout my career to date, I’ve followed both these interests. Throughout my twenties I worked as a communications consultant and then agency owner, then in my thirties I pivoted to working as an illustrator and a podcaster. I have a busy mind – full of ideas — and always have a few projects on the go, to feed all the sides of me from the introverted creative, to the more extroverted interviewer.
Any key things you’ve learnt from running your own PR agency? How have the challenges helped you?
I learned a lot from running the agency, and the biggest lesson being that it wasn’t for me. From working solo and having direct contact with clients, I had to focus on managing the company, with its finances and the team. I stretched myself too thinly, tried to do too much and didn’t play to my strengths. I remember imagining what the success of the agency would look like, and I realised that it was far from what I would consider my personal success. That’s when I knew I had to pivot. Throughout my agency journey I learned to be more humble and seek help from the wise and experienced people around me.
You cover big topics with your illustration work, including periods, endometriosis, social anxiety, sexuality. What motivates you to shine a light on these issues?
I get angry when I notice issues that I and many of my friends and loved ones struggle with, yet nobody talks about. This can make us feel lonely, stuck in our own heads, and with no source of solace. My own journey with endometriosis was very painful and lonely, and when I came out on the other side of it, I naturally started to draw and write about issues related to women’s health. There’s a huge gap in research in women’s health and many topics are still taboo, even things as common as menstruation, period pain, menopause or miscarriage.
“There’s a huge gap in research in women’s health and many topics are still taboo, even things as common as menstruation, period pain, menopause or miscarriage.”
We’d love to hear more about the RRRAW project that you’ve recently received Arts Council Funding for. Where did the initial idea come from and how are you evolving the concept going forwards?
The RRRAW journey started in 2021, when I was commissioned by WePresent to write about and illustrate my journey with endometriosis. The digital comic ‘Living with Endometriosis’ portrayed my struggles in an honest and approachable way. After the commission I wanted to further elaborate on my story and created a 26-page zine called RAW in which I went into further detail of my journey, including pooing in the bushes on a particularly painful run, training for a marathon to overcome the pain of endometriosis, and struggling to explain to my family and friends just how much agony I was in.
I’m a huge fan of animation and cartoons, and so the next phase of the project – now supported financially by Arts Council – is to turn the story into an animated series. That’s the big, long-term dream. Over the next six months I’ll be working on the key characters, their settings and stories, as the basis of a pitch deck for RRRAW.
How did you get into podcasting and what led you to start On Design? What are the key things you’ve discovered from talking to many creatives from a wide range of disciplines?
On Design started originally as a video series, when I was still running an agency. It was our marketing tool. Over time I pivoted to audio content only, recording intimate conversations with people in design whom I knew, and over time, with people further afield.
What I learned from speaking to creatives across the globe, at various stages in their careers is that we’re all the same. And that even when we look at people who are very successful in a particular field, their success doesn’t equal happiness. So it’s good to ponder whether what we’re chasing is actually worth it.
“…even when we look at people who are very successful in a particular field, their success doesn’t equal happiness. So it’s good to ponder whether what we’re chasing is actually worth it.”
What advice would you have for anyone wanting to start their own podcast series?
Realise that it takes a lot of time to run a podcast – from interview prep to scheduling, recording the conversations, editing them and then publishing them. Choose to interview people that you’re genuinely interested in. If you’re not listeners will have an average, dry listening experience. And create a schedule that works for you. I run On Design in seasons with summer and winter breaks, during which I have time to prepare for the next season.
Any tips on how to get over a creative block?
Stop talking and thinking about it, and just do the creative thing you’re avoiding. Draw for 10 minutes without thinking what you’re drawing or start writing anything. You can’t think yourself out of a creative block – it takes action to break out of one.
Going back to women’s issues. It’s a fact that we need more diversity in leadership in the creative industry. Any thoughts on how we can counteract this imbalance?
There are systemic things that can change, but often these might be out of reach or take a long time to realize. But what we can all do as women, is just go for it. Don’t put walls in front of you if they’re not there, and if you see one, jump over it. Be confident and be brave. If every single one of us won’t stop and won’t give up, over time we will create change.
“Be confident and be brave. If every single one of us won’t stop and won’t give up, over time we will create change.”
What’s the best advice you’ve been given? Any advice for women and gender expansive folks starting out their careers in this industry?
Don’t listen to advice from people who don’t have the experience you’re after. It’s easy, especially as women, to receive advice from people day in, day out, but we’ve got to choose who we listen to. And if you’re forging your own path, then only you will know how to go about it.
And another piece of advice is to be bold. Don’t be afraid to say what you think, in whatever way you want to. We all want to hear your real, authentic stories. Days of ‘good vibes only’ are gone.
“Don’t be afraid to say what you think, in whatever way you want to. We all want to hear your real, authentic stories. Days of ‘good vibes only’ are gone.”
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Article by Teresa Ferreira