Meet Justina Sade M.A. | Artist, Web Designer & Small Biz Tech & Digital Strategy Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Justina Sade M.A. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justina, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I didn’t choose a creative career first. I chose to try and be a scholar, and I ended up with my masters from NYU. This path felt safer, more acceptable to the world around me, and something I had already demonstrated I was good at. I landed in visual and cultural studies because I felt a deep need to understand and analyze the media that had provided so much entertainment, learning, and honestly, a form of companionship that was more sustainable than other parts of my life. So, in a sense, I was attempting to deconstruct the magic before I ever gave myself permission to call myself an artist or creative.

But analysis can be a form of paralysis. And while my academic journey gave me the critical lens to see how stories are told and why they matter, I eventually realized that analyzing from a distance wasn’t my purpose. I saw how the people around me who were brilliant in their own creative expression, especially Black femmes, QTBIPOC creators, and neurodivergent thinkers were being held back because they needed tech or creative assistance. But along the way I also gained the confidence to call myself a creative because the people that I worked with saw the value in my creative expressions.

So, while I may not have chosen a creative or artistic path first, choosing to be a scholar and then a service provider was how I found my way back to the artist I was meant to be.

It wasn’t a detour; it was the foundation. I had to understand the power of art from the outside before I could fully embrace my own power to create from the inside. And it’s precisely because my own path was not a straight line that I am so passionate about helping others claim their creative identity, whatever winding road they took to get there.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business, Hella High Magic Media, was born from a real and urgent need: to build a space where creative, neurodivergent, and femme-identifying people—especially Black femmes like me—could get strategic and technical support without having to code-switch, over-explain, or shrink themselves.

I offer web design, product and digital design, digital systems setup, small business strategy, and content development for folks who are often juggling both passion and survival. Many of my clients are overwhelmed by tech or design and unsure how to communicate their ideas. I help them build something sustainable, beautiful, and aligned with their values—not just aesthetically, but energetically.

What sets my business apart is that I don’t lead with hype or formulas. I work from lived experience, curiosity, and a systems-minded but collaborative approach. I do use frameworks—ones that flex to support people with nonlinear, layered creative lives. My clients aren’t just launching brands or websites—they’re navigating identity shifts, multiple projects, tight budgets, and the haunting fear that they’ll never get where they imagined. So the work is never one-size-fits-all. It’s built on clarity, alignment, and what they need the world to understand about their work.

Getting here wasn’t easy. I launched this business during a period of deep instability—post-grad school, post-COVID onset, raising a son solo, and trying to figure out how to survive without betraying what I knew about myself anymore. I didn’t have a blueprint. I pieced it together while teaching marketing, while DoorDashing, writing strategy decks in my car, saying “yes” to projects I wasn’t sure I was ready for—but couldn’t afford to say no to.

I’ve learned that sustainability doesn’t always look like slow and steady. Sometimes it’s a flash of clarity followed by quiet recovery. Sometimes it’s iteration over perfection. What’s kept my business alive is knowing exactly who I serve: people who feel underestimated, overlooked, or overwhelmed—and helping them feel prepared, seen, and powerful.

I’m proud of every client I’ve helped launch. I’m proud of every zine, workshop, system, and brand I’ve helped midwife into existence. I’m proud that Hella High Magic Media reflects my values and continues to evolve as I do.

What I want people to know is this: Your business doesn’t have to be a performance of professionalism. It can be a reflection of your soul, your ethics, and your real capacity. And yes—you can make money doing it your way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the Bay in the summer, I’d give them a week that felt like equal parts field trip, healing retreat, and femme-coded questline.

We’d start gentle—Berkeley Rose Garden for the views and quiet, then maybe a soft forest walk through Tilden or Roy’s Redwoods. We’d stop for coffee at Red Bay Coffee or Backyard Brew (depending on the vibe—polished or goblin-core). Lunch would be burritos at Gordo’s in El Cerrito or a classic stop at Bongo Burger in Berkeley if we need nostalgia food.

We’d spend time rollerskating—Thursday at Panther Skate Plaza in West Oakland, maybe Church of 5 Wheels on Sunday in SF. I’d take them thrifting at Mixed Pickles, Pretty Penny, or 7 Stars, depending on what era of the multiverse they’re dressing for that day. We’d absolutely hit up Oakland First Fridays or Oaklash Sundays if the timing’s right.

For the witchier days, we’d make offerings at Scarlet Sage, soak under the stars at Almonte Hot Tubs, and maybe make a stop at Esoterica for a little occult recharge. We’d dip into the African American History Museum, check out Zide Door (if that’s your calling), and close the week with ocean views in Sausalito or a Mt. Tam hike to catch the sun dropping into the Pacific.

Dinner would rotate between Souley Vegan, Hana Japan for the show, or a splurge night at Hi Felicia Supper Club—queer, femme, delicious chaos.

The goal wouldn’t be to “hit the spots,” but to catch the essence of the Bay I know and love: Black joy, queer spirit, forest magic, and small businesses run by the kind of people who make this place feel sacred. No itinerary I write will ever feel complete—but that’s part of the point. The Bay unfolds best when you’re following curiosity and keeping your senses open.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shout-out goes to Regina Anaejionu—a brilliant business strategist and service-based entrepreneur whose wisdom runs even deeper than her radiant presence suggests. I’ve followed her work for over eight years, through blog posts, courses, and community spaces. Even when I couldn’t afford to invest in her offers, her free content was enough to spark movement in my life at a time when I was struggling—financially, emotionally, and as a single mom trying to build something that made sense for who I was.

Regina didn’t just help me imagine entrepreneurship—she helped me believe I could teach, build, and create something of value on my own terms. Her frameworks for turning lived knowledge into assets, her generosity with her insights, and her modeling of a creative, grounded business path gave me permission to dream bigger than just getting a job. She reminded me I had something worth saying, even back when I felt buried in grad school papers and uncertainty.

I’d recommend her to anyone—especially those sitting on wisdom they don’t know how to share yet.

Website: https://www.hellahighmagicmedia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/justina-sade

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/justina_sade