Black Elephant

Hi, my name is Stephanie Smythe. Usually, the next question is, "Where are you from?" I'm from Earth. Okay, but really — y'all wanna know who I am and how I ended up here. Well, it's a pretty crazy story.

I am a first-generation Mexican American, a mom of two littles, and a survivor of child sexual abuse. I found my way to White County, Illinois after living at the Illinois Baptist Children's Home as a teenager, when I ran away (a few times).

From crisis counseling to creating

I wanted to learn as much as I could about why people do the awful things they do, so I earned my Master's Degree in Social Work from SIU with a Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Fellowship. I became a crisis counselor for runaway and homeless youth — because of my own worst experiences trying to access resources and help from abusive and neglectful situations.

My art is my passion. Due to PTSD symptoms, I'm no longer working in the field — but I am still being me, and I still need to change the world. I've begun creating beautiful works of eco-conscious Earth art, and in doing so, I discover others who are just as unique and beautiful as me. Supporting my art doesn't just support my healing and my life — it supports everything I do to help create change on this Earth.

So why "Black Elephant"?

I've always felt like the black sheep of the family. Because of my life experiences, it always felt like there was an elephant in the room. My art empowers me. My art is that elephant in the room — made from nature, eco-friendly, and ethically sourced. I take the discarded and "trash" of the world and create something beautiful that the entire room can talk about.

I always thought being the change I wanted to see in the world was enough. But it's not enough. So I will create the change I wish to see in the world.

— BLACK ELEPHANT 🦋