Black Elephant

Who is Black Elephant?

Hi, my name is Stephanie Smythe. Usually, the next question is, "Where are you from?" I'm from Earth. Ok, 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 Carmi Children's Home as a teenager when I ran away (a few times). 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, and due to PTSD symptoms, I am no longer working in the field—but I am still being me and still need to change the world. I have 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 not only supports my healing and my life, but also everything I do to help create change on this Earth. So why BLACK ELEPHANT? I have 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. My art is 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 is not enough. So I will create the change I wish to see in the world. — BLACK ELEPHANT.