There once was a little girl who loved to create. Throughout her childhood, she struggled with the challenges of having a schizophrenic sister, and being creative was her way of coping. It was a need that eventually turned into a passion. She learned to embrace her circumstances as part of who she was becoming, and in doing so, she awakened a desire to help others become free themselves. This is me, an ever-learning artist who has big dreams.

Simply, I love to sketch and paint...I love when my studio room is disheveled with scattered pens and markers, messy brushes, stained stencils, and the smell of matte medium. It means something is in the process of being imagined. I don't always know how things are going to turn out, but it's the process I love.

"You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens."– Author Unknown

My name is Belinda and I am a creative. I am a mother, a military wife, a gardener, an herbalist, a certified Usui Reiki Master, and an artist.

Bellenna Elm holds a special place in my heart. It is not just a name to represent my art, but it also represents who I am. Bellenna, a part of my own name and a derivative of my Grandma's name, was inspired by the many summers I spent as a child in the country with my dear Grandma Helen. She has always been a special part of my life, and I will never forget the summer she and I doodled little flowers on the back of her plastic placemats. Little did she know she was influencing a future artist. The "Elm" part of Bellenna Elm also shares special meaning as it symbolizes inner strength. Like so many, I have experience many challenges in life that at times were quite daunting, but through perseverance, holistic action, and determination I am where I am today and I am so thankful for the people in my life that have helped me to this point.

Sketching has been a hobby of mine since I was small. I never really thought I was all that good at it, but my school notebook margins tended to be filled with odd little doodles here and there. As I got older I had this incessant pull toward anything having to do with art. I've taken a variety of classes locally and online and found myself soon dabbling with mixed media. And this is where it all came together for me. Everything I have learned through local and online art professionals and self-guided art classes has molded me into the artist I currently am, and I can only hope to continue this amazing journey it has brought me thus far. 

I fell in love with pattern a long time ago, and I will never forget the first fabric I ever sewed with when I was just a kid. It was a petite floral pattern. When I look back on it now, it really was quite hideous, but at the time I thought it was the prettiest print, and I still remember the way that soft fabric felt between my fingers. I fell in love with sewing, fabric, and pattern. Little did I know that the world of surface pattern design involved so much more than fabric.

So here I am still on my journey as an artist and visionary. I feel I have so much further to go and more opportunities await, but for now I’m trusting in the process and allowing it to organically unfold as I have been lead thus far. I’m grateful for this human experience, the opportunity to create, and to share my creative spirit with the world around me.