Meet Bella; the 23-year-old full-time artist who uses her creations as a tool to express the plethora of feelings that 23-year-old girls feel. Whether it be her infamous “tattoo tickets” or an original creation, Bella aims to express the idea that you’re not the only person feeling that heavy feeling you do.
“I never take myself seriously,” says Bella, “the fact I am even considered an actual artist is still a weird idea to process.” Bella’s talent is 100% self-taught; “I went to school for business and PR but have always had a deep love for art. Art slowly progressed to become more than just a hobby, but an outlet. A way to communicate everything I need to say and more. It was once I learned to specifically create art in a way that feels authentic, and through a long process of trial and error that I was able to find this sort of release. I could communicate clearly, in a way I had never felt before.”
But developing this strong sense of artistry and identity within Bella’s work did not happen overnight. “I used to like fashion art. That’s how I first discovered what colors and textures I liked and got to know myself as an artist. But that phase was pretty short-lived. I quickly realized that wasn’t truly me, I wasn’t saying what I needed to say from my art. After coming and going along with the waves of life I was able to finally find what felt right.” Bella works hard to keep her art simple and meaningful. To bring that childlike Christmas morning type light onto the page, and make those dark feelings digestible. “I spend hours narrowing down all the anxiety I feel and articulating those emotions to translate them into my work. It’s a lot of late-night doodling and seeing what feels good. I’ve gotten to a point now where the style I have developed feels as though it has clicked for both me and my consumers.”
It’s that specific karmic sensation that is at the root of Bella’s creative motivation. “I went through a hard romantic thing last winter that resulted in a lot of deep social anxiety. It was a personal experience and a collection of emotions I had a really hard time figuring out and eventually becoming okay with. I’ve spent a lot of time relearning myself and the majority of that has been done through my art. My art aims to describe situations in my life where I may have felt super isolated in my feelings and over time I’ve seen how this can help others feel a little less alone as well. It’s an outlet for me and someone else simultaneously.”
The fans have become so deeply connected to Bella’s work and need a piece for themselves– some as prints, others as permanent tattoo ink. “It’s completely mind-blowing. When I was first asked to draw tattoo designs I was like are you sure you want me! Do you want MY art on your body forever? It’s more than a compliment, it’s an honor, that somebody feels so entangled emotionally with my work that they want to look down every day and always have that. The feeling I get thinking about it is completely surreal; every time somebody sends me a picture of their tattoo I cry a little bit!”
Bella sees her artwork like one see’s their children; it’s hard to pick favorites! “They all serve a completely different purpose to one another,” says Bella “but if I had to pick a current fav it would be one of the most recent pieces that says “my heart was so big I became it.” Working on this piece helped me come to terms with the idea that although it sometimes feels like a burden, my extreme sensitivity is a really beautiful thing; a virtue at that”.
Bella’s virtues don’t stop with her sensitivity; she’s creative, honest, passionate, and incredibly determined. This girl dreams BIG! “I want to have a coffee table book of my art; something fun for people to flip through and enjoy. As much as I love art I’m also super into writing and would love to use a book as a way to entangle the two mediums. I would also love to work with a brand and have my pieces in a store or as a contribution to some sort of design type thing. Anthropology would be the dream collaboration; I’m manifesting it every day!”
Finally, Bella and I talked advice for aspiring artists, and her words of wisdom sound like they came straight from your very own big sister. “First of all, don’t let anyone sell you short. Don’t let them tell you what to do, don’t let them tell you how to feel about yourself and your art. Art is so personal! You need to create, create, create, find what feels right, and once you find it, hold on, don’t let go, and cherish that feeling forever. It will keep you going whenever you find yourself a little lost. If you find that sensation and create it for yourself, then you won’t feel that need to be seen or be validated, you can be satisfied. Moreover, I want to say that you’re allowed to change as an artist. Sometimes I used to look through my Instagram and beat myself up about some of my old work. But when I did some further thinking I concluded that art served its purpose for the person I was a year ago, and it got me to the place I am today. We need to do ourselves a big favor and allow the natural process of change to flow in and out of our lives.”
You can find Bella on her socials @bekindbella or her website bekindbella.com
