About
Courtney Mason is an interdisciplinary creative director and the founder of Bellum, a creative studio based on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
Rooted in storytelling, Bellum began as an independent arts and culture magazine and has since evolved into a full-service branding and creative studio specializing in visual identity, photography, creative direction, and commercial interiors.
Over the last decade, Courtney has worked across publishing, branding, hospitality, and the arts. Her multifaceted experience gives her a sharp understanding of both creative excellence and client needs—blending beauty with functionality and strategy with soul. Bellum reflects that balance, offering clients high-touch creative services that elevate brands with intention and depth.
Courtney’s creative process is intuitive and collaborative, drawing from nature, psychology, design theory, and cultural storytelling. She is particularly passionate about the ways we express culture—through food, architecture, fashion, ritual, and religion—and believes these elements are essential to designing meaningful brands and environments. Whether directing a photo shoot, building a brand identity, or curating a physical space, her work is driven by connection, curiosity, and care.
As a former print and runway model accepted by Wilhelmina NY, Courtney brings a deep understanding of what's needed for great visual storytelling on both sides of the camera, and how to craft ethical, empowering production experiences. She currently serves as the cover photographer for Currents, an environmentally conscious outdoor magazine, and leads Bellum’s creative client work across brand development and content creation.
Her professional path has been as expansive as her interests—from studying jazz and creative writing at university, launching a restaurant and coffee shop, Chaleur, serving as Editor in Chief of Ant Farm Journal/Bellum Magazine, to building an ethical clothing brand, CH Clothing. Through every chapter, her focus has remained the same: build things that connect people.
Today, Bellum continues to grow as both a creative studio and platform for art, design, and thoughtful brand building—with Courtney at its helm, leading with vision, intuition, and an abiding love for the beautiful things that make us human.