How do you explain your “transformation” into a mermaid to children?
This was something I had to come up with fairly quickly because as soon as I slipped that tail on, the questions started coming in! I developed a story about a vial of “Wish Dust” I discovered on the beach which allows me to change into a mermaid and then back into a human. I keep a small bottle of it around my neck at events and it always spurs lots of questions!
I am attending one of your events, what can I expect?
Generally to date, most of my appearances have been at waterparks. I usually will spend 2-3 hours there at a time. The first hour or so is for “meet and greet.” This is very similar to the Santa line at the mall in which children take turns visitng with me, taking a pictures and receiving a small shell token and/or autographed card. The second portion of the event is reserved for swimming with the guests.
Who crafted your mermaid tail?
My tail was designed by Eric Ducharme, also known as the Mertailor. He is an extremely talented artist who has created tails for mermaids all around the globe, including a few celebrities.
How can I become a mermaid?
Well, the first thing you will need is a tail! There are several online vendors that can craft anything from inexpensive fabric tails to highly realistic silicone tails. The second thing you will need is determination and a positive attitude. Nobody wants to be around a grumpy mermaid! It is physically demanding and absolutely necessary that you are a good swimmer. A love for children is a must as well as creativity and an extrovert personality. If you hope to become a professional mermaid, it helps to have marketing, social media and public relations skills as well. These things are crucial to opening up opportunities to get yourself noticed, build your fan base and increase your demand.
Do you do birthday parties?
I WISH I could do every birthday party I am invited to do! I get so much joy from the time I do have with all of the little ones I meet at my events. However, due to my family and work schedules I am looking for broader range projects that can impact more people with less of my time spent away from home. So for now, I prefer to work on larger events, projects I can work on during the week, or private parties in which I can make a difference through fundraising foundations for children’s charities.
What do you do when you are not “mermaiding”?
I am a very busy mother of two with my own graphic design firm. I also serve as an adjunct professor in the Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU. The summer is usually my “down time” from teaching, so it coincides perfectly with my mermaid hobby!