We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elle Jimenez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Elle, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I never imagined I would become a professional mermaid, let alone making this like of work my main source of income! I began with my small entertainment company in 2016. I would offer different entertainment services and performing arts presentations and acts for special events. I received a request one day for a *swimming* mermaid performer. At the time I was providing princess party entertainment and I did not know how to swim. I had no one available for it that was kid-friendly AND also swam in the water. I thought about it for a while and with the support of my friends and colleagues I accepted the challenge. It took a lot of work to overcome my fears of swimming, and to get really comfortable in the water. I took swimming lessons, became a scuba diver and lifeguard and very soon after I was able to feel like a true mermaid. Little did I know that I would continue to get requested for shows so much that it started becoming an every-weekend thing. The years passed and my mermaid performances got more and more popular. I guess I had a knack for both kids entertainment, also a corporate approach and an entertaining realistic aquatic performance. Here we are 5 years later: I am a full-time professional mermaid! It was funny how it happened. I didn’t choose the mermaid life. The mermaid life chose me.

Elle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Before I became a professional mermaid, I was deep into performing arts, dancing, singing, and acting. I also was a film school graduate and work in the film industry for a while both in front and behind cameras.

When I came up with my Mermaid Elle® character I wanted to make sure she was beautiful, friendly, kind, and a true ocean advocate. Already being an entertainer in showbiz in Miami, I knew I could help bring magic and that mermazing wow factor to others! I offer mermaid swimming shows for kids parties, corporate events, venues, resorts and even at aquariums.

Having a film background I also became a content creator. My work was definitely making waves on social media and soon enough I began partnering with brands which added another source of income to my mermaid business.

I also work on coaching and teaching the art and sport of mermaiding in the diving community. As a PADI Mermaid Instructor it has been wonderful to share my love for the ocean and my art with others.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a professional mermaid is the fact that my job is to make dreams come true. Everyone loves mermaids and I have experienced so many dreams coming true right in front of my eyes, at any age. The reaction it created on people is priceless and it is a flow of magical energy that sometimes feels out of this world. Mermaids are enchanting and I feel like I have borrowed some of their magic and made it a purpose to inspire others. I also love the way my work can spread knowledge on ocean conservation and inspire others to care of our oceans, a mermaid’s home.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The most challenging part of my work was overcoming my fear of water. From being completely thalassophobic to becoming a true thalassophile, it took a massive amount of effort! I would like to say maybe my acting skills helped in this. During my swimming training I tried to focus on my mermaid impersonating, I tried to embody a mermaid character and it helped a lot take my mind off my fear of water. What helped me the most was becoming a scuba diver. Being in the vastness of the ocean yet breathing and having clear visibility of my surroundings was an eye-opening beautiful experience. The ocean stole my heart. It is such a magical place, and my fears continued to go away as I continued to understand this new underwater world. I also studied Marine Ecology which helped me understand the threats our oceans are facing and how to inspire others to help protect it. Every step I took helped me let go of my fears and care more about a problem way bigger than myself. #SavingtheSeas became my purpose and through my Saving the Seas Project Mermaid Elle® has made so many ways in inspiring others to care for her home. I am now a professional diver as well and my swimming fears are now way behind me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themermaidelle.com
• Instagram: @themermaidelle
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/mermaidelle

Image Credits
All images by @nativproductions