We recently connected with Angela Mitchell and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Angela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

At Chesapeake Mermaid, each member contributes a unique set of skills and talents that strengthen our organization’s mission. We draw from a wide range of creative abilities, such as writing, character development, illustration, set design, and performance. Practical, technical expertise like stage production, sound, lighting, and set construction play an equally vital role, ensuring our shows and presentations run smoothly. Our team also brings essential business skills to the table, including contracting, financial management, and logistical planning. Together, we channel these talents into communicating environmental science and conservation in a way that is engaging, fun, and unforgettable for our audiences.

Each of us has developed these skills over years of individual dedication to our vocations, and we continue to enhance each other’s abilities through collaboration and a shared commitment to our mission. Chesapeake Mermaid is dedicated to “creating unforgettable environmental education programs, books, and activities.” Our outreach is specifically tailored to highlight Chesapeake Bay wildlife and habitats, aiming to inspire daily environmental stewardship in our audiences.

Of course, challenges arise along the way, but we face each obstacle with resilience. Learning from every hurdle, we adapt, grow, and improve our programs, never straying from our mission to make environmental education inspiring and accessible.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve always felt a natural pull toward the arts. As a child, I was constantly immersed in creative pursuits like drawing, acting, and imaginative play with friends and family. Often, I’d create characters in my mind who fit into the unfolding story of my life, and as I entered my teenage years, a deeper passion for nature and conservation began to take root—especially for the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, the earliest version of the “Chesapeake Mermaid” first emerged during childhood play, as my friends and I created imaginative adventures inspired by our shared love for nature.

After high school, I pursued my passion for the arts by attending the Ringling School of Art and Design, where I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Animation. This education opened doors to the world of television, where I worked at several stations in news and production. My work in digital animation even earned an Emmy nomination. It was during this stage of my career that I met many volunteers who would go on to become the core team behind the Chesapeake Mermaid organization.

Throughout these years, my passion for the environment only grew. I became increasingly involved in animal rescue, conservation, and environmental cleanup efforts. Each experience reaffirmed my commitment to environmental education, ultimately guiding me back to where it all began—with The Chesapeake Mermaid.

Our organization stands apart from other mermaid and performance groups in its purpose-driven approach. As a registered 501(c)(3), we are committed to educating and entertaining with a clear mission: to inspire a love for the Chesapeake Bay and the diverse plant and animal life it supports. Through unforgettable programs, we aim to connect hearts and minds with the importance of environmental stewardship.

While I am proud of my accomplishments in television and digital media, Chesapeake Mermaid represents the culmination of everything I hold dear. It’s a platform that continues to evolve, embodying my lifelong passions for creativity, storytelling, and conservation in a way that is both meaningful and impactful.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Creating something that resonates with others is the ultimate reward and validation every artist hopes for. For me, that’s especially true when my work with Chesapeake Mermaid connects with our target audience, elementary school aged children, and reaches even further, resonating with adults as well. When our message extends beyond our initial focus, I know we’ve achieved something truly special.

There have been many memorable moments that illustrate this. For example, a simple, free bookmark we hand out to kids sometimes becomes a daily tool or keepsake for an adult. Or, someone may purchase several of our books to give as gifts, moved by the message we share. Each of these instances is a testament to the impact of our work, and I find it incredibly gratifying.

For us, the message is everything. If someone, regardless of age, embraces what we stand for and goes on to share that message with others, then we’re achieving exactly what we set out to do. That’s what makes The Chesapeake Mermaid unique—our commitment to spreading a message that inspires all ages to care about conservation and stewardship.

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

In February 2017, my life changed in a way that’s difficult to fully convey—I went deaf overnight. It was a profound shift, one that transformed my world in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. In the weeks, months, and now years since, I’ve faced challenges I never dreamed of, from learning ASL (American Sign Language) and using assistive technology to find new ways to communicate with those closest to me and the rest of the world.

Deafness brings a unique kind of invisibility. I look “fine”—I’m active in work, volunteering, and daily life, but because my hearing impairment isn’t visible, it has led to painful misunderstandings. I’ve even been accused of “faking it” because of my lip-reading skills, and there’s a noticeable absence of deaf-friendly accommodations in the public sphere. Unlike the clear accessibility measures for other disabilities, such as wheelchair ramps or tactile warning pads for the visually impaired, the infrastructure for deaf individuals is still lacking.

The post-COVID world, with its reliance on video conferencing, brings unique isolation for the deaf. Poor captioning and overlapping voices on calls amplify the feeling of disconnection. In social gatherings, I often nod along quietly, missing the essence of conversations because I can’t follow them. Society, on the whole, does not fully recognize deafness in everyday interactions, and accommodations are so scarce that even taking a simple phone call from a colleague or loved one can feel daunting, even with a captioned phone.

Yet despite these obstacles, I work every day to adapt, to not just survive but thrive in this reality. I’ve even found ways to incorporate ASL into my work with the Chesapeake Mermaid programs, using sign language to introduce Chesapeake Bay wildlife in a fun and interactive way.

While my journey with deafness continues, it has also taught me resilience and creativity. I may face challenges that many others don’t see, but every small step I take helps create greater visibility for those living with deafness and, hopefully, helps make the world a little more inclusive for all of us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chesapeakemermaid.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chesapeakemermaid/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChesapeakeMermaid

Image Credits

Photos credits are all Chesapeake Mermaid Inc., 501(c)(3)