A professional mermaid has revealed how dealing with perverts is an unfortunate part of the job.
Sia Shells, 33, from Toronto, Canada, is a content creator and professional mermaid who feels like she was born for the job.
Ever since she watched The Little Mermaid when she was a kid, she has been obsessed with the water and finding ways to bring herself closer to “mer-people”.
READ MORE: 'Invisible illness makes me vomit and blackout – but doctors mistake it for period pain'
So when swimmable tails came out several years ago, Sia splurged on her first silicone tail.
Ever since then, she's been getting hired for events, birthdays, content creation and brand collaborations as a real-life mermaid.
Elle loves being able to bring a smile to people’s faces and add some magic to their lives but unfortunately, like any job, there are some downsides.
“The lows are people not understanding or grasping the concept of my profession and jumping to conclusions about what it entails, or how ‘easy’ it is,” she told Daily Star.
“Mermaiding is not for the faint of heart and requires a budget to start so you can build out your mersona's character, look, and buy a safe and reliable mermaid tail.
“Silicone tails can range in the thousands of dollars, so it's a commitment for sure!
“There are also physical tolls that it takes on your body, like foot cramps, exhaustion, red eyes from chlorinated pools and heavyweight carrying if you don't have a mer-tender helping you with your tails and equipment.”
Sia explained that the job can be incredibly difficult but many people don’t understand this because professional mermaids make it look so easy.
Most people in the profession are entrepreneurs so have to handle everything themselves, down to accounting, getting permits and licenses and insurance.
The blue-haired beauty added: “It's not always as clam-o-rous as it looks, you see the finished result.”
Another frustrating aspect of the job is dealing with inappropriate or flirty men.
“Unfortunately yes, many uncomfortable scenarios have occurred during shows and events,” Sia shared.
“The best thing to try to do is have a mer-tender or a friend with you to help out, it's hard also moving away from a ‘mer-vert’, which is what we call perverts in the mer world, especially since you're bound in a tail, so a mer-tender really helps with that.”
Despite all of this, Sia wouldn’t ever stop being a professional mermaid as she’s doing what she loves.
The 33-year-old has dedicated her life to pursuing this passion and has had blue hair for more than a decade, which helps her character come to life.
Her love for the mythical sea creature started in childhood when she collected mermaid dolls and now she's managed to turn it into a career.
“It feels amazing when kids think I’m a real mermaid, it’s like you're spreading magic and the belief of magic into the world,” she shared.
“As adults, we tend to forget that, so it's important to remind that it exists!”
One quick scroll through her Instagram feed and it’s easy to see Sia’s passion for her work.
Not only does she have a loyal following of more than 67,000 people but she also has her own business.
“My mermaid journey not only introduced me to wonderful merfolk, they are truly all over the world and it's become a global movement and sub-culture, but it also introduced me to possibilities within the realm of being an entrepreneur.
“In addition to my music, I also run my own eco-friendly shop that gives back to marine life conservation efforts through reusable and compostable beauty products.
“There are truly so many possibilities in the world of mermaiding, that can inspire you to make a positive difference and change in the world.”
You can shop Sia's environmentally friendly beauty brand Sea Bae Beauty here.
READ NEXT:
- 'We're super-fit grans who dazzle with our youthful looks – age is just a number'
- 'I'm quitting the adult entertainment industry – the OnlyFans boom is over'
- 'I was called dumb for trying to fill Tesla with petrol – but had last laugh'
- For more lifestyle stories, sign up to the free Hot Topics newsletter here.
Source: Read Full Article
