We recently connected with Tasha Haight and have shared our conversation below.
Tasha, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I am in the business of being creative. I own a mermaid company – that in itself is creative, but I’ve taken it even farther. Mermaid Tasha LLC offers mermaid entertainment in a variety of forms. Our mermaids perform synchronized swim shows, interactive mermaid experiences, birthday parties, photoshoots, and mermaid camps.
As the owner of the company and the mermaid trainer for my performers, I must choreograph the swim shows, set up the photoshoots from poses to backdrops to accessories, and make sure our mermaids and pirates are well versed in improv and equipped to creatively answer questions at parties and interactive experiences. In addition, I also write children’s books.
I am a visual artist, entertainer, author, choreographer, and teacher. Each of those jobs/roles/titles require a boatload of creativity. Being a creative is fun and engaging as each day can be different and each day is based on passions.
So what happens when that creativity starts to dwindle?
Having so many roles can easily lead to burnout, and burnout can easily lead to lack of creativity and motivation. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we have multiple gigs every single day. It’s a lot. During this busy season, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed and allow the creative juices to suffer.
When people think of creative people, they might think of a laissez faire, easy-breezy, person that acts on impulses not plans. While inspiration can strike at any moment, planning is NOT the opposite of creativity, but essential to keeping that creativity alive.
During the summer season (from Memorial Day to Labor Day as mentioned), there isn’t really time to write a new book or choreograph a new show or be as creative as needed. Taking that “creativity break” during the busy season also allows your brain and body to reset and gather new information and inspiration for when you do go back to letting the creative juices flow, and that creativity will come out easier.
But, Tasha, how can you need to be creative in all of those roles and yet put a hold on your creativity during the busiest time of year for your company?
If you do the proper planning and ensure everything needed to be creative is in place, it saves time in the long run and allows the creativity to continue non-stop without the blocks that trying to constantly create new outlets would no doubt leave.
For those not in the United States, Memorial Day is in May and Labor Day is in September. We normally receive our hotel contracts in March. In February I’ll start auditioning performers and working with them on creative ways to answer questions while in character (such as how does a mermaid go to the bathroom, how old is the mermaid, how does the mermaid breathe, etc). Once we receive confirmation of which hotels want our swim show, I start working on the show for that venue as each show is modified to highlight certain aspects of the host (for example, the Princess Royale in Ocean City is the largest oceanfront resort in Maryland and the Aloft prides itself on being a sustainable hotel). April and May are spent rehearsing our shows, swim skills, and improv for our performers to get ready for the big season as well as planning and scheduling all summer photoshoots. That way, when Memorial Day rolls around, everyone is prepared and excited to fulfill their duties at each gig without much extra thought or effort. During the season, pop up photoshoots and events will certainly happen, but because we have the basics already in place it’s easy to adapt them to fit the new events rather than have to reinvent the wheel. Once the season is over but the water is still warm, I’ll normally do extra content shoots and travel to exotic lands to do so. Once November rolls around, if I find myself back at home, I have about 2 months of new experience I can base future creative endeavors on. December and January are perfect for writing new books based on all those new adventures! Planning out when to exert which creative channels helps keep my creativity alive all year without much fail.
As mentioned, I base my creativity off of my experiences – I find this also helps keep my creativity alive as I don’t have to come up with plausible or likely situations because I’m using my own unique experiences as a mermaid and diver to share my view of the underwater world with others. For example, my book Mermaid Tasha and the Whipray talks about the mermaid’s adventures with the Pink Whipray of Tahiti. I actually spent time in Tahiti swimming with the Pink Whiprays; once I got home, I paired my personal experience with research of the pink whipray to create an informative yet fun book introducing children to the pink whipray species told in a fun mermaid tale.
Being creative is great because it means sharing your passions with the world. But keeping your creativity alive can be a real struggle sometimes. Proper planning and basing your creativity off of your own real-life experiences can help alleviate some of those stressors to help keep your creativity alive all the time.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Mermaid Tasha is an internationally-performing professional mermaid, PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer, and children’s book author who was recently featured on the Netflix docuseries, MerPeople. She owns a successful mermaid company in the Delmarva area but travels around the globe spreading mermaid magic, from Egypt to Iceland to French Polynesia, and everywhere in between. Her published books tell tales of conservation and wildlife encounters through fun mermaid adventures. Tasha has been listed as one of Maryland’s 40 Faces of Tourism in 2022 and was selected as the Worcester County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year in 2023. Tasha would love to share her passion with you at her next event!
There are 8 spots available on Mermaid Tasha’s first international retreat to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico this November. During the 9 day retreat, participants will earn their mermaid certification from the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), swim with sea lions and whale sharks, and learn about turtle conservation while creating friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Andover Media will also be joining the trip to provide participants with individual and group highlight videos as well. While participants should feel comfortable in the water, no prior mermaid or diving experience is required.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
This is a tough question. I think the three qualities/skills/areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey were perseverance, passion, and branding. “No” is a word I’ve only recently become familiar with; I was accepted to over 20 colleges – all of the ones I applied to and a few extras that I never even submitted an application. However, in the mermaid world, “no” is a word I hear more often than not. No, we don’t want mermaids at our event. No, we don’t allow tails in our pool. No, we don’t want to carry your books. No, we don’t need certifications. No, we don’t pay for entertainment. Having the perseverance to continue asking despite the “no”s is what leads to the occasional “yes”, which will lead to more yeses once they see the worth.
To be able to face all the rejections, you need to have passion for what you are doing. I contract over a dozen mermaids a year. Without a doubt, the ones that are passionate about mermaids perform a million times better than those that just think of it as another job. They’re able to put their belief in spreading a little magic into their actions, which make them seem like the magical creatures they are, which helps audiences of all sizes believe in them and their messages. Shockingly, I, myself, am not passionate about mermaids. But I am passionate about our oceans, marine life, and conservation and I understand that mermaids are the perfect vessel for introducing those concepts to the world. Understanding the connection between the two allows me to pour that passion into my mermaid work, to not only push through the rejections but deliver actions that are so inspirational they create even more opportunities.
Finally, branding. Everything is “Mermaid Tasha” branded. My books are Mermaid Tasha’s xx, Mermaid Tasha and the xxx, Mermaid Tasha visits xxxx, etc. My attire for lessons and camps are branded, my towels are branded, the company is branded. Wearing mermaid leggings and mermaid shirts start easy conversations with strangers in public. It makes it very easy to see the relativity of each aspect as well as promote my company in a variety of ways. People recognize me as “the mermaid”, which is very helpful when there are several other local mermaid competitors. Thanks to my branding, I’m top of mind when people want a mermaid in the Delmarva region.
Passion and perseverance are things that are instinctual, but branding is a key skill that can be developed through marketing and business courses. Many organizations, such as SCORE, provide free webinars to help build upon branding and more business skills. Connect with a local Chamber of Commerce or university to see what’s available in your area.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for people to collaborate with me and my mermaids! As a creative, there is such a variety of ways that we can collaborate. 1. Firstly, in today’s digital world, content is everything. Any photographers, videographers, filmmakers, or HMUAs that want to help expand their portfolio with some mermaids, fairies, or pirates, let’s connect! I also offer Mermaid Mini Sessions with local photographers, where they offer photoshoots with a mermaid and/or mermaid makeover photo sessions.
2. As a children’s book author, I’m always looking for illustrators to collaborate with on future books! I have several more books written that just need illustrations prior to publication.
3. As a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer, I am always in need of pools/locations to host classes! I do carry both instructor and performer insurance that your venue can be added under. Mermaiding will continue to increase in popularity no matter what, so it’s better to support that by offering ways people can safely learn how to swim in tail rather than not provide those opportunities, which could lead to deadly results.
4. I am always at the ready to accept unique event proposal opportunities. I’d love to partner with schools and eco-education facilities to help spread our message of conservation. I also have great ideas in terms of unique family fun events, such as mermaid breakfasts, tea time, trivia, etc. If you are an event planner or venue host I’d love to hear from you!
For any of the above opportunities or any other potential collaborations, please reach out via email to info@mermaidtasha.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mermaidtasha.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mermaidtasha
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mermaidtasha
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mermaid-tasha-llc/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb5KIwQWPJiQfXOkuSORdXQ
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mermaidtasha
Image Credits
Brett Stanley Photography, Karl Shreeves