Today we’d like to introduce you to Crosslyn Castillo
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
According to my birth parents, The Little Mermaid first sparked my fascination with mermaids. Truth be told however, my love of mermaids goes back further than my memory.
I started sketching merpeople in kindergarten, often being reprimanded for being distracted from school work.
Dazzled by Jason Baird of JMBFX Studio’s work In both Aquamarine (2004) and then H2O (2006-2010), my mermaid aesthetic identity took root.
Something about the organic nature of his tails drew me to his work. Jason specializes in capturing lifelike fish anatomy that most artists simply neglect or overlook.
Shortly before being put in foster care, a kind hearted motherly figure in my life helped me to purchase my first ever mermaid tail. A small fabric and monofin confection printed with a similar design to the more sophisticated ones shown in the H20 franchise mentioned earlier. Donning that tail for the first time, I was transformed forever.
After being adopted out of foster care, my first silicone tail was purchased, allowing me to take the mermaid illusion to the next level with a prosthetic made specifically to my measurements and fashioned from a material that moves and feels like a fish.
With this tail, I have done countless photo shoots, fun meet and greets and even filmed videos that received over a million views on social media.
Recently relocating to vibrant Salt Lake City—I am now in the process of discovering the local mermaid community.
This landlocked mermaid has procured herself a non-aquatic side gig to help pay the bills.
Not to worry, a real sea nymph never loses sight of her future dreams—which trust me, I do have.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As someone growing up in and out of foster care, not very many elements of my life have been smooth or easy and mermaiding has been no different.
Despite the normal physical expenses that come from wearing a heavy tail and holding your breath in cold water for long periods of time there has also proven to be a surplus of other challenges.
Most recently for example with my move to Salt Lake city I have yet to be able to establish myself among the local talent.
As a mermaid performer much of the business we do is based on word of mouth.
Im hoping to eventually find an aquarium to call home for my local performances.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I had previously mentioned I look to H2O and Mako mermaids as major sources of inspiration in the visual side of my mermaid work.
I’ve become known for emulating a very similar style, owning multiple replicas including a near identical mermaid top embellished with hundreds of plastic scales.
I’d like to think what sets my image and brand apart from other mermaids around me is my dedication to a very realistic and piscine look. I want to create the most realistic looking version of a sea nymph possible.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Any committed mermaid performer makes significant investments to all aspects of this business. Everything used is considered specialty equipment, some of which must be made custom to one’s measurements. This requires hundreds of hours of research and personal gumption to trust a relative stranger online with a large financial investment which breeds risk in any similar exchange.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mermaidcrosslyn?igsh=dG9tMG5wMGNxcXpm&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mermaidcrosslyn?_t=8rFyGQyupZO&_r=1
