Ylluria
WaterSong
Singer, dancer, artist & performer, whether on land or at sea!
Everyone has questions about why I do what I do, and how I became the waterling that I am today. So here are just a smattering of some of the most popular questions that I get asked on a regular basis. :) (Don't see a question you'd like to ask answered..? Don't be shy! Feel free to send me your query through my Contact page! :D)
You mention being "visually impaired." What's up with that..?
I have an ocular condition called Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, which brought along with it 2 peripheral conditions called Nystagmus & Strabismus. All that means that when I was born, my optic nerves turned out to be shorter and thinner than they were supposed to be. That in turn made my eyeballs elongated (horizontally), resulting in severe myopia (i.e. "nearsightedness"). Nystagmus just means that muscles in my eyes involuntarily move, which makes my eyes jiggle (though it does not alter my vision), and Strabismus means that part of that muscular difficulty in my eyes can sometimes make it look as if I'm looking somewhere I'm not. (So if my head is pointed in your direction and I'm talking thattaway, chances are I -am- talking to you. ;)) And all THAT stuff means is that I am legally blind, need stuff to be pretty close in order for me to be able to see them, and that while the world is not blurry for me, details do get lost visually as things get further and further away. :)
-Plus, I can't drive. -But that's okay, 'cause who could with these fins?? ;D
What special skills do you have..?
As a mermaid, I am an EXTREMELY adept swimmer. I can hold my braath for longer periods of time than many land-dwellers I know, and of course I love to SING! :D Plus I speak dolphin, seal, hawk, falcon and crow, as well as various undersea dialects (which are difficult to demonstrate on land ;)). Beyond these, I speak a good deal of Spanish, a bit of French, a jot of German, as well as driblets & drablets of other languages (like Japanese, Irish, and some VERY basic ASL). If I could I'd speak EVERY language on the planet, past present and future! :D
Plus I also draw, bellydance, make things like hair falls, hairflowers, beaded jewelry and polymer clay goodies, and enjoy a bit of acting (both onstage and behind the screen as a voice actor. :)) But I also LOVE to learn! So if you have an endeavor you'd like me to undertake, please let me know. I soak up knowledge like a happy little sponge! ^_^
Where did you get your tail??
Why I was born with it, of course! ^_^
But if you want to get suuuuper-technical, in my mind and spirit, my tail has ALWAYS been with me. (As have my alabaster complexion, tall, willowy frame, indigo-sapphire eyes, long, flowing silver-white hair & ice-maidenly-good-looks. ^_^) But in this particular incarnation, while someday I plan on having many tails from the likes of Thom Shouse & Merbellas, for now, I feel INCREDIBLY blessed to have access to artful, affordable fabric tails, crafted lovingly for me by the likes of The 2 Tails.com, alongside handcrafted ones which are products of the united efforts between the lovely Mermaid Serina and myself. :)
2
3
4
When did you start mermaiding?
I first shared my tail with the world on July 25th, 2014, while appearing with Una's Traveling Fanta-Sea Cove at Faerieworlds! But of course, I was a mer long, looooong before then. ^_^ I could swim before I could walk, had my first kiss underwater, and have always dreamt of breathing underwater. :) (Somewhere, there are letters at NIH from yours truly, imploring them to use me as a guinea pig for any underwater/amphibious conversions or experiments they may wish to undertake- written as a child all the way up to my late teens. ;))
6
FAQ
You don't look like other mermaids I've seen. How come..?
Just like there are MILLIONS of different species of fish in the ocean, and countless, marvelously beautiful & diverse creatures of every shape, color, gender and size in the sea, so too are there MANY different kinds and types of mer-person. ^_^ Merfolk come in every shape, size, age, gender, race, reiligion, dis/ability, economic status, nationality, background & style. (Which is a total gift, because that means there's a merperson out there to suit EVERY taste! :D) Just like land-people, no two merfolk are alike, and that not only keeps things interesting, but is also a BEAUTIFUL thing! Diversity is WONDROUS! ^_^
But being a merperson isn't solely about what's on the outside. More than anything, it's about that particular brand of magic each individual can bring to the world, and that magic comes from the inside out. :) So never just a mer by its scales. If you open your heart and give the unexpected a chance, you might find just the mer you've been searching for! ♥
1
I wanna be a mermaid!! Where do I start???
In order to be a mer of any kind, first and foremostly you must be a VERY strong swimmer. Develop your skills in holding your breath for extended periods of time, and train until you have a -FABULOUS- dolphin kick. :) Then, when you're ready, you might enjoy experimenting with a monofin. Monofins are just like ordinary swim flippers, but instead of there being two individual fins with which to kick, there's just one. Many recommend the Finis line of monofins, but there are also a wide range of monofin sizes, styles, types and brands out there. So before you begin using one, educate yourself and find the type that's right for you. :) And once you're a strong monofin swimmer, you're on your way! From there, check out resources like MerNetwork.com, where one can find TONS of great info about tails, mermaid communities, swim techniques, costuming and much, much more! ♥