“I live for the praise, I live for the love.
I just want everybody to love me.
“I put so much passion into every performance.
Alanna Sterling
When people see you having fun and enjoying yourself, then people want in.”
Quick Facts
Under the Sea
Dreams were all Sterling had.
That and music, of course.
Alanna Sterling
Born and raised in Ottawa to a tumultuous, fluctuating family dynamic, Sterling recounts their journey to self-acceptance.
A young virtuoso, music has been an important component of Sterlings life.
Piano at two, the choir at nine, and songwriting at 12.
Music remains their most enduring love.
“I always say music is my mother tongue.
Its the first language I knew,” Sterling said.
“I had my guitar with me always through all the moves.
Songwriting, in particular, has been a tool of metamorphosis for the dark parts of their life.
Coming out on the other side of that darkness is what allowed them to find the light in life.
The bright-colored outfits, the fantastical name, and the rainbow hair is not mere aesthetic preference.
It is an affirmation.
“Its all about how to see the colorful side of life through the darkness.
I just want to be living art in motion,” they said.
They come to listen to original songs, give requests, and enjoy the unfettered talent that is MermaidUnicorn.
Three years and 43,000 followers later, Sterling is exactly where they ought to be.
“For once in my life, I feel like this is what I deserve.
Despite all the hardships of their life, Sterling never lets it get them down.
Their closest community confidantes, known as The Pineapple Cult, were there during medical flareups and chronic illnesses.
Ever the consummate streamer, through it all they persisted.
When people see you having fun and enjoying yourself, then people want in.”
“Your community is just a reflection of you.
If you project love, youre going to get it right back,” they said fighting back tears.
“It sounds cliche, but I never had a role model growing up.
I so wish I had a role model like me.
Just someone to encourage me that you might do anything, you have that power,” they revealed.
“Someone to say that I could be as queer as I want to be and that its okay.
I just hope I can be that person for somebody else now.”
