Tag: Interview

ONE37pm: Shout out to you for getting sponsored by Epic Games! What are some other major partnerships you’d love to be a part of in the future?

ItsQueenNovaa: Oh my gosh, yes – shout out to Epic! I love working with them. They’re so great, honestly. I hope to partner with brands/companies in and out of the gaming world. It would be a dream to get sponsored by Quantic Dream – they create masterpieces. I’d also like to partner with Capcom, Konami, Killmonday Games, SuperMassive Games, DON’T NOD Entertainment, and Deck Nine. And outside of the gaming world? Fenty Beauty, Wendys, Princess Polly, and Ben & Jerry’s. I love me some Ben & Jerry’s. 

ONE37pm: What genres of gaming do you get the most enjoyment out of while streaming?

ItsQueenNovaa: I think the most fun games to stream are decision-based games. Every playthrough is different and it’s like a movie that you help construct. Watching it unfold with everyone is absolutely thrilling. 

ONE37pm: What are three essential pieces of advice you think every up-and-coming content creator/streamer should know?

ItsQueenNovaa: The biggest pieces of advice I can give are: 

1. Be yourself – people can tell when you’re trying to be someone you’re not. And they like getting to know someone who is unapologetically themselves. Build a platform based off of YOU, not off of someone you are trying to be. 

2. Do not strive for perfection, strive for gradual improvement – I always have unrealistic expectations for myself which can make improving feel like nothing. I’ve learned to accept the small wins as they come and strive for gradual improvement – not ultimate perfection. 

3. Put yourself in the shoes of your viewers – Would you want to watch this? Would you enjoy this? Is this something people can get into? Think about this before you play a game or do something. Put yourself in their shoes and that should help you decide on what to do! Just make sure you’re enjoying yourself as well. (:

Be sure to holler at ItsQueenNovaa on her Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. And tell her we sent you!

ONE37pm: Your name has been brought a ton in a good faith, of course. Your impact on the community has been really crazy how does that feel?

Arpit “Paradox” Manaktala: It’s like, I know what works and what doesn’t work now. So sometimes I guess people feel overwhelmed with joy and excitement when they see the things I’m talking about and they learn about the company. So yeah, I’ve been living by a quote a lot the last six months, eight months is like…I think it’s a 50 Cent lyric but it probably came from earlier, too. Like, “you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house.” Yeah. That line means a lot to me because it’s really almost impossible to have a brick house. Everyone is hiding shit, right? Every company, every person, their infrastructure, and the behind-the-scenes is shaping, right? Not everyone. Some of the best are the ones with the brick house.

I just want to make sure we have all of our bases covered, right? Our infrastructure is good and our content is good. Our prices are good, everything’s good about it, and we’re inviting to everyone. And that quote really allows me to keep focusing on the back end, making sure over business stuff, taxes, everything is good. So we’re just trying to live by that. And that’s what’s allowed me to really just impress everybody. Because people like it when you talk to somebody, obviously you’re going to give them better the doubts they’re legit, right? But then maybe when you see some more from the story. So I like to keep up that sort of respect.

ONE37pm: You mentioned before this event you went to James Harden’s house to do some PCs. You do not stop doing, like, celebrity PCs.

Manaktala: It’s crazy. I am shot. Luckily, even getting proper rest is a skill, right? I’ve been learning that the hard way. But we were in Milwaukee for a big military convention, one of the biggest national conventions out there. And we were there for the first time ever and had a gaming booth there where we had the Paris Hustle booth. And then from there, I went straight to Houston. I drove 15 hours from Milwaukee to La Guardia Airport. I didn’t get to go home. I went straight to LaGuardia, flew to Houston, and set up James Harden with four PCs and four monitors, four chairs, and four tables.

Literally, all his boys were there like six people. They were like, “bro, we’re going to be set for the whole tour.” But unfortunately, he does move to Philly in like three weeks for the season. I’ll be doing another set of one out there in his Philly crib. That’s going to be exciting. But yeah. And then now right after that, I stayed in there for 24 hours and I flew straight to the PAX Event. So we’re just very busy and I think I’m going to definitely settle down a little bit after this.

ONE37pm: The CDL event on the rooftop, right? I wasn’t able to make it, but I heard stories. It was like, it was lit. I was like, what? So that’s crazy.

Manaktala: It’s all worth the investment. Obviously, that cost a ton. And there were some concerns within me and internally about how much it cost. But the benefits of it are like you have to just a prime example, yes, they might make money. 99% of other CEOs in my exact position would have fished out and not done that. We did that and we probably made a return on investment. The next day, three of our connections in the PC industry reached out to us like “yo, that shit was official.” We need to work more.

ONE37pm: Right. Facts. I was going to mention it, but you’re not even into gaming, No, more like, I know you’re doing gaming things for people, but it’s like, those are athletes, those are musicians. Talk to me about that. 

Manaktala: COVID really helped them get into gaming. I’m a really good trainer and sort of like an educator. So when I sit down with these celebrities that don’t know anything about gaming, I’m very patient and I’m very hands-on at a very good pace for them and they all appreciate that. And I think also, other CEOs in my same position would have probably been like “bro, I’m not doing this.”

ONE37pm: That’s also cool that your employees are people who help you. You’re basically getting to experience that way of life, who would have thought?

Manaktala: I know all my employees live that startup lifestyle. If you worked for my company for literally just a month, the experience you get in the industry is like, unfair. I say that with pride because I know some of my employees that don’t work for me anymore. I’m sure they’re fucking killing it now in terms of their knowledge of how life actually works. Yeah, half of my employees, 75% of my employees probably don’t have degrees. A lot of them I already know personally know they don’t have degrees. I take pride in that bro because we’re living a life that is a paradox. Paradox does not need a college degree.

ONE37pm: There are a ton of RPGs coming out in 2022 and beyond? Which ones are you looking forward to the most?

JaharaJayde: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Breath of the Wild 2, so many!

ONE37pm: What are some future goals you hope to achieve in the next five years or so?

JaharaJayde: I have a silly goal of going on a talk show lol. Because my childhood self always thought only big celebrities get to do that! Otherwise, I’d like to make my version of a Disney Princess Ball Gown and have a proper craft studio for myself and my fiancé to work out of!

ONE37pm: What are three essential pieces of advice you think every up-and-coming content creator/streamer should know?

JaharaJayde: That’s hard. I feel like advice often feels generic, but that is usually because a lot of people have found it to be true so…

• If you must compare your content to that of others, use it to help you figure out what you want to improve on, not to bash yourself.
• Good lighting and good audio go a long way in getting viewers to see your content through a more professional lens. If you’re going to invest in your business, I would invest there first.
• Take breaks. Even if you love what you’re doing, you can wear yourself out and deplete all your creativity. You need to take breaks for your own health, as well as the health of the content you’re trying to make.

Be sure to holler at JaharaJayde on her Twitter, Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. And tell her we sent you!

ONE37pm: And what led to you linking up with the NBA 2K League?

3MGLIVE: Being a huge fan of NBA 2K, this was like a huge W for me. How I linked with The NBA 2K League was interesting. A few years ago, I went to PAX East with a bunch of creators and I met a guy who goes by BlkFrankWhite. We literally had the same mindset of grinding and wanting to make a name for ourselves. Well, I’d like to preach to everyone and say never disrespect other creators or those you come across because you never know where people may end up. So one day, I was contacted by this gentleman and it was amazing how he remembered me and offered me this opportunity. Always have to show that love because he knew we were here to make something of ourselves and have fun. 

ONE37pm: I gotta give you props on all those hilarious GTA RP streams! What’s been some of your favorite moments from those sessions?

3MGLIVE: Those were some of the best sessions to stream. I have so many dope moments. But one particular moment was a wedding that was going on and some guys randomly pulled up and completely destroyed the whole thing leading to a dope story of back and forth with excellent roleplay. Them RP days will return soon!

ONE37pm: In your opinion, what are three essential pieces of advice every up-and-coming streamer/content creator should know?

3MGLIVE: No cliché but this whole “be original” thing doesn’t help anyone up and coming because we are often influenced by our favorite creators. So I’d say grab pieces of style and content from your favorite creators and blueprint or structure layouts that you feel most comfortable with and practice your style of how you’ll produce content or stream.

You don’t need the most expensive equipment but always provide quality content. A decently priced mic or a camera always helps because people gravitate toward content that sounds or looks professional, even if it’s an NBA 2K video or vlog video.   

The most important piece of advice has to be your reasons behind content creation. We all had that vision of wanting to make videos and become rich overnight but that’s not how it works. There are millions of creators and I’m a strong believer of your time will shine but never rush. Allow yourself to have fun with this because if you making content expecting big money at first, you most likely won’t be making content for a while. Patience is key – it allows you to grow while making content. Quality over numbers all the way.

Be sure to holler at 3MGLIVE on his TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. And tell him we sent you!

ONE37pm: I read your Twitch bio and I can totally relate to it – I too am a fellow introvert. How do you manage to break out of your introverted shell when it’s time to hop on camera and be a bit more extroverted?

Dayloh: I’m not sure. I’m comfortable at home and that’s when I feel the most comfortable. I go all out and be myself – I’m an extrovert on the internet but an introvert in real life. I do enjoy my peace.

ONE37pm: I noticed that you hopped into a GTA V roleplay server called “Midnight City RP.” Why do you think gamers are so infatuated with that current craze? And what are some of the coolest things you’ve seen while playing within those communities?

Dayloh: Yeah, I own a GTA RP server called Midnight City RP and a lot of people are interested in it due to them being able to create a character they can roleplay and enjoy creating scenarios and adventures in the city. The most remarkable thing about playing GTA with the community is meeting new people and calling the city you play in home. They have been fully supportive and we plan many events in the city. We are a serious RP server that is 18+ and many servers provide different rules and lifestyles. It’s enjoyable and you should try it one day.

ONE37pm: What are three essential pieces of advice every up-and-coming content creator should know?

Dayloh: The advice I can come up with for upcoming streamers is don’t be afraid, research what you want to do on stream, and be yourself. You’re presenting yourself to over 10 to 100 people in a stream, so your quality and setup are essential. You don’t need fancy equipment to reach a partnership. You can purchase cheap technology and upgrade over time. Your community wants to help you win, so don’t let them feel left out. They want to play games with you, talk to you, and be highly supportive. My community is terrific by sending me food and gifts, plus lurking in the channel and talking to me. I never had much support in real life and was bullied in school, so my community means so much to me.

Be sure to holler at Dayloh on her Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube. And tell her we sent you!

ONE37pm: Your content for The Sims is so dope! What would you say are some of the best Sims you created through your Create-A-Sim series?

Khaykashi: The best Sims I’ve created are probably Killmonger from my Black Panther “Create-A-Sim” series. 

ONE37pm: What would you say are the most significant hardships that come with being a black female streamer? And what are some of the best ways you choose to overcome them?

Khaykashi: I think the most significant hardship as a black woman streamer is just the box people try to put you in. I overcome that by staying true to my interest and doing what I enjoy regardless of what people say. It is fairly annoying to navigate twitch when you have to worry about people saying stuff to you and doing things to antagonize you solely because of the way you look. I really don’t feed too much into negativity though. I focus more so on the people who support me; my community that is always uplifting. 

ONE37pm: What are some future goals you hope to achieve over the next five years or so?

Khaykashi: I’d really like to grow my community and have more people to laugh with. I’d also like to experience new things, and maybe try a different avenue in the creative space. As long as I’m creating I’m pursuing fulfillment. 

ONE37pm: What are three essential pieces of advice you think every up-and-coming content creator should know?

Khaykashi: I don’t know it all or anything haha but my advice would be:

• to be yourself don’t copy others – authenticity goes a long way 
• be open – I think it is the dopest thing to have a diverse community. I feel like you learn the most that way 
• have fun – if you’re not having fun then usually neither are the people that come there to support you

Be sure to holler at Khaykashi on her Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. And tell her we sent you!

ONE37pm: DaGeecheeGamer is one of the best game streamer nicknames I’ve ever heard! How’d you come up with it?

DaGeecheeGamer: As most know now, ya girl is from North Charleston, SC, the home of the “Gullah Geechee” people. My family and I are the descendants of the enslaved Africans that were brought to the lower Atlantic coast. My great-grandmother Leizanna Hart (rest her soul) was the matriarch of the family and she was born on Dewey Hill in North Charleston in 1913. She raised a LOT of people in her area, including my mom, my sisters, and me, so the traditions and the culture are embedded in us.

From the way we talk and greet one another, the foods we eat like chewies and red rice, and things like “not splitting the pole” when we walk together, it’s all culture. The Geechee culture is one I grew up closest to so I wanted to represent the folks as a creator and pay homage to my people in the process. It always feels so amazing when people come into my stream and they say “Geechee?? Are you from Charleston??” because they know! It’s so exciting because they see me and recognize that I’m representing the people who don’t get a lot of love, although we’ve contributed so much to American culture.

ONE37pm: I definitely peep you playing a lot of Apex Legends! So besides that game, what other games have you gotten the most enjoyment out of as a variety streamer thus far?

DaGeecheeGamer: Ah, Apex. Yes, I have a problem lol. But I would say the games I get the most enjoyment out of playing are definitely any choice-based games. I am a big book nerd and I’ve always loved the choose your own adventure books so to me it’s the same, just more interactive. Telltale’s The Walking Dead series is one of my favorites that we’ve played together on stream. The characters are so easy to love (or hate) and the story plays out so beautifully. I’ve definitely shed a tear or two.

I also love learning what choices other gamers have made in the same situations playing these games, and maybe I even get a kick out of the community judging me for my terrible choices lol. I’ve never been big on horror games, but I kind of enjoy playing them on stream, just because I know how much I like to see other people react to horror and I know the people watching me are having a great time watching me do the same.

ONE37pm: What would you say are some of the hardships and benefits that come with being both a female and a Black streamer?

DaGeecheeGamer: The hardships that come with being a black woman in gaming really go without saying. Discoverability is damn near non-existent and the trolls come in droves. You get extra because not only are you dealing with misogynists, you get drama from the racists as well. I imagine the black women creators who are queer have it even harder. It’s almost like a multiplier that gets added on when you don’t fit the “cis-hetero white male” bill, so it definitely can be hard sometimes.

But I did grow up in North Charleston, SC, so I’m tough and at the end of the day, it’s just the internet (for me, for now). A lot of times, people will try to downplay ANY and EVERY accomplishment you achieve because they feel like maybe being a black woman in this space affords you some kind of handicap, but they don’t see the hate and the discrimination we deal with on a regular basis. They don’t see the conversations that happen when someone approaches you to do business with 30 deliverables and they want to pay you pennies IF anything at all. They don’t see the death and assault threats and they think when we call someone out to be held accountable for their behavior, we’re being dramatic for a look.

I will say the benefits that come with being a black woman streamer, though, for me have been the community for one. Nobody is going to ride for a black woman like another black woman and I see that every single day in the content creation space. I have met and worked with some of the most amazing people who have been so supportive and do a fantastic job of representing black women in gaming. I think it’s because nobody can understand what we deal with as we do, so when we have a chance to make it easier or just show support in this space, that’s exactly what we do.

Another benefit for me that comes along with being a black woman streamer, is knowing that there are people who are showing up to support me that feel SEEN. When I started recording my first YouTube videos, the only other black women I could find were JazzyGuns and AyChristene (who are amazing by the way!) so I’m glad to be able to add my presence to the lineup and hopefully continue to make a positive impact!

ONE37pm: What are some future aspirations you hope to attain at this point in your streaming career?

DaGeecheeGamer: I always say that one of my future aspirations is just to be able to become a household name in gaming and creation. I look at people like XMiraMira, AyChristene, JazzyGuns, Berleezy, and CoryxKenshin and I see the type of communities they’ve cultivated and what they’ve been able to accomplish with those communities and their support and I think it’s just amazing. I remember when Cory had a charity stream to raise money for clean water in Mali and he CRUSHED his goal like, twice over, and that doesn’t happen without a solid community. That is the type of thing I see for myself in the future, and “Geechee Gang” has already been proving themselves to be such a community with all of the love and support that they show constantly.

There are literally so many things I would never have accomplished without them and I’m ever grateful for them. I always said though, that streaming isn’t the end game for me. I would love to branch out to other areas of entertainment as opportunities become available. I would like to be able to make music professionally, get into acting and maybe modeling, and DEFINITELY voice acting! I’m waiting for the day, but in the meantime, I’m just continuing on perfecting my crafts so I can be ready to show up when the calls come!

ONE37pm: What are some essential pieces of advice you think every up-and-coming POC and female streamer should know?

DaGeecheeGamer: My advice to any up-and-coming streamer that fits into a “marginalized” category is to BE YOURSELF! Stay authentic because when you try to fake the funk for a few views, it will get very hard to keep up with the look and in the end, you’ll find yourself stuck and unhappy.

I’m sorry to say, but the hate WILL come. Don’t take it to heart and don’t let it dictate how you move and how you feel about yourself. You will always be enough. Don’t forget – know your worth, charge double, and make sure you add tax to that bih!!

Be sure to holler at DaGeecheeGamer on her TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. And tell her we sent you!

ONE37pm: Can you remember the first YouTube video you edited?

TeaWap: The first video I ever edited for a client was for RiceGum titled “I WITNESSED A MURDER AND VLOGGED IT” back in January 2017. 

RiceGum DM’d me via Twitter after seeing a few of my own videos on YouTube and wanted me to try a position as his main video editor for YouTube. I was excited considering RiceGum’s notoriety at the time and so I put everything I had learned this far video editing-wise to secure the job. It was motivating to know that your first-ever video editing gig was going to be seen by millions. It gave me confidence knowing that my voice and ideas could be seen by millions. 

Looking back (it being my first video ever), I learned so much about video editing and storytelling through post-production. But I am happy with the work I did as my first edit ever. Very grateful for RiceGum seeing the potential in me and giving me that opportunity that later changed my life.

ONE37pm: What would you say are some of the best skits you’ve had a hand in putting together?

TeaWap: Not skits per se but as far as favorite videos definitely “Tricking the Internet with Jarvis,” which has accumulated over 17.5 million views thus far.

These videos are exciting to make because you can’t fake them, so it’s a combination of planning wisely and being quick to improvise the parts you cannot plan. Most of it is shot live, making it seem like one thing is happening in front of the live audience (on Twitter and Twitch) when truly behind the scenes you set it all up to look a certain way. As a director, you are in the moment figuring out how to make the most exciting story possible for viewers to enjoy.

Another video I thoroughly enjoyed making, especially because of its impact, was surprising my injured friend with an electric wheelchair. A friend of mine lost his ability to walk, so I came up with a plan to surprise him with a customer electric wheelchair to make his daily life easier. Making videos like these puts into perspective the beauty of being a content creator as we are able to spread positivity whilst changing lives through content.

ONE37pm: What are some of the things you wished you had during your come-up on YouTube? As far as editing tools and general advice on how to succeed?

TeaWap: I wish I was told about the importance of retention earlier. Luckily for me, I was involved in a friend group that liked to discuss analytical success on YouTube so I was able to catch up. But at first, I really just hoped that people would watch the whole video because they like “you.” Unfortunately, the reality is that no matter how likable a creator is, you still need to make the video enjoyable for anyone to watch regardless of how much they like you or not. For example, a video needs to be structured for a subscriber as well as a non-subscriber to enjoy it thoroughly. That’s logically the only way you can grow past your current audience. 

As far as video editing tools, I would say that all that matters is mastering the ins and outs of your preferred video editing software. Things such as learning shortcuts can really help speed up your workflow by folds.

ONE37pm: Break down CreatorSet for me.

TeaWap: CreatorSet is a platform for editors and designers to market digital assets to creators around the world. What sets us apart is that we cater to the New Age Media through our understanding of Internet Culture and leading internet platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.

CreatorSet’s mission is to empower creatives (creators, editors, and designers) around the world through a variety of user-friendly digital assets such as custom animations, transitions, sound effects, preset packs, graphics packs, intros, outros, project files, and more.

Empower is a broad term, here’s what it really means to us:

• Help Creators save time when producing videos with premade work
• Give Creators access to products of motion designer quality without them having to do it

• Give creatives a platform to sell their own assets to CreatorSet customers – meaning any editor can go and submit their own digital assets, and if they get approved then we open up a store where we host their products
• Give creatives a platform to market their skills to attract new customers to their businesses  Offer templates to inspire video creation (Free Green Screens)

CreatorSet is revolutionary because all our custom products are automated, meaning that any time a custom order is made, the customer gets their order fulfilled at the lightning speed of a computer instead of having a human manually process the order for the customer. 

Being in the industry ourselves as we make content for our own YouTube channels we also take pride in adding products that are freshly relevant to today’s trends, such as products related to memes or gaming (Meme Audio Pack, GTA Transition Template) or new emerging platforms such as YouTube Shorts.

At first, we started selling our own products. But knowing a lot of talented creators have great ideas and could benefit from the rapidly growing audience CreatorSet has, we thought it was only logical to open up CreatorSet as a commerce platform to facilitate that. We get thousands of visits from creators, so potential customers for anyone who uploads products onto their CreatorSet store. Expect to see a lot of creator-submitted assets being sold to help thousands of other creators.

Our mission is to help creators make compelling content whilst offering solutions so that they can focus on the part of content creation that they enjoy. We want creators to genuinely enjoy our products so that it inspires them to create more. In the future, we plan to dive into in-depth tutorials about creating captivating content and storytelling at its best.

We’re mostly focused on the tech side of CreatorSet. We would like to offer more tech-related tools that help with big platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. For example, as of right now we have a pop tag generator and a thumbnail previewer that are completely free to use in our Studio section. Studio consists of the CreatorSet panel where you can create and add products to your profile, view your orders, and access new tools such as the ones mentioned above. We have more tech-based tools coming, but that has to stay confidential for now. The goal really is to offer video editors and creators tools that either we know we wish we had when making content or complete life-saver tools that help save a lot of time.

The thumbnail previewer serves as a tool for Youtube Creators to preview their video display in a simulated web or mobile YouTube homepage environment. This simulation allows the creator to recognize the strengths and or flaws of their thumbnail and title presentation before it goes live. Therefore helping catch mistakes that would otherwise contribute to losing millions of views.

The pop-tag generator is a tool where users can generate username display graphic tags. The back end automatically resizes the graphic tag based on username length and makes itself available for the user to drag and drop over their video.

We make most of our products as user-friendly as possible as we want to serve as many beginners as professionals. Therefore, our products must be user-friendly for all types of users. A lot of our animations are compatible on both mobile, and desktop, and work with a simple drag and drop over your timeline.

All deliveries are fulfilled within 5 minutes thanks to our tech-based servers managing all customer orders in the backend.

We also have a growing TikTok page called CreatorSet Media where we post our daily free green screens. Currently at over 418,000 followers. CreatorSet hosts over 500 free green screens for creators to use.

Our goal with that page is to inspire others to create content using them, but also support our own ecosystem of creators that make and reuse those green screens. Meaning we have a lot of creators under the CreatorSet umbrella that is paid to make those green screens as well as use them in meme edits as seen on our other TikTok page “CreatorSet Memes.”

ONE37pm: How has it been working with your brother? Are you hoping to move into different ventures with him later down the line?

TeaWap: Working with my brother has been the most natural thing for me and him. Since young, he and I have held a close brotherly relationship and I encourage anyone reading this with a brother to do so. We both dream big and want to be working for the rest of our lives to improve the lives of others. In business, the biggest asset is trust and who can you trust more than family? We are here to hold each other accountable and most importantly, there is no jealousy whatsoever. If he wins, I win – that’s the best part. Whether the company benefits more from me or him, it does not matter because we can always make sure we are going to be here for each other.

Another great part is our complementary skills. We are both internet kids, meaning we grew up browsing the internet but happen to have complementary skill sets. I am creative and so I am involved in the design, marketing, and product conception side of things, whilst my brother Ayman is a software engineer so he focuses most on conceiving the website, applications, services, and coding-related tasks.

We plan on hopping into different ventures together, but altogether within the CreatorSet umbrella. We have a vision for CreatorSet to be a conglomerate of the media industry through various different ventures. I myself hope to work on more software-based projects.

ONE37pm: Are there any new content creators you’d like to work with?

TeaWap: David Goggins, Joe Rogan, and Mike Tyson.

TeaWap: Additionally here are notable brands that have benefited from CreatorSet.

ONE37pm: What games would you say give you the most joy while playing on stream?

Vantanart: I’d have to say anything retro. Video games were a huge part of my childhood so when I played games from the early 2000s like GoldenEye 007 or titles like The Sims. It makes me really happy and brings back a lot of great nostalgia. My two favorite games I’ve ever streamed were The Urbz and Def Jam: Fight For NY. 

ONE37pm: As a POC (person of color) and LGBTQ+ streamer, have you bonded with fellow streamers from both groups? And how would you describe the sense of unity among them?

Vantanart: Absolutely. I’ve made some really genuine connections through streaming. I think the sense of community on Twitch is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’ve never met so many bright individuals in one space. Going into streaming, I didn’t think I would find so many communities that resonated with me. I think that marginalized gamers have a bigger reach than ever before and it’s all because of those bright individuals using their voices. We’re stronger together, and the strength and passion that exists in this community make me really proud to be a part of it.

ONE37pm: What would you say are some essential tips for those looking to approach Twitch streaming as a full-time job?

Vantanart: One tip I would give is to never stop learning. There is so much information out there that could completely change the way you see and think about streaming. Being honest about your goals and what you’re doing to achieve them is key. Constantly evolve your content and keep it fresh and fun for both yourself and the people watching. Lastly, shoot all the shots and set yourself up for success.

Be sure to holler at Vantanart on his TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and YouTube. And tell him we sent you!