International Women’s Day Streamer Spotlight with a_bokchoi
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What was it about streaming that initially interested you and inspired you to give it a try?
I fell into it after watching a friend. Seeing her interact with people while playing video games was very nostalgia-inducing; it reminded me of watching older family members play games as a kid. I loved cheering them on when they fought, pointing out a room they missed (oops I guess I was a backseater) or when they let me have a try by handing me the controller. Also as an adult, it’s pretty hard to make friends — it’s not like school where you’re friends simply due to proximity. Streaming seemed like a great way to meet like-minded people and find gaming buddies.
What goals or aspirations would you like to achieve this year and in the future?
Life comes at you fast! My goals when I started four years ago are wildly different from now. Being a content creator comes hand in hand with being online almost all the time. It started warping how I acted: I started chasing validation from strangers rather than doing things because I wanted to. So my goal from this year onwards is to validate myself, by myself. To quote Michael from the Good Place, “What matters is, [I’m] trying to be better than [I] w[as] yesterday.” I want to be the best me that I can be without comparing myself to others, for myself.
Were there other streamers that you looked up to and inspired you to start streaming?
I had just learned about streaming after joining an all-girls Overwatch community. The ladies there were so warm and supportive and I eventually started hanging out with them in their streams after getting to know one another in the discord. One of them especially was really inspiring: nngills, who I briefly touched upon in the first question. She was always having a great time while streaming. That pure unadulterated joy made me want to start.
Do you have any advice for new streamers entering the space?
Almost everyone I know has gone through this cycle. They start streaming, pick up some steam, then their fun hobby turns into an all-consuming life goal. Suddenly all they can think about is getting Partnership. Streaming is all they can think and talk about. They don’t make time for themselves, they live on Twitch…it just becomes this all-consuming monster. If it doesn’t pan out, they blame themselves, they blame others, and eventually burn out. My advice is this: hang onto that exciting feeling of getting your first viewer, the newness of sharing something you love with others; use that energy to pursue streaming — don’t let numbers and growth distract you.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It’s a day of reflection, to admire how far we’ve come and gauge how much more we have to go. Not that I necessarily need a reminder of gender disparity — daily life ensures that I don’t forget, but it’s a wonderful day to celebrate and learn about what other women have done. It’s hard to envision yourself as anything without a role model to pave the way; International Women’s Day is a chance to inspire, educate, and learn in order to progress.
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