Embrace Yourself
Twitch is more than just a platform for gaming. In the last several years, especially during the pandemic, IRL and Just Chatting streams blew up. Hop on over to Twitch and look at how many people are streaming and watching in those categories. It’s mind blowing.
In these streams, authenticity rules. Whether it’s a staged setup or a spontaneous slice of life, every time they go live they enter a performance of personality. Some creators carefully craft their personas, while others present themselves completely raw. They all strive to showcase the who they are. The most magnetic creators aren’t necessarily those with exciting gameplay or heavily produced streams, they’re the ones who show up as themselves, quirks and all.
For many viewers, that’s where the appeal lies. When people see who a streamer is, they gravitate towards them. If the streamer is a happy-go-lucky goof-ball, that will spill out from the stream, whether it’s gameplay or just chatting. When a personality shines, that streamer becomes someone real. Someone relatable.
This is where I stumble, and a lot of beginner streamers struggle. How do we showcase our own personalities? How can we draw viewers to us and keep them engaged? There isn’t a magic way to do it. We have to be honest with ourselves and how we want to approach streams. Starting out, you may find it easy to simply ‘be yourself’, and that’s great! That means you’re confident and sure of yourself. Others, like me, are so gosh darn introverted we wonder why we’re taking on the endeavor of streaming.
If you’re like me, it will take time to feel comfortable with cameras being on and talking. The biggest piece of advice I can give is embracing the downtime, when no one is watching. Talk. Talk. Talk. Then go back and watch yourself. It’s going to be hard, watching yourself over and over again. Like in sports, athletes watch replays of plays to understand what they did wrong and right. As streamer, you’re doing the same thing. The more you study how you’re presenting yourself the better you’ll be with each stream afterwards.
So, for those starting out, remember to take a moment to watch yourself too. It’s tough, but in doing so, you learn how to communicate effectively. You’ll see your quirks that stand out. And, as time goes on, you’ll transform your streams to truly highlight who you are.
Remember that streaming takes time, patience, and a lot of grace (in yourself). There will be stumbles and frustrations; all you have to do is pick yourself and keep going.
Jesús M. Rivera 