Tag: small streamer

Musings of a Streamer: Issue 18, June 2026

June 30th, 2026

Mid-Year Check-In!

We are six freaking months into 2026! It feels like yesterday I was debating two things: 1) Going to keep this series going. 2) Whether I wanted to keep streaming. Yes, I debated walking away from both back in December, before we ushered in 2026. Burned out and doubting myself, which admittedly is my factory setting, I was close to pulling the plug. What kept me going was simpler than I expected: a handful of people watched my silly streams. I didn’t want to let them down. So I gave myself one more year to see what I could build, and here we are now… June, 2026!

Six months in, not much has really changed. I haven’t grown at a rate that I see others growing, but that’s okay. I’m a tad more consistent in terms of streaming, which is the real highlight for me. I’ve also completed games at a strong rate (10 so far) and expect to complete around another 10 before the end of the year.

I have no expectations of growth beyond my personal goal of consistency. For now, the schedule I follow works, with morning streams getting more viewers than evening. Though, I confess, I wish I had energy for morning streams. I’m always so gosh darn sleepy that after the first hour, I’m shuffling uncomfortably in my chair, fighting the urge to call it. My brain simply refuses to cooperate at night, lying awake when I should be banking sleep for an 8am stream. I end up yawning through games I’m genuinely enjoying, which I imagine looks a lot like boredom to anyone watching.

I do my best to stay energized, but it drains fast. Luckily, chat has a way of snapping me back. When someone talks or asks a question in chat, something clicks and I find myself pushing through to two hours or more. This isn’t always the case, of course, but the brief dopamine boost is awesome.

Outside of that, I don’t have much more of an update. Slow and steady, trying to build consistency over everything else. Once that’s locked in, I’ll find ways to grow… maybe… probably not. Not if it means using social media like X, TikTok, or Bluesky.

I’m staunchly anti-social media beyond Twitch and YouTube these days. Those other platforms would wreck my mental health. The drama and pressure to perform and be someone I’m not… I have no real desire to chase any of that, no matter how much growth it might bring. I’m 36, I don’t have time to change my entire personality in the hopes I get more views.

So, as the year goes on, my focus is simply on playing and beating games. If folks show up, great! I will happily chat with them (and you)!

Join me on my streaming journey with more Musings of a Stream. Or come learn about my life with Echoes of a Journey. And, if you’re really awesome, join me live on Twitch, Monday through Thursday starting at 8:00am and 6:00pm US central.
Musings of a Streamer: Issue 13, January 2026

January 20th, 2026
Welcome to 2026, fellow streamers!

We’re already creeping toward the end of January, which means two things:
- This year is moving way too fast.
- Something definitely already broke, and it probably wasn’t our fault (probably).
This year, we’re doing things differently. No more drama. No more staring at the viewer count like it personally owes us money. No more wallowing in self-pity because the algorithm looked at our stream and politely pretended it didn’t exist.

Instead, we smile.

We embrace the zero-viewer streams and empty chats. We laugh at the scuffed audio and the moments where we forget to show gameplay. We accept that sometimes the best part of streaming is talking to ourselves like a podcast nobody asked for. We also don’t beat ourselves up over dead air (seriously, stop that, it’s okay to go quiet). And most importantly, we actually enjoy the process of the craft we’ve decided to pursue.

And make no mistake, my dear streamer friends, streaming is a craft. It’s a skill we have to learn, practice, and occasionally trip over on stream in real time. If we don’t embrace the mistakes and the low points, we’re bound to eat ourselves alive and come out the other end exhausted and unhappy.

Because here’s the thing: streaming is fun. Somewhere between analytics dashboards and an unhealthy obsession with growth, that gets lost. So in 2026, we’re choosing positivity. Not toxic positivity. Slightly delusional optimism positivity. We see our mistakes and roll with them. We don’t dwell on whether someone is watching, or when a random bot pops in to sell us their “awesome” graphics and unsolicited advice we very clearly did not ask for.

We gently shove away the little devil on our shoulder telling us to give up.

Views or no views, we’re here for the ride. And gosh darn it, we’re going to vibe in 2026. The world already sucks enough, so let’s provide a little light, even if it’s just for ourselves.

Happy streaming, fellow streamers!

Tag: small streamer

Musings of a Streamer: Issue 18, June 2026

Mid-Year Check-In!

Musings of a Streamer: Issue 13, January 2026