One thing I’ve been really fascinated with is the transition of Twitch (and other streaming platforms). Back when I first “knew” twitch, it was called Justin.TV and it was used to stream (mostly) TV shows (like sports that were blocked out on TV unless you paid for the package, etc). It has evolved quite a few times since then, becoming one of the more popular video game streaming platforms. It has since evolved even further, adding new and unique categories to streaming – categories that I wouldn’t necessarily even consider to be something someone would stream let alone watch. Turns out people enjoy watching the non-mainstream just as much.
There are people of all ages streaming all sorts of creative endeavors and it (quite frankly) blows my mind. No longer are crochet, knitting, and cross stitch a hobby that just older generations are partaking in. People streaming engage with their audience in various ways, encouraging others to pick up the craft and motivating everyone. Of course having a nice set up certainly helps, a way to automate things like thanking your followers and acknowledging donations. The fancier you can get with your set up the more hands-on your crafting can be and the less time you’ll spend trying to hook (see what I did there) viewers.
Personally, I love this new move. I enjoy watching video game streams but I enjoy watching crafty streams even more. I admire the talent these people have, and if you can find someone who has both the talent and the online charisma to make their channel into something special, well, then you’re set.
Have you found some of these fantastic creative streamers in your travels? Want to give them a shout out? Be sure to drop a link down in comments.
I’ve tried to get into watching Twitch a few times and failed. I just don’t enjoy watching people play games (I do use it for ‘pro’ events like press conference streaming or developer “here’s the state of our game” type events). It doesn’t help that virtually every gamer I’ve watched has been super annoying and the chat is almost always toxic.
So I was really dubious about these “creative” streams. Imagine my surprise when I watched one and found myself really enjoying it. I think there are several reasons. First, the streamer is actually doing something that they’re usually focused on, so they’re not manic and they don’t seem to be afraid of a moment of silence here and there. Most game streamers never shut up. Second, they tend to be inspiring. I guess there are people who can watch an expert gamer and be inspired but I’m not one of them. For me games are about relaxing and I don’t often care to “get gud” so much as I want to have fun. So the fact that you can destroy your opponents in COD isn’t the slightest bit inspiring to me. But watching an artist or crafter create something amazing I find to be very inspiring. Third, the chat communities tend to be a lot more pleasant. And lastly, since the streams tend to be kind of quiet and low key, I can leave them on while I work without it being a constant distraction/annoyance (I love playing games but listening to a game I’m not playing is actually pretty annoying to me); sometimes it’s almost like the streamer is keeping me company. :)
So yeah, I love the twitch creative stuff.
Er, sorry this turned into a wall of text!