Pick Me

I was raised to be picked, to do everything, and to do tricks. I was raised to be picked, to show that I was witty, pretty, and not so thick. I was raised to be picked, giving up my thoughts, beliefs, and wishes. I was raised to be a servant, giving up my desires, wants, and needs for theirs.

I was taught to be subservient, to be kind, to not hit back, to accept and to give in.

I was taught to be like Christ and turn the other cheek as they attacked my body.

I was taught to be the girl they wanted, like what they do, cook, clean, do laundry, and not complain.

I was taught to be a pick me; that my worth was only based on if I could become what they wanted me to be. 

I was picked, and my life turned into hell.

I was picked, and I was never good enough. 

I was picked, and I was unsatisfied in bed.

I was picked, and in the end, it didn’t even matter. 

I picked me, and I’m doing better.

I picked me, and I’m healthier, happier, and wiser.

I picked me, and I’m standing on my own two feet.

I picked me, and now I know I’ll always pick me over them.

Boundaries

That line in the sand that makes you think That line in the sand that you made to stick When the line in the sand is moved or shaken When the line in the sand is no longer visible 

The boundaries that we make for our own sake. 

The boundaries that we make for our sanity

The way we make sure we are safe from others

The way we make sure others are safe from us.

When I make those lines in the sand, please stop trying to demand

When I say no, please stop making me go.

When the answer I give is questioned, please stop making me explain.

The answer is mine, and the boundary is set. 

Stop making me explain, as you complain I do overly too much

Stop questioning what I say, No means no full stop. 

I am who I am fuck your expectation.

I didn’t sign up for your reality. 

My boundaries are my own, I’ll say it once and once alone.

If you find yourself out in the cold.

Think about what was said, the questions, and the broom in your hand.

My boundaries have been set in stone, you can blame your actions alone.

2020 New Year New Decade and New Ideals

Well, as always kids here we go. It’s about time we did the following:

·         Accept boobs. They are out there; they will take your views because you have no personality. I'd rather look at boobs than your toxicity. Move on and be a better person, better person gets you better views.

·         Accept women. We are not girls; girls are from the age of 0-18. Unless you're into underage, please women now.

·         Accept the pussy. Yup, and I mean it. Changing the negative vibe from my reproductive organs right now. I find it an honor to be called by an organ that can give life, take a pounding, and bleed monthly as its designed to do. The pussy isn't weak, and neither am I.

·         Accept you are a sandwich: If you can't make one, you are one. Not going to be anyone's chef, fuck I'm not even my own chef. #moveOn

·         Accept yourself! For fuck sakes, you are an empowered, important and amazing human. I don't care what you are but who you are. Show them who you are and how you have the right to be respected, loved and cherished. **

o   ** This is for those that need it, this does not give anyone the right to be a douche, asshole, stuck up, dick and so on. We are all humans, treat as such.

·         Accept that I know my value and worth! Yes, this goes for the DMs I get that want to know more about me without reading my BIO, watching my twitch and just see a pick and say Hi. Hi, I'm not answering questions, telling you about me and all that. You want to find out do your research, it’s out there :D

·         Accept no more Drama! It’s time for people to ditch the drama! If anyone pisses you off, gets you to vent, has you been anything than your authentic self; you are giving them rent-free space in your head. If you know your worth and value; you know they are kids trying to bring you down to their level.

·         Ways to move on, play a game (pvp if you can), watch a movie, do some work, let it go as you would anything that is insignificant in your life. I know I have had this happen to me and I'm pretty much singing "Fuck it all". Why let yourself dwell on this because you feel the need to be the victim? Here's an idea survive it and move on.

·         Accept that there are unpopular opinions and you are better than that. We can't change stupid. Believe me there are a lot out there now at days and it’s sad. Be vigilant, be educated and know you can't argue with them, for as Mr. Twain once said, "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." Remember you can block, ban, walk away from things; cut the drama from your life.

·         Accept this is a new year, now experiences a wait and you're going to kick ass.

·         Accept you are the best you can be now, and the best you are now is the better you will be in the future.

·         Accept that everyone has emotions and that not everyone can be happy. Be there for them and help them through if they need it. Otherwise, respect where people are in their lives. If they need help, they will reach out and ask for it.

·         Make this moment count, make this moment be something you are proud of. Show everyone you are the bomb, that nothing and no one can bring you down! I am proud and amazed by everyone of you even if I don’t show it. I know it! Be your bad ass self!

       Best Wishes,

         Junie

Being all you can be and knowing when you’re not

Dear Sanity,

A life lesson has come to me and I want to share. I was raised with the notion; you need to be everything to everyone to family. I learned later that this is not completely true, nor could anyone be able to do that completely and wholly. You can relate to a lot of people, but no one can be everyone’s cup of tea. When I entered retail, I learned that you can't please everyone, but you can touch and influence most in one way or another. Both concepts were conflicting to me and to my life and had brought me a lot of pain and torment in my earlier days. 

I struggled on how to be well rounded and balanced daughter, wife, mother, friend, sister and so on. This was hell for me in my teens and twenties until Rita appeared in my life. She was introduced to me through the university I attended, and through Mom’s work. Rita and I had similar stories about getting pregnant and getting married, even up through divorcing our husbands. She had forged a friendship with Mom in a way I couldn’t.

Let me explain a bit, Mom had tried to bond with me in ways she knew and understood. I wasn’t interested in those ways, and frankly the idea was foreign to me. I didn’t understand how one could spend a day shopping, luncheon, shopping more than going home. I didn’t get hanging out at coffee places, the smells would get me sick. As a teenager, of course, I rebelled. This didn’t give Mom much to grow on with me, or the willingness to understand me and why I was confused by this bonding. I had been struggling and fighting for years on how to be everything to everyone within the family while knowing I couldn’t always please them.

Rita filled that void. She walked into a strained relationship and put herself in between us. She became what Mom wanted and needed; and Mom became something she had needed as well. She had lost her mother, and Mom filled that void. It was the best thing that each of them could handle and each of them could deal with. Rita understood and spoke Mom’s language very well. I was happy that they both found each other they could grow and evolve with. It took a hell of a lot of pressure off me. 

Why am I going on about this? What’s the point? Rita passed on three days ago and I just found out last night. For twenty plus years, she had put herself into a family that didn’t know how to communicate with each other and communicated in a way that helped us all. I learned that the statement of being everything to everyone even to family was false, and that was okay. It wasn’t about me nor about how I communicated. It boiled down to not being meant for that role. Had that lesson been brought to me earlier in my life, things might have been different. It was a lesson I had to learn, nonetheless.

In this lesson of my own, I wanted to share it with you. Knowing when you are can be something to someone and when you can’t, even with family. It’s okay when you know that you can’t help someone. It’s okay when you can understand you aren’t someone’s cup of tea and allow someone else that opportunity.

Please don’t be jealous, I know that I was asked several times throughout the years. I wasn’t, nor could I be. They had needs and wants that fit so well together, that there was no need for it. It didn’t lessen Mom’s love for me and gave my Mom something a bit more in her own world. I know hat in Rita’s life, Mom gave her a sense of stability and motherliness she lacked in her own life.

I’m saddened that Rita’s story had to end, however grateful to her for what she had done for Mom. Please take the time to tell those you know and care about you love them. You never know when they will go. Rita was only 42, fit and had the world ahead of her. She, from what I was told, died in her sleep. 

Sincerely Yours,

I love you (ICH LIEBE DICH)

Junie

Siddic – The Troll, The Myth, The Man

Siddic passed away tonight (December 29th) and we all got together to say good-bye in Pharewing’s stream. It was hard to even get onto the stream let alone to hear what was going on. It was good to see that there were many in the same pain, shock, disbelief, and great sadness that I was in as well. We drank, played his favorite game, and even took pictures of drinking, our cats (pussies for Siddic) and Rat dogs. We cried, bit bombed Phare, and even some glorious asshole gifted Phare subs like Siddic did.

Siddic was a person that wanted you to think he was a mean person, and yet he was really a man with a golden heart. He did what he could to get a reaction. Not just scaring you in your channel, bit bombing or subbing an insane amount of people to your channel. He was there for you to listen to you, talk with you and even offer sage advise when you needed it.

Siddic was a classic troll. He didn’t troll to make you angry, sad, or in any negative way. He trolled to show he cared. He had a deep heart that he didn’t let anyone really know or feel; and yet we all knew. He was the troll that pulled you out of your funk, depression, and bad place and reminded you that life sucked but you didn’t have to be alone in the suckage.

Siddic made you smile, laugh, flick him off, and made you glad when he popped into channel to say Hi. His constantly saying your name over and over again (Junie, JUNIE, JUNIEEEEE, JUUUUUNIEEEEE ….. Hi) was something classic that got you to laugh and smile. He knew how to make your day; just by adding to the conversation. I have so many clips thanks to that man.

I can’t begin to describe the pain, sadness, and the shock that many communities within the Creative side of Twitch is going through. Many of us didn’t just lose a viewer, subscriber or community member; we lost an amazing friend and family member. The pain of his passing will be felt for some time to come.
If you can, I would humbly ask you to light a candle or some fire (safely) because he adored it (Svava’s request). If you could send some local artist either in your community in real life, or on twitch; throw some bits, gift a subscription, even cause some happy chaos in memory of him.

He might be gone from this world, but he will be in our hearts forever. And remember that fucker left us in the state we’re in and going “Now, see I am the center of attention, yes yes let me bath in it.” Please cherish the time you have with your family and friends because you never know when they might slip away; and you might miss the opportunity to say what you really feel like me.

Thank you Siddic, I love you like some crazy little brother that at times I wish I could have just bonked on the head for being a dick.

Best Wishes,
Junie

Twitch Creative – Art over Hobby

Hello everyone, great to see you again.

I know I tweeted a lot today and yes first it was a knee jerk reaction but as I talk to more creators on Twitch. I have come to see it’s not just a knee jerk reaction. It’s a statement of who I am and who the Creative community is as streamers on Twitch. I’m rather sad to see that the Twitch think tank seems to show that they aren’t clearly understanding the rift that they are starting. How has this come to be?

Well, today Twitch brought up what they are going to do to creative come in Mid-September. They are bringing new ‘categories’ into play. This will break up creative and end the creative collective whole. It is their definition of two such tags are causing a rather large stir. To put the “categories” as they call it as such:

“Art – For the artists creating paintings, illustrations, animations, comics, photography, and more, whether you’re using digital or traditional methods or techniques.”

“Hobbies & Crafts – Use this category when you’re crafting real world objects or working on DIY projects. Includes making costumes, sewing, sculpture, LEGO, woodwork, metalwork and more.”

This is a great disservice to many in creative that are professionals in their field to be brought down to a craft or hobby level. This means those that are professionals and have made their skill and art; are being labeled as nothing more than a weekend crafter that does it for fun.

People make money doing this and live off that money. I can name at least a dozen people that make their art a passion to fund their living and to put them in a craft category because Twitch doesn’t understand is wrong.

Let me show you a few things that would have been labeled ‘hobbies & crafts’ and you tell me if this isn’t art.

Michelangelo’s David – Marble Sculpture (https://bit.ly/2Mfu3Ur)

Chicago’s Picasso – Metalwork Sculpture (https://bit.ly/2Mfu3Ur)

Susan Spencer Crowe – Fabric Metalwork Sculptures (https://bit.ly/2nqgXGb)

With these examples alone, each having one or more keywords in Hobby & crafts; do you agree that this is art? I would love to have someone tell Michelangelo or Picasso that this was a hobby, or it was a craft. Things would quite different if those people were tagged in a different category.

To define Art by Webster’s is in one definition “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.”

To define Hobby by Webster’s “an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure”.

To define Craft by Webster’s “an activity involving skill in making things by hand”.

In defining these three words out, all artists are crafters but not all crafters are artists. To then state that crafters with hobbyists; you are forgetting those that do this for a living. They might do it for pleasure, but they are not using their leisure time for it. It is their job so then to define them artists you would then have to say who is the artist and who is the crafter.

Guess what? You can’t. Not all artists you have defined as ‘traditional art’ are living from their art, and are really hobbyists. However, you are then belittling the ‘crafter hobbyist’ who is the professional chain mailer, quilter, cross stitcher, knitter, crocheter, wood turner who lives from their job and has had many years and dollars sunk into their profession.

Another point as well, as an average the Creative community has about five to six thousand viewers in a day. If I’m wrong with this statistic, please let me know. I don’t understand the point of breaking up a rather small community in comparison to say League of Legends, World of Warcraft, and DOTA to name a few. We are 1/8th their size and mostly a self-contained non-toxic community.

We promote pretty much positivity, creative and inventiveness; help and promote each other and support one another. Why break that up? Creative has had its hashtags taken, our view spot removed from the front page, and many other things done to make us smaller and smaller. And yet we thrive, grow, and have helped other artists join the community.

If you’re really about the community, about the creators that stream on your platform, and about supporting us as we grow,  then please listen to us. We have fought for every nickel and dime for what we do. It might seem to be a craft or hobby to you; but its our lives. That’s not defined by Webster’s, and you want to know why?

To be an artist you must have passion, drive, skill and an immense love for your art; you’re going to spend hours on end, money you don’t have and all the skill in your body to produce perfection. That’s not a category you have on Twitch and it’s not a dollar sign you can slap on it to sell.

I design my own patterns, I work on them myself. I create things for other streamers and pass my love for my art on to others. To tell me I’m nothing more than a weekend crafter, you’re wrong.

I’m a single mother of an autistic child going to college and trying to make ends meet in a two-bed apartment in Chicago. You think I have money to throw into a craft or hobby not to make money? Not to help support myself and my child? Think again, Twitch.

I’ve been a cross stitcher and designer for 13 years, a paracord designer for 7, a digital and traditional drawer and painter for over 20 years. Don’t cop this crap on me that you’re going to make our small community even smaller because you don’t understand what we do.

Hint: Don’t kill the Creative category. Let the ‘tag’s you have be sub tags, like what #hashtags used to be.

We are a small passionate community that wants to keep together. Keep the support, love, positivity and family alive. Please rethink this, and if you need help, I know a few professional artists that would love to be a part of your think tank to help you through it.

Best Wishes,

Junie

When the Good gets Mad and turns things into Ugly state of Affairs.

Good Morning,

I’m sure many of you are wondering why did I take my notifications off last night, or why I turned off the notification ticker. Why was I thanking for free follows and there was a nervous jitter in the air. Well boys and girls, sit down while I tell you a tale of a griefer.

For those of you who don’t know who I am, my name is Junie. I am a broadcaster on Twitch and I am one of many women being targeted by a griefer. What’s a griefer? It’s a person that harasses, provokes others on line in a demeaning manor to spoil the enjoyment of others. Now why did I do the things I did last night.

Well Twitch in their ever benevolent wisdom changed their TOS as of March 9^th. With that, Twitch is holding the broadcaster accountable for a lot more in their channel. Sadly, this allows some complete and utter fuckwad to start griefing women broadcasters both on the gaming and creative platform. How you may ask? Well by using offensive names, or turning around and commenting in channel about our physical appearance or saying racist or defamatory comments about the broadcaster. This has been going on for over a MONTH! Yes, a MONTH!

Have we complained? You bet your pretty ass you’re sitting on right now we did. Have we reported him? You bet your sweet fingers you’re using to type on your keyboard we did. It has gotten to the point where broadcasters are calling the police due some of the names this complete dickless clown has used. Twitch’s response as of present is to block him and ban him from our channels. To ignore the threats and the actions of this individual. Now ask if me if this has this been effective?

NOT ONE FARKING BIT!

What Twitch fails to realize is that this complete and utter moron can make an account faster than they can let their cozy new name vetting process can work. Oh and about that cozy new name vetting process, it DOESN’T work! When you’ve been able to talk to Twitch staff about this, you get a healthy dose of Mansplaning,

“Oh, you can block them and ignore them.” “Don’t worry, he’s getting his jollys off and then he’ll leave you alone.” “Do you really think he can dox you and come to your home?” “It will pass soon, just keep on ignoring and banning him, I’m sure he’ll get the message.” “You signed up to be a Twitch broadcaster, you should have known what you were signing up for.” What the actual fuck is in the god damn kool-aid Twitch?!

These aren’t questions I SHOULD have to FARKING ANSWER! We’ve ignored, we’ve REPORTED TO TWITCH; several broadcasters have called the police to get them involved because Twitch won’t do a thing about it. Am I pissed? YES!

I SIGNED UP TO BE A BROADCASTER AND TO BRING ENJOYMENT INTO PEOPLE’S LIVES. I DID NOT SIGN UP TO BE TARGET PRACTICE FOR PREBUPESENT BOYS THAT THINK VERBALLY THREATING WOMEN IS THE PATH TO MANHOOD!

I shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of my child nor my friends while being a FUCKING streamer! Seriously, the fark Twitch. You are letting some farking little asshole threating the safety of broadcasters and their FAMILIES! We signed up to broadcast, have fun and bring some enjoyment into people’s lives. We did NOT sign up for getting trolled, griefed, threated and even put our safety both physical and mental at risk to broadcast.

Isn’t your brand new sparkling TOS supposed to protect me from this shit?! You’re more worried about my tits hanging out, doing a nipple slip, maybe seeing my vagina; than stopping some mother farking griefer hurting amazing and talented women out there. Is Twitch worried that banning a fucking griefer will hurt their wallet?!

I’m sorry, is the BRO-CODE more important to your wallets than the things I can do for Twitch? I’m sorry because I have tits and a vagina doesn’t mean that I’m not valuable. I am not a person and I am not someone that needs to be protected. That you would rather protect those masochistic, women hating, toxic, vile asshole of a popular MALE streamer than protect the women streamers out there that don’t bring in as much money as this asshole of a Male streamer does. (Stage whisper: Actually the women on Twitch collectively bring in a lot more money to Twitch than ONE vile male streamer does.)

Twitch, you don’t get to pick and choose who you can protect with your precious TOS, you need to protect us all. This griefer isn’t going to stop with just picking on the women of Twitch. Will you react when he starts to grief men? Oh if you do, how fucking WHITE KNIGHT of you!

Its sad, VERY SAD to see the platform that I love, the platform that I adore and highly praise turns a blind eye to the women of Twitch that get harassed, terrorized, threatened and tormented by a griefer they could have permabanned a MONTH ago. How many more will be griefed, hurt and turned sour because Twitch doesn’t care about their broadcasters as much as they care about the revenue that we can provide them.

Thanks Twitch, I bleed purple but what do you bleed? Green?

Best Wishes,

Junie von Esch

When Logic fails to prevail one resorts to #SaveTwitchCreative

Hello and how, are you? Normally I’m trying to bring light into someone’s day, normally I’m trying to be sugar and with little salt. Normally, I’m safe and secure in my lovely Browncoat Nation streaming on Twitch for the delight and joy of myself and others. Normally doesn’t exist anymore.

I’m upset, disappointed and rather saddened by the turn of events that has continued to throw us (Twitch Creators) down the rabbit hole of the losing siding of Twitch. This is NOT shade to any Twitch Creative staffs, creators, streamers or anyone that is trying to make this place better with pink fluffy unicorns. This shade goes to the team that decides what to implement and bring about changes for Twitch; that is neglecting to see what is going on in Creative.

The story long and short is we lost our hashtags and gained communities. The loveliness in Creative was we had hashtags to find different creators in different mediums. Now, we have communities. These are as misrepresented as that want to be moon going across the galaxy to blow up Alderaan. Oh, I’m sorry that wasn’t a moon that was a space station. Sorry Alderaan.

Communities have to be recognized to be creative, but then depending on the community different rules apply. Yes, you read right rules do apply to communities. They didn’t apply to hashtags and let the creator decide how they were going to work their medium. There were some creators (myself included) that would do multiple crafts in one stream and have multiple hashtags to reflect that.

I could bounce from #paracordarts #fiberarts to #cross-stitching to #digitalpainting to #whatever. It brought people into the channel and allowed me to bounce between the mediums that I could cover. Was this over-reaching? Maybe, however there were no rules in place or policies that said I was over-reaching.

These hashtags would bring people in, would help conversations develop and flow within the chat. There were new hashtags were developed and created, people were coming to Twitch Creative and we were growing. Now, take that away.

Take the convenience of being able to find your favorite medium clicking on that and then looking for a streamer that fit your needs. Take away the ease of just picking perlers to explore new streamers. Now put in communities.

There are no hashtags to tell you what people are doing, there isn’t a viewer/customer friendly way to find creative streamers anymore. How do you know there are creative streamers in “Positivity”, there are gamers that stream under that community too. You can go to a community of fiber arts, but since we are only allowed one community to be under what one do you choose? Where will you get the most viewers; how will you find new viewers?

I have seen many creative streamers go into the IRL streams to get new hits, leads and viewers. It’s a trend that is growing because no one is listening to us as we voice our frustration into the void that is Twitch. I don’t want to be salty but I’m starting to become more cynical by the day and it hurts.

My only idea at the moment is to start a hashtag. #SaveTwitchCreative I’m sure you’ve all see Ferris Beuller (if you haven’t oh dear god what are you missing?!). If you have seen the movie you know about #SaveFerris same concept. Maybe when they see people wanting to save something we love and believe in they will believe in it to. If not I have a feeling a lot more creative streamers will be leaving making Twitch Creative a teenage wasteland.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Always,
Junie

Hashtags and Twitch Creative

Hello Twitch and streamers of Twitch,

In the words of V from V for Vendetta, there is something that needs to be addressed or “by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.” Or could ask in the late Joan River’s words “Can we talk?”

Now, before starting would like to state this isn’t a rant. There is no blame assigned to any person or a set of them; just the pointing out what analytics, statistics and rolling numbers have already proven. The intention is not trying to piss anyone off but to bring up the truth of the matter and beg for a solution.

Back in February, Twitch created Communities. Here people could create and build communities where other like-minded people could join and help each other grow in twitch viewers. It was a great idea the sad part was that Twitch did away with hashtags for Creative.

When they did that, it threw the creative world into chaos and now three months later is crippling many of the creative streamers growing or even trying for partnership. Now, please hear this out before this gets dismissed out of hand. This is from analytic analysis from not only one or two statically based websites, but from Twitch’s own website for numbers, growth and stability. The purpose is to ask for hashtags to be reinstated, or the ability to have more than one (prefer 3 to 5) communities to be listed within a creative caster’s stream information while they stream.

With the hashtags gone, creative was thrown into a huge pool. Like anyone looking for a streaming in World of Warcraft or League of Legends; there are the top performers and below that it pretty much is just skimming from there. The sub categories are replaced by communities, which in and of its self is a good idea however the execution is rather misleading.  

Communities was to replace the hashtag, but when the community is “Happy Sundance Kids” it is hard to find someone water coloring or cross stitching. Communities were great to bond people together who couldn’t form a stream team, however the community can then set rules and obligations. So if the community so chooses and restrict a creative streamer from what their normal broadcast could have been, the streamer has to change their stream to fit the community just to be seen. The hashtag didn’t restrict a streamer from what they wanted to stream and wouldn’t pigeon hole the streamer into what they can and can’t do to be involved in a group.

The Hashtags allowed streamers to get under a sub category (the sub category was what we were streaming like a game) there a viewer could found like-minded streamers in all the same hashtag. If a viewer wanted to watch a streamer do underwater basket weaving; they would have to look under the hashtag #UnderwaterBasketWeaving which would have been under fiber arts. Can’t find an underwater basket weaving community if it hasn’t been formed; and the streamer is under another community due to lack of an underwater basket community. That streamer is losing on potential views, channel and community growth.

If a viewer wanted to watch Perlers, they could have gone under #perlers to find an artist or discover a new one artists. The hashtag was ESSENTIAL for channel growth and stabilization within creative. It helped to gain new followers and to help the channel to grow. After three months without it, even PARTNERED creative streamers have noticed a serious decline in numbers of viewers, subs and channel growth. It is not something that is quietly going around Twitch, it is something that is killing off streamers wanting to stream on twitch.

Yes, some people have gone to Beam, Hitbox and other streaming sites due to the declining numbers. Enter the affiliate program, don’t get the idea wrong it is nice to see that non-partnered broadcasters can get bits now. One would think that it would help with the numbers and the growth of the creative channels. Since the affiliate program has just started, the data is still being acquired if it will help.

The data after the hashtag was removed is there to be looked at and viewed. It is not something that is being hidden or even quietly whispered about around Twitch. The creative streamers know and have come to realize we’re not important to Twitch’s growth. We’re nothing more than just something that needs to be maintained minimally so that Twitch can go about its day and not think about it.

Yes, smaller streamers sadly do not bring in the money to Twitch like larger streamers such as th8bitDrummer, KayPike, LulaBoo, a_couple_streams, and ChaseSings. These streamers have a well-established communities and viewers and well done on them. However, the low on the totem pole paracording/cross stitch/graphic designer streamer and other like-minded streamers who don’t have that well established community and flow of new people are being buried underneath all the other casters above them. There are some streamers that don’t’ fit into a nice little community that is why they have to try and create their own to try and get recognized.

These smaller streamers do work their asses off, put in the hours while working full time jobs, handling family responsibilities and trying to create, evolve and grow their channels and communities. With the death of the hashtag, its making things so much more harder and they are starting to give up.

Another thing to consider is the multi-craft streamers that can go from crafts such as paracord, then go to cross stitch and go into graphic and illustrative design all in one stream. How can they fit into a community where they regulate what the streamer streams? There will be some will argue that the hashtags were at times being abused. Where one could hashtag being in seven or eight different creative sub categories while gaming. Sure, one can see that concern and those would have to be talked to. When a creative streamer that does more than one craft in ONE stream, shouldn’t those crafts be represented?

When one does crafts like paracord, cross stitch, draw on three different digital programs, design, creative cross stitch patterns and can sing in almost one stream. With the use of the hashtags, the streamer could be listed in several different genres of creative not just to gain followers but to help shape the cast.

For example: The streamer is paracording a bracelet and someone comes in and asks about drawing on ArtRage4. The streamer then can stop paracording, or complete it and then hop into ArtRage4 to show what they do there and work on a piece. While doing that, someone comes in to talk about using Win Stitch for cross stitch design. Sure, let that streamer pull that program up to help that viewer and oh wow the streamer got a follow.

See, having multiple hashtags would create and mold the cast into something the streamer didn’t even plan on. Creative streamers aren’t even able to list more than one community that we’re in. It’s understood that gaming streamers can’t multi-community either and that is a shame. This causes a bit of havoc in a multi-creative stream when the streamer would have to change their community all the time during their broadcast. The hashtag would have covered that already, and allowed the streamer to keep the broadcast going smooth and without too much interruptions. Sadly the communities have fractured Twitch creative community.

Again, would like to re-iterate this isn’t meant to be a rant. It is that with the potential and promise that Twitch creative has it’s hard to see things go backwards. Not to say that change isn’t good, and that there is a fight against change. Change for the sake of change, isn’t change at all; its regression. Many people have kept an open mind and heart about this. Many people have expressed themselves in ways that have hoped to progress the understanding of growing creative.

If creative was to grow not only does Twitch profit from it, so does Amazon. Where would a happy creative broadcaster tell their viewers to get crafting goods? If Twitch was to do to creative partnered casters what they do to their gaming casters; could offer Adobe package bundles to viewers. ArtRage4, or PaintToolSai. There are many things Twitch can do to “gain” a profit from creative casters. As MANY creative casters know that people love homemade Twitch swag. The potential is there to grab it, to seize what is there and what can grow from allowing creative streamers to flourish within the Twitch community and everyone benefits.

Now, will state that there is no animosity or angry at staff or those that help Twitch to run smoothly. That’s not the intent of this piece. If we could take a moment to thank the Twitch Creative staff. There are only a few that are known, however to Raven, Aegis and MonkeyOnStrike thank you! The hard work, long hours and your dedication to the creative community is well known, acknowledged and adored! You are our champions within Twitch.

To all of those partnered and non-partnered streamers that have championed the call to help Twitch creative become what it is today, and have continue to do so thank you! As a collective, there isn’t enough that we can say or do to make it worth the wild but you have our sincerest thank you’s and all the hearts we can muster.

Since joining Twitch creative in September of 2016 (switched over from gaming), the positive influence that it has on this blogger’s life is amazing. The want for the amazing and the wonderful to continue is strong. If there is anything that can be done within one’s power and stream; there will be a huge effort to do it. Please Twitch, as a humble streamer asks for the hashtags back; not only will it help Twitch but help the creative community to thrive and grow even more so again. This is a humble and gentle asking, because getting down on hands and knees to beg on the internet is rather hard. PLEASE, please, consider restoring hashtags.

Best Wishes,

Junie

What the hell is Multicreative Community on Twitch Creative?

I thought I’d write a little blurp about this community and to explain what is and isn’t a part of it. You know, an introduction, what is it and so on and so forth. I want anyone and everyone to use it if they feel it applies to them.

What is Multicreative?

This is a community based on the need and the understanding that many people do more than one craft during a stream, and for those crafts that do not have a community made for them. (Yes, underwater basket weaving is allowed.) I did make this community but this community belongs to everyone. This is for anyone and everyone that believes this community will apply to them. This community is to be there for anyone that needs one or would like to be a part of it.

What are the rules of Multicreative?

Be Creative, that’s it. You define the way you want to be creative and you define your creativity. I leave it to you to bring that to this community. Any (and I do mean any) craft is welcome here. From fiber arts, anything metal, glass, weapons (cosplay or what falls in the OK part of Twitch’s Terms of Service), painting/drawing (canvas, body, computer), stamp making, sand art and anything else you can think of to be creative. You are the judge of your creativity and what you want to stream.

Now I know the question will be “If I forget to change can I please still game under creative?” Yes, you can. Sure we have busy lives and to freak out because you forgot you where here and now you’re somewhere else isn’t a bother. We all game in different ways so there for its gaming creatively. It’s not pressing to me, it’s a way of expression and who’s to say you don’t get inspired to create from a game?

Who can stream on Multicreative?

Anyone!

Who do I have to contact about questions, comments or concerns?

Me! Junie_von_esch. I can be reached on discord, twitch, twitter, and my email gamingmomvid@gmail.com.

Please everyone enjoy and create!! <3

Twitch creative Saved me

Dear Sanity!

Recently the Twitch Gaming community lost another gaming streamer due to death. He was only 35, a father a husband; and now he’s gone. His name was Poshybrid (link down below), and though I don’t know him I know of the struggles of streaming. I started streaming while I was unemployed back in 2013. I was a mod for two large partnered streamers; they have and do still 24+ hour streams. 

Yes, I’ve worried about them. Their families are involved to constantly watch them, coming in to see 

how they are. Yes, I believe that 24+ hour streams are hard on the body but that is up to the streamer. Streamer always makes a choice on their stream cause well it’s their stream. I know I can’t do 24 hours, nor would I ever have the time to do one.

As Joe Marino aka Geekdomo wrote in his piece “Dying to Stream” (link will be down below); he ran through his day and what had happened to him and his health. He saw what was going on and acted to change it. The struggle to perform and how to keep up with everything to be a successful streamer.

The gaming community, by many but not by all, believe it’s a competition and that you must get more views/followers/subs than the other guy. Many have warred against each other, trolled, swatted and done such horrible things that many of us would just stream as little as possible so that we weren’t growing. We didn’t put our family, friends and others at risk.

I worked with streamers to help grow their numbers, to help them beat the other guys. Coming up with give-a-ways, tricks and such to get higher and higher on top. They had to get this sponsorship or they must tweet out daily to get the attention of another product they want to be sponsored by. It’s a grueling almost 24-hour job. There is no off switch, it’s on without little down time aka bathroom time.

I work a full-time job, volunteered my time while at work then when I got home I’d stream until I had to work for the other streamer. I didn’t ask for anything in return and I willingly helped others. The toxicity was growing on me and it wasn’t any one’s fault by my own. I should be responsible for how I reacted to things. I started to search on Twitch for something positive to help me through this growing depression. That is where I found Imperial Grrl, now fast forward. 

It was in November of 2016, I was watching Imperial Grrl (link will be below) and she was making a product for a guy named Tock Custom. Tock was celebrating his 1 year twitch anniversary and he was giving things away for his anniversary. You didn’t have to sub, only had to follow. He has at least 20 artists from Twitch creative donate time and a product to his /*3*/ day giveaway. Yes, you read it right. This giveaway lasted THREE Streams, starting from 8 a.m. then taking an hour break for lunch and coming back wrapping up until 4 p.m.

I was amazed at the positive vibes, the good people and the well wishes and others that were sharing. I met so many people in those three days that my follow list went from 15 people who gamed to over 150 and it’s still growing. It encouraged me to try not to game stream but to paracord and stream. Yes, I make things out of paracord. I started to do that in December of last year and the doors opened for me. I am a part of a stream team now (building the web site for stream team now for 300+ members). I have grown from 150 followers to now 321 and still growing today. I’m thankful for every single follower, every view and for me lurkers make Twitch. So, if there are lurkers it’s great to have them in the channel.

                Pro Tip: In creative we don’t call out the lurkers is bad form.

The twitch creative community has such a welcoming and vibrant culture. We’re here to support each other, it’s ok to talk about being a streamer in chat. You talk about what you’re working on and what you’re doing. You involve yourself in the community as well as not only support the community but in turn supports the streamer. It helps not only to grow the channel but it helps to bridge my community with others. This way the community grows not just by a one channel at a time but it becomes more of a global community supporting all the streamers within it.

How did it save me? One big word: POSITIVITY. You could be having a crappy shitty day and with one greeting or one massive host. It turns into a massive awesome day! I’ve not only seen it happen, maybe been a part of raids, and I’ve had it done to me. It’s turn my depressive end of the year into something that was so fucking magical I can’t even begin to explain it. It’s something you should be a part of.

The winter is the worst point of the year for me to the point where I shut down totally socially. I hate it, 2016 was completely different. From watching Tock, Imperialgrrl, FierceKittenz, Ignaceu, Rabbitman109, DryadTea, Kayosgirl, PharEwings, Lilbluebox and many many more streamers; they helped me pull myself out of my depression.

                 Pro Tip: Creative streamers do promote others in chat, encourage other creative streamers to talk about their streams and even do group shout out.

                 (I.E. LilBlueBox will ask for people to put a 1 in chat to show they are as stream and the follow train starts.)

I would love to find a bridge between gaming and creative. PokeYourEyesOutGames (link below) not only plays games but they create; they created GCGG (good community, good games). This is their motto and it’s a very good one. They say that in helping people with whatever they need they are helping someone grown within all of Twitch. Gaming or creative a like an ideal I embrace.

Not only can we grow Twitch but we can help each other. Gamers game, providing content and viewers; as they learn about creative side. The creative can create swag and things for Gamers, there for creating and helping gaming with their brands and swag for their viewers. As they get together this helps with sharing viewers. Sharing viewers isn’t taking away from the gaming community, but it’s to help them.

Viewers grow and help other viewers find more streamers again the idea of GLOBAL community. In the positivity of the creative helping to spread that to the gaming community. This way not only does the gamers get some great swag, but they help the creative community to grow. The creative community will grow with more inspiration and more ideas to make awesome things.

If we can do this, maybe the 24-hour streams will slowly die down. Gaming streamers will be gaining viewers from creative and better help them with networking, sponsors and show that this isn’t a doggy dog world of who can climb to the top. It’s more of a large canvas where we all make a mark and make Twitch a much better, happier and healthier place. One can only hope one day and action at a time.

Well work is calling, talk to you later Sanity.

Best Wishes,

Junie

Links

Poshybrid article (https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/02/twitch-streamer-dies-during-24-hour-marathon-stream/)
Joe Marino aka Geekdomo’s article (https://medium.com/@Geekdomo/dying-to-stream-ff0ed2e3dfbb#.qx8d3mb4z)

Streamers

Fiercekittenz’s stream (https://www.twitch.tv/fiercekittenz)
Imperialgrrl’s stream (https://www.twitch.tv/imperialgrrl)
Tock Custom’s stream (https://www.twitch.tv/tockcustom)
PokeYourEyesOutGames (https://www.twitch.tv/pokeyoureyesoutgames)
Kayosgirl’s stream (https://www.twitch.tv/kayosgirl)
PharEwings stream (https://www.twitch.tv/pharewings)
DryadTea’s stream (https://www.twitch.tv/dryadtea)
LilblueBox’s stream (https://www.twitch.tv/lilblueboxox)