miladycatie: How Cosplay and Gaming Create Genuine Connections on Twitch | Episode 20

In this episode we talk about how a Minecraft craft creator on Instagram accidentally got her into Twitch, what it felt like to switch from Minecraft to The Witcher 3 and watch her numbers drop, her philosophy on partner and growth, and the moment she realized some viewers want a therapist, not a streamer.

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Transcript

Teaser

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I think a lot of people will think that they know you really, really well because they see you live all the time, and you know, they're learning so much about your life, but you have no idea anything about them, and it will get really parasocial, and kind of having to shut that down in a way that you know makes you feel comfortable as the streamer. That's something that was a really hard lesson, I think.

Intro

Patty 0:35

Welcome to the Growth Rate Podcast, where we dive into real streamer stories and find out what is behind the streamer. I'm your host, Patty, and today I have Katie with me. Also known to her community as the Lady of the Manor. She's a variety streamer, a cosplayer, and all-around chaos creator. Welcome, Katie. Thank you so much for being here with us today.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited about this.

Patty 1:02

So, Katie, you came a recommended from episode eight, I think, from the Wakey episode, which has been like a crowd favorite, I have to say. What did you think when you saw that he recommended you?

SPEAKER_00 1:18

I was definitely surprised. I didn't expect to, you know, get a shout-out. It was also my first episode listening, so I didn't know that there would be, you know, sort of choices at the end where he's like sort of putting people forward for the next episode. And that was really cool. I was like, oh my gosh, no way.

Patty 1:38

It's really interesting, also because not everyone. It's like when when I ask people if they want to be on the podcast, there's like two, two or three different types of people. There's some that are like, oh yeah, I would like to do it. I will take a look later. And then there's people like you that are like genuinely interested. You were like, you saw it, you clicked it, you booked it, and you were like, There, we're gonna talk like next week or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Yeah, I I sort of am like, if I don't go ahead and do something, then sometimes it gets lost to time, you know, and I'd rather just like because it was so good and I really enjoyed the episode, I was like, let's go ahead and knock this out. I'm super excited.

Patty 2:20

So, because you watched that episode, you know how we start here. I want to know how you got into Twitch, why did you start streaming? How it was at the beginning.

From Overwatch to Minecraft: The Beginning

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Yeah, uh, so I first got into streaming. Well, I guess I first joined Twitch to begin with because of Overwatch drops. This is so random. I don't want I don't play uh Overwatch anymore, but I first was interested in getting like free game items, so that's why I joined the platform to begin with. And then I was playing a lot of Minecraft with my friends outside of Twitch. I didn't really ever watch larger content creators like growing up or anything like that, or even even in my like later teens, early 20s, I wasn't really watching big creators, but I did follow this one girl on Instagram. Her name is Saith Spuff, and she makes Minecraft crafts. So like she'll take the mobs that are in the game and like make them out of wood and like paint them, and they all look so adorable and perfect. I even have some that she's made. And she, you know, I just saw in her story that she was streaming on Twitch, and I was like, Oh, I have a Twitch. I maybe I'll watch her. So I did start watching her, and she raided me into a community of other Minecrafters, and then that kind of spiraled. I met a bunch of people that I started hanging out with online, and then I was like, I think I'm gonna stream. So then I started streaming Minecraft, and it kind of just took off from there. I was streaming Minecraft only for about seven months, I think. And then I decided I wanted to play something else, so I started streaming The Witcher 3, and that was kind of my toe dip into variety.

Patty 4:02

Wow, that is super interesting. I feel like you're you're like the most like I'm not gonna say random, but you know, I I totally get getting into Twitch for the drops, but then not only that, you actually got into watching people, so I think that's really cool, and also a good way to get like into streaming yourself because you were like inspired by other people, and I feel like a lot of my guests have been like on YouTube before, and so they already knew they wanted content creation, and then they tried Twitch. So I I always find it like very the the very different story origins of people very interesting.

Transitioning from Acting to Streaming

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Yeah, it's funny, like I was acting, I was living in LA and I was I was trying to do the acting thing out there, but it was during the pandemic, so sort of the the whole landscape of acting had changed within a few years, and all of the onus was being put on the auditioners. So I was having to be my own producer, uh script supervisor, you know, uh editor after recording everything and then putting it out there and then hearing nothing back. And that was not very rewarding, I guess. I wasn't really booking anything, and I was not really connecting with whoever was creating, you know, the project. And so I found it to be sort of an isolating experience, and I sort of put that on the shelf. I was like, you know what? It's not I'm never gonna act again. It's that I don't really feel like I want to do whatever is happening in the acting world right now, and I'm just gonna try something else. So that was kind of like the mentality into starting streaming.

Patty 5:51

That makes a lot of sense. If I like how most of us content creations and on Twitch do have this like need of making something like creative, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Are you still in LA? No, actually, I just moved back to North Carolina about a year ago. Um, LA was getting a little difficult, and it wasn't I wasn't finding it rewarding enough to be there. It was sort of more stress than it was fun. And so I was like, you know, I'm just gonna go somewhere more quiet, more chill, less on the go all the time because it really is, you kind of have to be a hustler 24-7 to survive in LA. And I was just not really interested in that. I I've kind of felt like I wanted to slow down a little bit and really think about the kind of content I wanted to create, and less about, you know, I have to be in LA for this one random project that might go off, you know. So I I've learned that being remote is fine too. And, you know, you don't have to be in the city where things are happening. And often, more often than not, things are not even happening in LA. A lot of things are moving to Canada, they're moving to the southeast, so it wasn't it wasn't rewarding at all, really. I mean, I had good times. I was there for about four and a half years, but um, I was just ready for a change.

Patty 7:18

Yeah. What I hear from other, like specifically not actors, but content creations, is that uh people like going to LA because everyone is in LA, all the companies are in LA, so all the opportunities are there, and that's basically why they wanna, you know, if they're already there, they don't need to travel there.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Right. Yeah, that's sort of like the mentality behind it, but it's also quite difficult to form meaningful relationships there because a lot of people are sort of looking for transactional things, you know. If you're hanging out with another content creator, maybe they're thinking, How can I get some content out of this interaction that we're having? And it's like, well, I was just looking for someone to relate to.

Exploring Variety Streaming

Patty 8:02

So if we focus on your content, you started with Minecraft and then you played The Witcher 3. Was like being variety always what you wanted to do, or was it something more you were just trying it?

SPEAKER_00 8:15

It was kind of something I was just trying. I knew that introducing something so different to Minecraft would be sort of a stress test, if you will. A lot of people watching Minecraft are really only interested in the game itself, not really who's streaming it necessarily. You know, it's kind of one of those comfort games where people put it on in the background, they'll leave you up, they're just kind of watching what you're doing, but not really listening to what you're saying. I find that's that to be a common theme in Minecraft communities. So when I played something like The Witcher 3, a story game, I really did not know what people would think of it. I had played a little bit of it before streaming it, um, nowhere near finishing the game, but I kind of knew what I was getting into and knew it was gonna be such a different direction of content that I was really nervous to toe dip into something other than Minecraft. But I guess the reason why I did was I was really interested in playing other things, but I I was scared to veer so far off course of like I guess how different the content is. So that was that was a little nerve-wracking to begin with. I think a lot of people didn't know what to do with me at that point, you know? And I will say, uh, numbers fluctuated dramatically in that first period where I was trying some new stuff. And I kind of was like, well, if I'm happy with what I'm doing and I'm having a good time, that's really what's most important to me. And I I was really passionate about wanting to play some story games. So that was on my list, Red Dead was on my list. There were like a few that I knew I wanted to start to introduce, but I was really scared because it was so different.

Community Connections and Growth

Patty 10:16

So if we focus on the growth, did you you started what around the pandemic around 2020 or the first um?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

My first year was 2023. I started April 1st, 2023.

Patty 10:31

They just started.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Yeah, it was because Minecraft had an April Fool's update. So I was like, oh, it'll be fun. I'll play the April Fool's update like for my first stream. And if things are crazy and chaotic and horribly wrong, you know, at least it's April Fool's.

Patty 10:46

Do you remember how it was in like uh you celebrated three years recently, right?

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Yes.

Patty 10:53

Do you remember how it was the like growing uh in the those early days?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Yeah, actually, I feel like I got really lucky in the first few communities that I fell into. Said Spuff kind of pushed me into the Minecraft, I I guess the Minecraft communities. I was jumping around a little bit until I landed in the Turtle Gang community, which is a stream team, my first stream team, and they really took me in pretty immediately. I think I had been streaming for about two or three weeks before they were like, okay, you're one of us. Like, we're gonna teach you all about what it means to play Minecraft, stream Minecraft, be a part of this kind of community. And that support so early on, I think was monumental to my streaming career. Like I definitely feel like it wouldn't have taken off as quickly as it did if it wasn't for those individuals really taking me in and pumping me up and raiding in all the time, you know, and talking about me on their streams. That was like so pivotal for my for the beginning of the streaming.

Patty 12:05

And what about your connection with uh Wakey since he recommended you and the Rat Pack? Do you think that also helped increase like the way you grew?

SPEAKER_00 12:16

I think it definitely helped with the variety aspect of things. Um, I actually met him through playing, I was playing The Witcher 3. He happened to also be playing The Witcher 3. We had no connection whatsoever, but he came up on my recommended, and I was like, who's this Costco Brand Geralt looking guy? And so I clicked on him, and I don't know, something about his warm energy really made me want to stay, you know. His community was so friendly with each other, like they all knew so much about each other, and it felt more than just, you know, we're all here to watch some game. It was like we're all here to connect with each other, and we're all here to connect with the streamer. And that felt really different. That was kind of something I had never seen before on Twitch. So of course I wanted to be a part of that too. So I feel like I learned a lot about like true connection online through Wakey's community more than I did through any others, you know. It wasn't just about Twitch, it was about each other.

Patty 13:20

I do also I don't remember how I met Wakey as well. I I think I got him because someone that either I rated on had the stream team, and I clicked on the stream team. Yeah, I was checking who's the leaders of the stream teams. But I also, you know, it was one of those people that I was there five minutes and I was following. I have this similar feeling, and I feel like I don't know if it was the influences that you got on your stream teams. I do enjoy watching your streams in a way that I don't really care about Baldur's Gate that much, but I have it open and I'm just hearing what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

And sometimes I'm like, what the hell is happening in that game? Uh genuinely, me all the time playing that game. That is that's definitely like the biggest compliment ever. Like, of course, I feel everybody really wants people to be there for them and not the game. So the fact that you said that really means so much to me. That is the best compliment. And I yeah, I was really, I don't know. I would say analytics-wise, I don't know how much has really changed, but the fact that I have been able to switch things up so dramatically in the last three years, and it's been pretty consistent. I think part of that is my connection to other communities that are interested in many things. And I think also maybe some of that could be attributed to how I'm presenting the content, you know. I really do feel passionate about connecting with the people that are in my chat and that are in my community, not just in my streams, but outside of that, you know. And I I am out here to form genuine connection. Like I said, something I was struggling with in LA. I found it to be a lot easier online because there's a lot of people who are looking for the exact same thing.

Patty 15:18

Yeah, that is so

Goals and Evolution in Streaming

Patty 15:20

true. And what about goals with streaming? When you started, were you just trying it out? Or did you already have goals and have those changed in the last three years?

SPEAKER_00 15:30

My goal in the beginning was just to try it and be consistent. I I was sort of applying the mentality that I had when I first tried out for high school dance team. My dad was like, you have to stick with it for a year and you have to show up to every practice. Uh, otherwise, we're not going to, you know, pay for your costumes or whatever. And so I, whenever I try something new for the first time, I try to apply that same mentality where I'm gonna be consistent with it. I'm gonna throw everything at it for a year and then see how it goes. And once I accomplished that, I was like, oh, that was a lot easier and more fun than I thought it was going to be. High school dance team, not so much. But like I wanted to keep doing the thing because I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed what I was getting out of it and the people I was meeting, um, the true connections I was forming. I was even, you know, wanting to travel abroad to go to the TwitchCon EU and like go to the US TwitchCons to connect with these people in real life. And yeah, the goal in the beginning was just really to try it, see how it goes, be consistent, um, and and give it your all. And now I would say my goals I have evolved slightly, but not really in any crazy direction. Right now, it's I'm kind of trying to find my footing with um how to I guess dive deeper into certain games while I'm in them and sort of I I guess uh get more into a uh not exactly what I was doing with Minecraft, where it was only one game, but kind of where I am sort of trying to get the most out of the games while I'm playing them, rather than just like rush to finish a game, you know what I mean? So there definitely when I was playing The Witcher, I was kind of feeling overwhelmed by how long I was playing this one game. I think it took me about six months to finish the whole game and the DLCs because I only streamed three times a week and I was only playing it a few times throughout the week because I was still playing Minecraft. I think right now I'm kind of leaning towards doing more of one game and getting the most out of that so that I feel like it's the most rewarding experience rather than just kind of trying to play every single game and get overwhelmed by my library because the library continues to grow. Uh but I want it there are so many games, and I I want to get the most out of the games that I am playing rather than feeling overwhelmed by my library. I've also started a little bit to get into the sponsored stuff that's very new for me. I just for the first time got paid to play a game, which is so strange. But I'm like, I would love to do more stuff like that, maybe in the future, but only things that I truly believe in, not just things for whatever money. I I'm not the person to like push a random mobile game onto people, you know. I totally understand the hustle. It's just I'm not in that position where I need to be doing that, so I'd rather do things that I feel more passionate about or more aligned with my content.

Patty 19:02

Yeah. I feel like the the way that you talk about how you want the games to be is a lot more like wakey like goes with his games because he he wants to be in the moment and experience the game as most as he can. And having also played the Witcher 3 in the DLCs, and it also took me six months, what I try to do now is try within the library of games that I have, which is a lot, I try to okay. I play The Witcher, which was like so many hours. Now I'm gonna play something smaller, which is still gonna be super enjoyable, but I'm gonna not jump into another super long game, straight like straight int. And I try to ballast it up like that, but still trying to be in the moment and enjoy the game as much as I can. Do you only play it one time then?

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Yeah, uh well, I guess I haven't really revisited any of the big games that I've played. So the largest games I've played on stream have been The Witcher, Red Dead 2, Cyberpunk, and now Baldur's Gate. And each in between each of those, I've played quite a few bite-sized games. I say bite-sized, 25 hours or less, you know. Um, I played a few Resident Evil, um, some some other like indie games, and then like all the sponsored stuff. I also have a two times a year event where I play hardcore Minecraft for a month um with a bunch of other content creators. So I've kind of broken it up into some, well, Baldurgate, Baldur's Gate, especially, I have broken up into smaller pieces. After I finish Act One, I jumped into some other stuff, and now I'm back and I'm doing act two. And I think between Act Two and Act Three, I might do something smaller, but um, because they are such insanely large games, I I have been breaking it up a little bit. I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing that with any other game. I think it just made sense with Baldur's Gate because it has these really clear markers of like, this is act one, this is act two, this is act three. So, but I think I there are I do feel inclined to play all of my favorite games, like Red Dead, uh Witcher 3, Cyberpunk. I like want to jump back into those games, but I do not have time for that kind of thing. I don't really play a lot of games outside of streaming, um, other than games with friends. So I don't know. I I want to, and I'm always thinking like, oh, I would do this differently, like with my next playthrough, but when am I gonna put get to my next playthrough? Probably in like two, three years.

Patty 21:51

Yeah, I have the same feeling because I would like to play the Wisher Three in like the the hardest difficulty, just Death March, yeah, trophy. But at the same time, I want to play the games that I haven't played yet. And if I play that, then I'm gonna occupy my time. There's not enough time. Exactly

Current Streaming Landscape and Future Aspirations

Patty 22:09

that. Yeah. You talked about, you know, just playing games and also getting a sponsor. So what is a streaming for you right now? Is it a hobby or is it more a side gig, a part-time?

SPEAKER_00 22:20

I would say it's well, it's kind of a mixture of both. It doesn't feel like a job by any means. Um, I show up because I want to and because I want to continue to play the games, connect with the community, that sort of thing. There are, of course, business aspects to it, and I try to take everything as seriously as it should be and present professional when I do need to be. But in general, I'm not worried about this becoming a career necessarily. It is more just like for because I enjoy doing this.

Patty 22:58

So you you would never push to partner if you were you were not close because it's not really something that you would like to, you know, grow to bigger numbers.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

I mean, I think growth is always good, but it's not always something we can control either. And because it's not something that is my career right now, like this is not how I make money to survive, I I don't know. I I think a partner push would make sense if the numbers were close, but because I'm kind of not in that position, it's more of like I'm just gonna continue to do what I want to do, and if people want to be there, then I'm very happy for that. Um but other than that, I don't know. I don't even think that pushing for a partner when you're nowhere close to it really makes sense. I think it's it's good to find a community that you know will uh bolster the numbers or like be your cheerleaders in that. But it's all it's not always something that you can ask for. It's it kind of has to fall into your lap in a way.

Patty 24:12

So it's not something like that you would go like out of your way to try and grow to reach partner.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

I mean, I wouldn't want to veer away from anything that I feel passionate about in order to get a purple check. Because for example, like if I were to just play games that have drops, I'm not I might have better numbers, but I'm not gonna be passionate about the content that I'm creating because that's not really what I'm excited about. And I would rather be doing something that I'm excited about and be presenting it in a genuine way because I really am excited about it, rather than trying to hype up something disingenuously just because I want people to be there.

Patty 24:57

Yeah, that's an interesting take. You're mentioning like playing the games that have drops. Did you did you see like in your past experiences that those streams usually do better?

SPEAKER_00 25:10

Um, not necessarily with mine. Well, I I will say I don't really do drop streams. Like if I'm playing something that happens to have a drop, like you know, in my couple of months that I'll do Minecraft, if there happens to be a drop that aligns with that, then maybe people will be there lurking for the drop. But in general, I'm I'm not the person to be doing that kind of thing really, so I can't really say if my numbers would be bolstered, but I have seen that in others. So I would say, you know, that works for some, and I don't know if that would

Cosplay as a Creative Outlet

SPEAKER_00 25:47

work for me.

Patty 25:48

So from from when you started and until now, I I've met you very recently, so I don't know how this happened. Your nickname, the lady of the manor, was that something that you came up to for the stream, or did it come later?

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Yeah, well, um, well, I kind of coined that tagline because my lady Katie um is is my gamer name and now my streamer name. And I I kind of wanted some like a small tagline to tack on to whatever, you know, whether it's a business card or a bio. Um, I just wanted something to pop onto there to make people, I don't know, kind of give them an idea of what they're getting into without giving away too much.

Patty 26:40

And uh did the like did the cosplay part of it come like because you were already doing acting and you're kind of mixing all together? How did you get into cosplay and then bring it to stream?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

I did start cosplaying in college a bit. I I have been doing theater since I was a young lass, and I've always loved to dress up and be characters, and so it kind of evolved exponentially when I've been streaming, uh, because people are always like, you know, I want to see you as this person or this this character, you know. And so I kind of leaned into that aspect of things. First, it started out with people that I wanted to be, and usually only for special events, like you know, streaming events or Halloween the whole month. Every Halloween month I'd dress up like every single stream. So that was like a lot all at once. And once people had seen me as certain characters, they wanted to see that come back. And as I got more into like anime and other, you know, forms of media, I guess, like games and such, I started finding other characters that I wanted to be as well. So it kind of evolved from there.

Patty 28:02

So you do it mostly in special streams. I know that you know, wearing a costume like that for hours is a bit exhausting. Do you do you take it like as a performance? Do you try to act as the cosplay you have it, or you do it just for like dress up fun?

SPEAKER_00 28:19

I mostly do it for dress up fun. Um, I will sometimes take videos and such in character, or like sometimes people will request certain things on stream for me to say or do, like within the character. But I don't know. I I'm thought about doing a cosplay like straight up as the character. I think it would be difficult just based on I really want to connect with my viewers. And I think it would be hard to in a different character, but it is something that I've thought a little bit about. Um, it's just not something I've ever done before. But yeah, I mean with the cosplaying, something that really kind of, I don't know, skyrocketed my interest for cosplaying was creating an OC a little bit. So when I played Cyberpunk, this was the first time I'd ever done anything like this, but um I modeled my cyberpunk character after Siri from The Witcher 3. And so I was like, I'm going to make Cyber Siri, how Siri would be in this world, because they did say in The Witcher 3 that she had gone to a world that with like flying carriages and whatnot. So everyone was like, oh my god, she went to the cyberpunk world. So I thought maybe this could be like her journey through that world. And so then I, as the streamer, would dress and do my makeup as Cyber Siri every single time that I would stream Cyberpunk. And so obviously that was for like five months or something like that. But knowing exactly like who I was going to look like every single stream was kind of exciting for me. It was, it was the first time where I was like, I'm kind of molding who this person is, and they're fictional, you know, but I get to be them every single time. That was something that was really exciting to me and something different that I had never done before.

Patty 30:28

That is super interesting because when I think about cosplaying a character, I usually tend to go to characters that have very similar personality to mine. So it's it feels like it's still me, but I look different because I look like these characters. But that is also a fun, a fun, like different perspective on cosplay. And

Fitness Meets Streaming

Patty 30:49

you also, I don't know if you do this like a lot, or was it for a specific? You have the walking pad where you're walking while playing the game. Is this something new? Was it for just a specific project?

SPEAKER_00 31:03

That was for a charity stream, or I guess that was a charity incentive. I do have a walking pad that I use almost every day, um, just because I work from home as well. So I'm trying to always stay active and keep the blood flowing. But that was something that I had never done before. I did play Resident Evil 9 on a walking pad, which I thought my heart was gonna explode doing something like that because it is such a scary game, but thankfully I lived. It was um it was definitely something I would do again. I thought it was a really good incentive, actually. And I I think people had fun with that. It's kind of interesting to mix fitness in with streaming and horror all in one. Like it was it was so crazy, but I had a really good time doing that.

Patty 31:49

Was moving like something that helped with being scared, or was it didn't we? I think it was.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

No, I think it actually was good. It I I honestly thought I was gonna throw myself off of the walking pad, like getting jump scared or something like that. But because I was like having to ground myself physically, I think it actually helped a little bit with the horror stuff. Like I had to be brave in order to survive.

Patty 32:14

Yeah, I feel like your brain is like focusing on walking, so the the scary bits are not as bad.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Exactly that, yeah. And my heart was like already pounding, so like it couldn't really get worse.

Patty 32:28

During like these three years,

Navigating Community Boundaries

Patty 32:30

what was like something very challenging or something that surprised you in it, like just being a streamer?

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Ooh. I think something something really challenging was figuring out my boundaries with the community and sort of connecting with others online. I think a lot of people will think that they know you really, really well because they see you live all the time and you know, they're learning so much about your life, but you have no idea anything about them, and it will get really parosocial, and kind of having to shut that down in a way that, you know, makes you feel comfortable as the streamer, that's something that was a really hard lesson, I think. Just knowing where to draw the line and having to be really loud about your boundaries because otherwise sometimes people can't hear you, and being okay with letting go of those who won't respect your boundaries, you know, no matter what you can do. Um, that was, I think, maybe one of the hardest lessons. And that's something that I think I'll always have to work on and continue to do, loudly stating boundaries. Um, but yeah, I would say, I would say that's probably the hardest thing is letting go of people that maybe, you know, you you don't want to let go of. You're like, well, I I have this connection with this person, even though it's not as deep as maybe they want it to be, you know, I really like having them around. But sometimes you have to let go of some some hard things to bring in something better.

Patty 34:10

Uh do you do you think that was like something that you didn't think was going to be hard and you dealt with it nicely, or is there something that in your mind before you really started was going to be super hard and it was easier than you thought?

SPEAKER_00 34:28

It's not really something that I had thought about necessarily before streaming. I mean, I'm I'm someone that loves really hard and loves to connect with others, and um, I want to be available and uh, you know, taking care of whatever I can, of course. But knowing that I can only stretch myself so thin, and I guess what others are demanding of me is not always something that I can provide to people. That was a really hard lesson and not not really something I expected when I was streaming. Although I did know I would be connecting with people. I guess I didn't really understand that people would want to have my attention 24-7 in a way that I, of course, would not be available or even willing to provide. Um, because you gotta know like also what to invest your time in, you know, what is what is worth it not only to them but to you. And that was just not something I anticipated, really. And I guess maybe like drama within communities, um, having to deal with some really big feelings from others. Um, that sometimes you just it it is easier to let go and and say, you know, whatever is going on in your your world, it's not something that I am I can solve for you, you know. That I mean, sometimes it does feel like people are coming to streams for therapy, and it's like, well, I I'm not a therapist, I'm an entertainer, and I I want to provide a safe space for you, but I also am not a professional in that realm, you know, and that's not something that I really knew I was gonna get into.

Patty 36:22

Yeah, I I I totally get that. Like, I also like having like my stream being a safe and cozy space, but like one of my rules is like not to like trauma dump. It's just yeah, no one here knows how to deal with your problems. We can keep you company, you know, you can vent a little bit if you want, but we're not gonna fix your problems. And I feel like I don't know, you are like one of those people that I feel like you I don't know if you have like uh people pleasing tendencies, but when people are like very you know, you're very cute for sure friend, and I'm like, no, I I don't I don't know what if I it's like I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, and I have this type of personality of I don't like people, I'm not gonna like you, so I'm not gonna be bubbly cute to anyone. I might cuss at you every single day, but some people like that, then that's why I have the words, yeah. So I feel like the we we handle the these types of people a bit differently. I

The Commitment to Streaming

Patty 37:32

since we were here like reflecting on uh you know serious subjects. Um, have you ever seriously thought about quitting? Since you know, this is more of a hobby than uh you know your job. Uh you people tend to have different views on uh what quitting means.

SPEAKER_00 37:50

Yeah, I've never thought about not streaming really. I mean, there have been times where I've had to change my schedule a bit because of life, you know. Um, if if life things come first, then they they come first, of course. And because this is something that I do on the side, there have been times where I've had to do, you know, one stream a week or two streams a week, but never not streaming or like never coming back, nothing like that. Actually, I get really sad when people quit because I I miss them and miss the cozy spaces that I hang out in. And I've never thought about never streaming again or anything like that. Um, but I have thought about slowing down in certain capacities and maybe making some other types of content. So I guess no, not really. More that I would want to maybe lean more into one aspect or the other. Um, but never, never to not stream again. I would I think I would I I I love it so much. I can't imagine not streaming really.

Patty 38:58

Do you think if you like slow down or stop streaming, you would also slow down or stop watching other streams?

SPEAKER_00 39:07

That's a great question. I don't know actually. I I I really do hang out in the places that I want to be in. Um, and even if it's in just lurking in the background, you know, I find so much comfort in hanging out in my frequented cozy spaces. So I I don't think I would stop watching either. I maybe not as much. I mean, I can't really predict what my life is going to look like in two, three, four, five years, you know. But if I have the time, I think I'll always continue to connect with the people that I enjoy connecting with, you know.

Patty 39:48

I ask this because um I think you're not full-time, right? I feel like people that are full-time streaming and they stream four or five times a week and they stream like really long, like seven hours. Yeah, they they find themselves not having the time to watch other streams that much. You know, they they try, and but I see you everywhere. We're in the same circle, so I see you, I see you in all the streams, so I know that you watch a lot.

SPEAKER_00 40:17

I do watch a lot of people, yeah.

Patty 40:20

I feel like people like us that you know, I also I mean I don't work from home because I'm unemployed, but you know, I'm editing the podcast or doing something, and because I have two monitors, uh, you know, I always have like a stream on the side and have you know spending time with other people. But it it's funny because the only reason I would have to not watch is if I'm not physically home because I hate watching on mobile. So yeah, if if I'm gonna continue working on being a lot of time at home, I will continue to watch streams.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

Exactly. Yeah, I think same here. Even if I'm like, um, I've gotten more into writing and I'm actually thinking about getting back into the auditioning game, a little different landscape now. Um, so yeah, even though I'm getting into some other things and not really as active in chats, I'm always lurking

The Heart of Streaming

SPEAKER_00 41:14

somewhere.

Patty 41:15

Well, it was a lovely conversation, very different and refreshing type of conversation. Do you have any anything that I didn't ask that you want to talk about or anything that you want the listeners to know about, you know, your journey or anything else?

SPEAKER_00 41:31

Not really. I would I would say in general, like streaming is streaming is something that you should do if you love to do it. Um don't don't go after streaming for certain numbers or certain metrics or some sort of I guess check mark, you know, on some list that you're running after. I think everybody should be doing it if they're really passionate about putting out content that they would want to watch. That would, I guess, be my ending sentiment there.

Patty 42:08

Yeah. I feel like people the people that are looking at the numbers are more because they want this to be their full-time job. So in a way, they they do have to do that, but before that, you have to enjoy the content that you're making because if you focus only on the numbers, that's when it doesn't really go well.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

Definitely.

Where to find Catie and guest recommendation

Patty 42:35

So tell our listeners where they can find you out there in the internet.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

Yes, you can find me at Melady Katie on all platforms, um, just exactly as is here. And uh yeah, if uh if you look in most of my bios, you can also find my Lincoln Tree, and that'll take you everywhere you need to be.

Patty 42:57

And our last question: if I could have any other streamer here talking, who would you like to see? It's getting harder because there's a lot of people who have already been here.

SPEAKER_00 43:09

Um, yeah, well, since you've already had Wakey, um, one of my favorites, I I will say Satz Fuff because she has been so pivotal in even getting me into streaming. I really, really still enjoy all of her content and I'm always over there. And the other person who was probably most influential in my streaming uh was Jamal. Uh Jamal is a hardcore Minecraft creator, and he he actually has the second longest hardcore Minecraft world in the world. Um, and he he was definitely the person who uh first took me in and said, We're gonna we're gonna combine communities here and um and you're gonna be a part of everything that we're doing here. So definitely um Sait Spuff with her uh cozy crafts and all her Sims and Jamal with his hardcore Minecraft.

Patty 44:02

Wow, I don't know either of them, so I look forward to you know seeing their streams. I feel like it's Minecraft. I've never played Minecraft in my life, so I would never be in those circles.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

Yeah.

Patty 44:14

I feel you're one of the very few that bring me people that I don't know. And that's it. Yeah, perfect. I love that. So thank you so much, Katie, for being here with us today.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

Yes, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

Outro & Credits

Patty 44:30

And thank you to all our listeners at home. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to give us a follow. You can find a growth raid wherever pods are cast. And if you can, tell a friend about the show because that's the best way we have of growing. And we'll see you next time on the growth raid. You guys havee. Bye. The growth raid was created, hosted, edited, and produced by me. If you like the show, feel free to rate it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. That really helps a lot. And don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel. If you would like to listen ad free and see all of this episode's bloopers, join us on Patreon at patreon.com slash thegrowth rate. We also have a Twitter, Blue Sky, and Instagram at throwthraid. And if you'd know a streamer that would have an amazing story to share, leave your recommendation in the comment.