Content creation is used to elevate gaming experience by allowing people to share every gaming moment with the world. However, like every other hobby, it has to be balanced with everything else in your life.
Streaming platforms are used by millions to share their content: Statista reported that In March 2024, there were 7.94 million active streamers on Twitch alone.
One of those streamers is 49-year-old Darren who goes by his online alias of Daz300. He is nearing 900 followers on Twitch and donates 50% of his revenue to gaming charity – Special Effect. Through doing this he has raised £1392.46 for the charity.
He started streaming in 2019 after being made redundant and undergoing a potentially fatal operation.
“Before the operation I had to sign off on a list of potential side effects from the operation, there was one part that stuck out to me. ‘There is a chance that you could die’.
This was the first time in my life that I had been told there was a chance that this would be the last time that I would get to see my family.
“It got me thinking about my life, all the things that I have done and what I would leave behind. I realised that there was nothing I had made. Nothing that was just me. I wanted to be remembered. I did think about doing notes for people just in case but that’s boring and not me.
“I thought that’s it! I will record myself playing the game I always get told to get off.”
Darren started streaming on Twitch but soon realised they weren’t permanent. “So I moved to YouTube and did some streams. They were not good but they were there.”
“The short answer to why I started content creation is so my family could hear my voice and see what I enjoyed if anything happened to me in the operating theatre.”
Since starting his content creation journey he has gotten a full-time job making safety equipment for oil rigs. He also then has to juggle his spare time between spending time with his girlfriend and family.
He achieves this by streaming on set days and at set times which are predominantly in the week after work so his weekends are free to enjoy with his loved ones. He also now streams with his girlfriend. However, Darren makes a real effort to keep his private and streaming life separate.
“I stream with my girlfriend now but we never call her by her real name when on stream. I also used to tell people that I live near London which is partly true but it’s a train trip to get there.”
“You do have to remember the internet has some crazy people out there and there’s a ban button on Twitch for a reason.”
This juggling of activities understandably can lead someone to burnout. Darren found that for him, burnout manifested itself by checking his stream numbers and his desire to stick to his schedule, no matter how he’s feeling.
“I am very lucky to have a girlfriend who is very down to earth. She sometimes has to tell me to stop and chill with days off and no stream talk. She always says ‘so what if you get no views, your life will still be okay. Thanks to this, I now try not to stress about how many viewers I get.”
Content Creation also hasn’t always been easy. Despite a strong start, hitting the affiliate program’s requirements (This allows you to monetize your streams) within five days of moving to the platform and receiving donations of £100. It can also affect you mentally.
“Streaming can mess you up, one day you have amazing viewers and a brilliant chat but the next day you have no viewers and a previous chatter comes in to say ‘you’re only nice to people who pay you. It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions.”
However, despite its challenges Daz still religiously streams four times a week and loves doing so.
“The best part of content creation is having people come back and say hello. Many people come into a stream but the key is getting them to come back next time. If that happens then it’s amazing, it makes all the effort I put in worth it.”
Daz does hope that one day he will be able to stream full time but understands how few people can achieve that reality. He has aspirations to be the first full-time streamer that donates 50% of his revenue to charity.
However, in the meantime he does take time to chill from his busy schedule. Whether it’s watching other streamers or YouTube or playing games he enjoys off stream.
“I still enjoy playing games, I play older games but it’s more chill when I can concentrate on just playing instead of streaming too. If I mess up in the game then who cares, it’s fun.”
Having been streaming for five years, Daz did offer some advice to those who are thinking about just starting their content creation journey.
“My advice is when you’re streaming, think of it as playing your favourite game whilst also being on the phone at the same time. That’s basically what streaming is.”
“It also isn’t always going to be easy. The good days are amazing but the worst days are some of the worst you will ever experience. It’s a huge amount of mostly unpaid work especially when you’re balancing it with everything else going on in your life.”
