Content Creation Is A Sanctuary

Wardog Unleashed

I got into content creation as a way to share passions; for history, storytelling, and my unbridled passion for organising things (Management Games). Finding other people who are interested in these things, or at the very least don’t seem to mind that I am, has been incredibly validating over the last six years. I felt when I began my content creation journey that I really wasn’t sure who I was in the world. I was working a job I didn’t feel I was any good at, which, after heart surgery in 2017, transitioned into a role I knew I wasn’t any good at. I was basically floundering in life. Content creation was the outlet that allowed me to find who I was again.

It's been a tough journey though. For someone as introverted as me, the idea of talking to hypothetically the entire planet was utterly terrifying, and it’s something I struggled with when I first started out; that idea of streaming, talking to whoever may or may not be there. I still remember the rush when I clicked ‘Go Live’ for the first time and suddenly, with no confirmation, warning or acknowledgement of any sort I realised I am live on Twitch, playing Total War: Warhammer III, and anybody could arrive at any moment.

Then came the other challenges—that rush dissipated and I was left staring at my screen trying to think of what content creators are supposed to do, while subconsciously shoving the thought that I now was one back into the cupboard it had sprung from. I wasn’t a content creator, not in my mind. I was an impostor, and truthfully, that impostor syndrome will never ever leave you should you decide to try your hand at content creation. I wrestle with it on a regular basis, sometimes trying to convince myself I am, and sometimes that I’m not, and I know many creators who I genuinely consider far better at this than me who say exactly the same.

So, I started talking. I talked to nobody in particular. I basically thought out loud about the game I was playing, which I’m still partial to doing every now and then. Always talk. If you sit in silence, especially without a camera as I was doing back then, very few people are going to engage with you and you’ll suffer as a result, just like I did. Getting through those early days when I had virtually no followers, and very little going on in the chat, was a real challenge. I wish I could tell you there’s a magic trick to it that’ll get you past it if you’re looking down this road wondering if it’s for you, but there isn’t. In fact, those early days, and that challenge is really the acid test as to whether this is possibly the road for you at all. I found it hard, but even as I struggled I could feel the early stirrings of the passions that pushed me through it. If you’re thinking of trying content creation and don’t have a passion for what you’re talking about or playing, then stop. This isn’t an easy paycheck, it’s not fame and fortune, of all the content creators I know personally, there isn’t one who doesn’t struggle financially. Do it for the love of it, not because you think you’re going to get paid.

So why do it at all? Well, if you’re passionate about it, the people you’ll meet in this weird little corner of the internet are incredible. I have met some of the best friends and in some cases, some of the greatest inspirations and best mentors of my life by taking this road. Being able to share what I love, and create a nucleus around which a community can form is such a privilege. Having friends involved with my passions, even if sometimes that’s in a more passive way than direct participation is something that gives me so much joy and purpose. That sense of worth, and honestly, I probably attach more worth to that feeling than I should, but it is nonetheless a positive in my life that I treasure.

There are so many other lessons I could talk about from this journey, I’ve taken this content creation thing to unhealthy lengths in the past. I’ve used it as an escape from reality, sometimes felt like content creation itself was something I needed to escape from, but couldn’t. I’ve lost my sense of self-worth, and learned to value myself again. I’ve sacrificed my mental health, only to then find ways to better take care of it. If there’s a right way to do content creation from the start, it’s definitely not the way I’ve done it! That’s why content creation is a sanctuary, and sometimes, a prison.

Content creation is, or has been in my experience, a constant series of contradictions, but one I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Wardog Unleashed is part of the SkyNation stream team. You can find him on Twitch or suffering in Renee's videos.