Interview with Imperialgrrl: The Creative Geek That Loves Sewing

Imperialgrrl is a full-time mom and part-time streamer with a knack for sewing! You may see her streaming a video game or a sewing session where she's making her next cosplay outfit. All we know is if you're looking for a fun creative streamer, she just may be your gal.

How’d you get your gaming name?

I’m a member of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming club. My regular username was taken, so I used the one I used there which is my backup. That and I’m an enormous Star Wars geek.

Why’d you start streaming and what’s your favorite part about it?

I started streaming because I loved what I saw the first time I watched it; the personal interaction, the community, the entertainment. I wanted to be a part of it, and being a viewer wasn’t scratching that itch. So I decided to give it a try and I never looked back.

My favorite part of it is the relationships I’ve been able to make during my time on Twitch. I truly enjoy meeting people, and this provided an excellent avenue for doing that. I’ve had the amazing pleasure to meet people from all over the world, and in many cases call them friends.

Is streaming your full-time job? If not, what’s your day-to-day job?

I’d like it to be more of a full-time job, but right now it’s a part-time one. I retired early from working for The Man™ to take care of my two young kids. It was a pretty great trade off.

How do you feel about the community you’ve gathered in your stream?

I’m constantly reminded how lucky I am to be surrounded by such amazing people. I know that may sound like the usual answer, and so might this - I mean it. They’re kind, funny, and take care of one another. I try to foster the type of community that I myself would feel welcome in, and I hope that I’ve done just that.

Are there any major changes you feel would improve not only Twitch Creative, but Twitch as a platform?

I think that Twitch Creative has a unique foothold in the Twitch space. We’re a category with such wildly varying skills and focus areas that it’s even hard to contain us just in “creative”. I’d love to see Creative get more attention on a top level - I love to see Twitch branching out into other forms of media hosting, but I’d also love to see some of that outreach (weekly emails, partner spotlights, etc) give Creative some time as well.

What’s your setup look like?

Top 3 favorite games of all time?

1. Star Wars: Galaxies
2. World of Warcraft
3. Overwatch

Are there any particularly memorable moments that happened on stream?

My most memorable moments are all related to our St. Jude streams. Seeing the generosity of people never ceases to amaze me. And I love paying that forward whenever I can. Those are my favorite moments. That and when a bear kills me when I’m playing Rust.

What's been your strangest live-stream experience?

I think my strangest live-stream experience has to be when someone I’d known 10 years earlier, having met at a Convention, stumbled upon my channel. RL and Twitch crashing hard into one another!

How do you keep yourself motivated to keep going even on those tough days in stream?

I remember how I feel when I’m surrounded by people that I love and that seem to care for me right back, and it keeps me going. I know that 99/100 times I feel better post stream than I felt pre.

What has been your favorite convention experience?

Hearing the sounds of people meeting their friends for the first time in person at TwitchCon 2016. The excited voices were enough to melt the coldest of hearts.

What’s your first memory of gaming?

Back in the day we played video games walking uphill both ways in the snow. My first memory is of the Tron arcade game that I used to play in a bowling alley when I was around 9 years old. I couldn’t get enough of it, and I still can’t pass one without stopping to play.

How long do you see yourself on Twitch?

I used to think it was going to be a short term thing. But now, two years into partnership, I just don’t know. I certainly don’t see any end in sight right now!