We sat down virtually with Totally Kayt, Twitch charity streamer, The Sims player, and mom about her time streaming, and some of the horror movies she plans to watch!
MT: How long have you been streaming and can you tell us a bit about what you’ve learned about streaming and content creation as a whole during your time in the profession?
Kayt: I’ve been streaming on and off for about 4 years now! When I found out I was pregnant with my first child in 2019, I stepped back from content creation in order to focus on my health during this pregnancy, as it was considered high risk. I did a lot of self reflecting during this time off and started to feel the urge to find myself again through the creation process. I started streaming on Twitch at the beginning of 2021 under a new name that truly encompassed everything that I wanted to do with content creation. To be 100%, absolutely, and totally, me. And so TotallyKayt was born!
MT: Wow that’s a long time! As you said, you’re a mom. How do you juggle streaming with working a full-time job and being a mother? Do you find you face more challenges than your childless peers in the streaming sphere?
Kayt: After our son was born I decided that if I was going to stream I had to make sure that doing so wouldn’t take any time away from him. I tried streaming after he was in bed for the evening, but the late night streams took a toll on me! We even tried early morning streams (once) before he would be awake and before I had to leave for work, but this also didn’t work out for obvious reasons! At this time I was also working 40 hours a week with a 2 hour commute! Luckily I am finally working remotely permanently and on an earlier schedule! I’m able to commit more time to streaming and content creation before my son gets home from my Mom’s house! I think there are challenges that all streamers face and I wouldn’t say that I face more challenges being a mother, just different ones! I do have a much tighter schedule that doesn’t allow me to watch as many other streamers or to get to participate in collaborations like I’d want to, but I had a child to be a mom and that will always be my number one job!
MT: I’m glad you found a schedule that works for you! You also do a lot of charity work, helping to raise money for great events as part of the Team Sidequest Twitch Team. What have been your favorite charities to raise money for either with them or on your own and why those (if any)?
Kayt: St Jude will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first charity that we raised funds for on my old Twitch channel and it was in honor of my Grandfather who passed from esophageal cancer in 2018. Watching him go through cancer was the hardest thing that I have ever experienced, but at least he understood why he was taking treatments. I cannot imagine having to watch my child go through the same thing.
My sims knew I was bisexual LONG before I would actually admit it to myself.
MT: I’m sorry to hear about your loss. I’m glad you’re able to raise money for those that need it. Do you have any charity streams coming up soon? Can we know for who?
Kayt: I’m currently hoping to do another charity stream for the holiday season! We haven’t made a final decision on who to support but I will make sure to let you know!
MT: Noted! You said you’re new to watching horror movies. What are some you’ve heard of recently and want to watch?
Kayt: My list right now is: Fear Street Part 2 and 3, Candyman (2021), A Quiet Place, and working my way through more or the cult classics like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween!
MT: I can tell you right now you’re gonna have a blast with the classics! And what are some you have watched, if any? What do you think about them?
Kayt: The most recent film I watched is Fear Street Part 1! I really loved how it was a mix of the classic slasher films and a supernatural element! I’m not going to lie, I had to sleep with a light on after watching it!!
MT: I’ve yet to see it but I find it adorable you had to sleep with the light on. Back to streaming for a bit, you have a Fanhouse like many creators not happy with Twitch’s 50% cut of their earnings. Can you explain a bit about how opening and curating a Fanhouse has benefited you and your community if at all? How do you feel about the freedom to share a bit more with your community and earn more money for your content? Has it been relieving in a way?
Kayt: I’m still working on figuring out what content that I want to create on Fanhouse, but I think that’s the beauty of it. It’s a place where creators can explore new things and create a different form of content than they do on other platforms! For instance I’m hoping to post more body positive content as well as Tarot readings on Fanhouse since it can be a bit overwhelming on Twitter!
MT: You’re a huge The Sims player. What draws you into the game and keeps you coming back for more?
Kayt: I love the freedom that the series has given me. My sims knew I was bisexual LONG before I would actually admit it to myself. In The Sims 4 I’ve really found a passion for building! I love trying to recreate real floorplans or trying to build fantasy worlds! I’m currently working on recreating the ENTIRE Kanto Region from Pokemon Red/Blue in the world of Willow Creek! I can’t wait to share it with everyone!
MT: I did love that The Sims from game one allowed you to love anyone. We want to thank you for allowing us to interview you and we can’t wait to see your Kanto region!
Kayt is providing cozy yet chaotic vibes to the viewers of Twitch! Her goal is for my streams to be a place for people to wind down from their days and have a few laughs! Think of a group of friends hanging out by a bonfire when suddenly someone decides to see if they can jump over the fire while being pelted with pinecones and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what a TotallyKayt stream is like! They love to play cozy simulation games, story games that make us cry, and comfy crafting times all while raising awareness for amazing causes. They are live Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:30 PM CST!
You can find Kayt at any of her links below!