How Streaming Found Me When I Needed It Most

I didn’t start streaming in 2025 because I had everything figured out. I started because I was at a low point in my life, and wanted to try something I'd always wanted to do but just never had the confidence.

This post contains gifted content, but all thoughts are honest and my own.

At the time, life felt small and heavy. I was at a low point emotionally, craving connection but unsure where to find it. Gaming had always been a comfort for me, so hitting “go live” felt like a quiet act of hope more than a bold career move. I didn’t expect much, maybe a few familiar usernames, maybe just the comfort of not being alone in my own thoughts.

Little by little, a community formed. Not just viewers, but people. I began building a Discord space centred around girl gamers and supportive allies, a place that felt safe, welcoming, and genuinely kind. It became somewhere you could show up exactly as you are, whether you were cracked at the game or just there to chat and unwind. Watching friendships grow there, alongside my own confidence, has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.

On TikTok, the growth surprised me even more. Almost 9,000 followers now, people who laugh with me, laugh at me, hype me up, and remind me daily that authenticity really does resonate. Twitch followed in its own way too, slower but steady, with familiar faces becoming regulars and regulars becoming friends.

As a streamer, I bring my full self to every broadcast, chaotic aim, big laughs, and even bigger energy. On SugarPinkLatoyah, I mostly dive into FPS games like Fortnite alongside nostalgic throwbacks like Tomb Raider, blending action-packed gameplay with genuine, unfiltered moments that reflect who I am both on and off the controller.

My streams are a space where unpredictability is part of the fun, whether that’s clutch plays, hilarious fails, or genuinely heartfelt chats with the squad. ADHD-fuelled enthusiasm, community jokes, spontaneous dances, and plenty of “did that really just happen?” moments have become part of the SugarPinkLatoyah vibe, and that’s exactly why people choose to hang out, play, and just be themselves with me live. 

One moment that really made everything feel real was collaborating with Neon Daddy. They created the most incredible custom neon name sign for my setup, and it honestly stopped me in my tracks when I first saw it lit up on stream.

It wasn’t just décor, it was validation. A visual reminder that this thing I started during a lonely, uncertain chapter of my life had grown into something tangible, creative, and worth investing in. Every time it glows behind me on stream, it reminds me how far I’ve come and how proud I’m allowed to be of this journey. 

One of the wildest moments of this journey was spending 69 hours trying to land a single trick on Skate. What started as pure stubbornness turned into something so much bigger! The lives took off, pulling in over 100,000 viewers, with people checking back in, cheering me on, and genuinely rooting for me to land it.

Every failed attempt somehow made everyone more invested, and the encouragement kept me pushing when I probably would’ve quit on my own. When I finally stuck the trick, the celebration felt communal, and seeing Skate themselves comment on the post was unreal. It was one of those moments that reminded me how powerful shared determination and community support can be, even over something as simple (and chaotic) as a virtual skateboard trick. 

But the numbers and brand collabs aren’t the heart of this story.

The heart is the people I’ve met. The friends I now get to hang out with and play alongside. The community game nights filled with chaos, laughter, and inside jokes. The late-night chats that remind you you’re not alone, even when life gets messy.

Streaming helped me find my voice again. It gave me the confidence to stop shrinking myself and just be me, loud, soft, awkward, silly enthusiastic, honest. All of it.

I started streaming because I felt lonely. I keep streaming because I found connection, joy, and a version of myself I genuinely like. And that, more than anything, is what 2025 gave me. 

If you would like to follow along on my streaming journey, you can find me on Twitch here and TikTok here!