Meet cosmicquarts (fae/fey), a BroadcastHER Grant winner!

What is your dream in gaming, esports, and/or content creation?

My dream is to be a self-sufficient queer, disabled, femme streamer and artist. I aim to improve accessibility, mental health advocacy, and equity in the gaming industry through my art and content. I also hope to uplift fellow marginalized folk through community-building and event planning.

Last year, I founded Spoon Platoon — a disability-focused stream community that ran a two-week-long raid train featuring 120-plus disabled and chronically ill creators. We are currently planning this year’s event, and celebrating our one-year anniversary.

I’m looking forward to opening applications and inviting new members into our space.

Twitch has been an integral part of my content journey and self discovery, and I hope to one day become Partner or Unity Guild Leader. Until then, I’ll continue to advocate for a Disability Pride Guild — as both the Women’s and Pride Unity Guilds have helped me find community and I believe the disabled community deserves to feel welcomed and supported in the same way.

There are so many of us who are unable to attend IRL events due to accessibility concerns and deserve more opportunities to advance in the industry.

Please share how winning support from 1,000 Dreams Fund is important to your dream and what impact it will have on your career?

Winning this grant is allowing me to attend my first ever TwitchCon, which is a dream come true. As a chronically ill and disabled person who has struggled to find work for nearly two years, it has been impossible to consider attending up until now — as I’m on the East Coast and travel expenses are steep.

Still, I’ve streamed for about four years now and have always wanted to go. I also struggle with outdated tech for my streams — a PC that’s 11-plus years old, and a 64GB iPhone from 2018, which has limited the number of videos I can edit as well as the types of streams I can do (co-working graphic design or video editing on stream is impossible with my current setup, as is playing large games like Baldur’s Gate).

It’s my hope that one day I can IRL stream from conventions, as it is a beloved special interest of mine to cosplay and attend cons. Recently, I’ve been speaking on panels at conventions, as well, and discovering how much I enjoy doing so.

Taking positive steps in this area is allowing me to connect with brands I’ve admired for years, and gain sponsored opportunities to improve my setup, and get the additional assistance I need to thrive in this space.

I thank 1,000 Dreams Fund from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to take this very important step in my career — and hope it allows me to connect with others who both inspire and support me. As an artist, it is also my hope to one day vend an artist alley at a future convention, so having a chance to see the artists at TwitchCon will also be incredibly exciting.

What advice do you have for women & femmes who want to work in gaming, esports, and/or content creation?

Don’t give up on your dreams. Look for community online, and do what sparks joy. You don’t have to be a pro FPS player to be a gamer or deserve a spot in this industry. There are so many roles, games, and people that want to connect with your authentic interests. Whether you play cozy games like Fields of Mistria, or challenges like Bloodborne, you are valid.

Don’t waste time forcing yourself to like games that don’t suit you because there are hundreds, if not thousands of choices that do.

We may have to fight harder for these opportunities, but you don’t have to do it alone. There are so many mentors within 1DF that want to support you and your dreams, but they can’t do it if you don’t ask. Your dreams are worth fighting for, regardless of what anybody thinks is possible. Be the first woman/femme you know to break into the industry, because you never know who you’ll inspire to do the same. Your inner child is worth it.