Freelance illustrator, painter, and creative variety streamer @Mojo_jojo97 loves making art — both digitally and traditionally! Her favorite mediums are Procreate and Photoshop for digital pieces and acrylic and charcoal pencil for traditional work. This BroadcastHER Grant winner is generally working on commissions or illustrations on stream; or she might be playing Dead by Daylight and Phasmophobia XD. Oh, and she also likes to play with makeup; she’s had an obsession with colorful eye shadow since she was 14!

What is your dream as a digital broadcaster?

I want to express the ways in which my creative journey is tied to my personal development and vice versa. I try to encourage other Black femmes to explore different ways to express themselves by talking about my experiences and growth.

How will the BroadcastHER Grant from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals?

This grant will help me upgrade and purchase equipment to create higher quality content. I’ll be able to create more diverse content to showcase more of my talents and interests.

What does being the recipient of the BroadcastHER Grant mean to you?

My mom always told me that “a closed mouth don’t get fed.” I have been taking more leaps of faith in hopes of creating better content — and applying for this grant was one of them. Receiving the news that I was a recipient further solidified that I am moving in the right direction. It’s validating and encouraging to see that others have invested in my content, as well.

Women are underrepresented in gaming, broadcasting, and e-sports. What can we do to change this?

I think we need to make sure that we are supporting women who want to enter roles in the gaming industry that aren’t as visible to consumers. This includes game developers, management, and other internal positions. We need to change the faces of the gatekeepers of the industry, behind the scenes, in order to get equal opportunity across the industry.

What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?

Aside from the harassment that I am almost always subjected to just by being a Black woman in a very white- and male-dominated space, I also have struggled with trying to balance streaming with my personal responsibilities. Dealing with declines in my mental health exasperates the exhaustion that comes with trying to manage school, work, and streaming. Having all of these challenges layered on top of each other has led me to experience burnout several times.

What advice do you have for women who want to start broadcasting?

When you first start out streaming, there is this common idea that you should be the most bipartisan version of yourself to attract a broader range of people to your content. This can lead to people feeling like they shouldn’t set too many boundaries because they want to seem as “accepting’” as they can — and it can set you up for some moderation trouble down the line.

Your channel needs to be a comfortable space for you — above anything else. You get to set the tone for how people interact with you and the members of your community. It’s okay to want to attract likeminded people. Being authentic to yourself, along with moderating your community, is the best way to do that. Keeping this in mind can aid you in fostering a community of people who are actually invested in YOU and your content.

How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?

There are so many different habits I’ve had to break or acquire in order to help me stay focused and motivated. But the biggest thing that has helped me is to give myself the time to create just for sake of creating. I take breaks to give myself the chance to explore my creativity without the expectation of putting out content or trying to grow my platforms. It’s freeing and it brings me a sense of clarity that allows me to return to focusing on my goals with a bit more clarity. It’s expected that you will reach a point when you lose a bit of motivation and focus, but I like to see these moments as areas of opportunity.