Uploaded and Unfiltered: Conversations about Personal Growth, Mindsets, and Advice with BIPOC Creators for Creators

Carving Out Authenticity [Guest: SmittyChu]

• Jermaine Pulliam • Season 1 • Episode 46

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When SmittyChu and I, Jermaine, sit down to chat, it's never just about gaming—it's about the journey. Smitty, the horror streaming dynamo with a sunny South Florida flair, regales us with tales from her quirky start in the digital world, propelled by a suggestion from her then-boyfriend. Transitioning from impromptu game sessions to carving out a niche in horror and FPS games, she unveils the behind-the-scenes process of shifting from live streams to meticulously edited VODs and broadening her digital footprint, revealing how our personal quirks, like her love for Pikachu, can become our brands' hallmarks. It's a heartfelt dialogue offering encouragement and practical advice for all creators looking to grow and stay grounded.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome. Welcome back to another episode of uploaded and unfiltered the podcast in which I, your host Jermaine, interviews another content creator in regards to their journey thus far. This episode, as always, I have a special guest. Before we get started, I'm going to read their bio. Introduce them so we can get a little bit of information on them, so we can get them started on this conversation. Smitty Chu is a South Florida Jit, born and raised and has streamed off and on for seven years, but, taking it more seriously this year, she's mainly a horror streamer but does dabble in FPS games like Apex Legends. She's a bundle of energy which at times she doesn't even know what to do with. She's a part-time content creator for now and worked full-time in a mental health field. She loves anime, psychological shows and horror movies, slash books. She also has a major obsession with Pikachu and honestly, she doesn't even know why. And with that I'd like to introduce my guest for the evening. Smitty, welcome to the podcast. How you doing?

Speaker 1:

I'm good yeah, I think ever since I've known you, you've been obsessed with uh pikachu. I never even thought to ask why.

Speaker 2:

I was just like all right smitty like pikachu I don't know, one day I just bought one thing that was pikachu related and then I went to the store at another time and I was like, oh, it's a pikachu, okay, I'm just get this. And then I went to the store at another time and I was like, oh, it's a pikachu, okay, I'm just get this. And then I went to another store and I was like, oh, they got a pikachu thing, I'm gonna get this. Ever since then it hasn't ended?

Speaker 1:

and do people buy you pikachu stuff too?

Speaker 2:

that's what I say. The best way to my heart is pikachu yeah, I, I have a some.

Speaker 1:

For some reason in high school somebody bought me a superman like teddy bear and then ever since then, no, nothing but superman. I like killed it. It's kind of dead now, but for the longest I was like he's a superman cook, superman mug, and I'm like, thanks, I don't even like superman like that. All right, smitty. I'm gonna ask you, like I ask everyone who starts this podcast how did you get started in content creation?

Speaker 2:

so 2017? Only reason why I know that is because I looked at my old clips and I was like oh, oh, wait, can I curse?

Speaker 1:

yeah, yeah, it's out of the filter.

Speaker 2:

You can say I was like, oh shit, 2017. Okay, so when I play games, I'm already talking to them, I'm already yelling at them like I'm yelling at the tv when I used to um play games on tv. So boyfriend at the time was like, oh, have you heard of twitch? People like stream games on there. And his friends heard me screaming on the other line and they was like she should be streaming, that she'd be acting like that without actually streaming. So I was like no, give it a try.

Speaker 1:

Ever since then, yeah, that's wild, that is crazy. Like yeah, that. So you're telling me the way that you are interacting with these damn horror games on stream. That's you without a camera in front of you that's me without a camera.

Speaker 2:

That's me.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes it's toned down a bit, yeah, because I'm not living by myself, okay, but I'm getting to that point where I'm not caring anymore and I'm just gonna full-on go, yes yo, if I'm being honest, I wish, like when the the fam's not home or if it's like during the day, I could be a little louder, but I usually stream at night, so my streams are like all right, oh shit, there's something scary.

Speaker 2:

I'm like I'm screaming nah fuck that I'm surprised my neighbors. I'm not even gonna jinx myself, we're just gonna leave it there yeah, yeah, yeah don't call that all right, that's dope, so.

Speaker 1:

So it's pretty straightforward. So have you only been doing twitch this entire time, or have you been dabbling in anything else?

Speaker 2:

I tried d live, I think, for like a day and I was like, yeah, no church. And then kick came out and I went to kick for a day and I was like, yeah, this church. And then kick came out and I went to kick for a day and I was like, yeah, this is literally me having to start completely over and I don't see the point right. So I went back to twitch, but now I'm doing youtube too, but that's not.

Speaker 1:

That's not streaming, though yeah, but I mean, it's still content creation and I think it's a smart move, like I've been telling people if you have a twitch, just make a eclipse youtube page. And I've been telling people, if you have a Twitch, just make a clips YouTube page. There's no clips of. If that's all you can do, it'll work. Exactly Cool. So let's go ahead and switch gears. What's your current mindset in regards to the content? You just said you're starting up a YouTube, so what's the current mindset in regards to that stuff?

Speaker 2:

I am at the point now. I, like you said, like I said, seven years, in the beginning I wasn't really like posting clips, I wasn't really editing VODs and stuff. So now, the way I'm going at it, I'm actually editing the videos that I like, my VODs from Twitch I'm posting on YouTube. I'm learning how to video edit. So I'm actually trying to put myself more out there outside of streaming, because in the beginning I was streaming, I was networking too, but I was in other people's streams, talking with them, interacting with them, interacting on Twitter, but I wasn't putting out my own stuff. I got on TikTok two years late.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, true.

Speaker 2:

I was one of those people. I was like I ain't doing no TikTok, too much social media, but now it's like I got to try to grow that. So my mindset right now is I'm on the move. I don't say grind, it sounds so like, it sounds so stressful, yes, so I say we move. So I'm moving right now, like everything is on a hundred, that's awesome, all right.

Speaker 1:

dope Cause is on 100, that's awesome. All right, though, because, yeah, like you said, like there was that time where everybody was going to tiktok and I feel like I was seeing people like get their little followings and blowing up, but I was in that mindset of man, fuck, I don't want another goddamn social media, right. And now I'm like, let me upload my shit to tiktok, exactly.

Speaker 2:

I mean, it is three years late, exactly. It is what it is before we leave.

Speaker 1:

It is what it is Before we leave your current mindset. I wanted to know where did your screen name come from, because you mentioned, oh, smittychoo. Yeah, you mentioned in your bio that you go by a lot of names on or you have when you were streaming. And Smittychoo is the only one I know. So what's the details on?

Speaker 2:

that A lot of names is what people call me. I have people. I have one person that calls me shitty chew. Don't ask me where they got that from. He just randomly started calling me shitty chew and I was like, okay, sir, yeah, I got people that call me thicky chew. It's always something chew. So I have a variety of names from other people that they call me, but I've always been smitty chew. That makes sense. That name came up, which is funny, because I just retweeted a post about my old school gamer tag.

Speaker 2:

Okay, it used to be kool-aid smiles okay, and I still have the picture of why people called me kool-aid smiles. So, with that being said, I was in the military. So you know, in the military you go by your last name, people. Somebody ended up calling me Smitty and I was like, oh, okay. And then I was like, hmm, I want to change my name, but I don't really know what to change it to. And I was like, huh, I'm obsessed with pikachu. People call me smitty and that's where smitty 2 came from, even though everyone thinks I'm a man anytime I come in their chat. But everyone thinks I'm like you see my name? It looks kind of gross, right.

Speaker 1:

I feel like they see smitty yeah and they're like man dude, I get right like the first time I've seen you like. I mean, smitty 2 is the first time I've seen you streaming, so it's just associated with that, but I guess I can see how people did that also. I don't know why I didn't realize the back end of that was pikachu.

Speaker 2:

What the fuck yeah, pikachu smitty choo wow wow, I am slipping I gotta tat it on me too damn bars.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, by the way, she be spitting bars in her stream too, like. I beg do it, she do it for she gets like a redeem for it, like sometimes it's too much about booty, though, so I mean, it is what it is you know it is what it is at this point.

Speaker 1:

I'm booty chew, is that one? Did somebody call you that? Yes, all right, but um, as much as you talk about booties in your stream anyways. Yeah, all right, smitty, we're going to drop some knowledge on somebody, some people, somewhere. Yes, lessons learned. This is where I ask my fellow content creators what lessons have you learned because you started creating content?

Speaker 2:

so I think I I'm gonna just assume I have three, okay, bet let's go.

Speaker 2:

I'm gonna assume so first. First, mental health. The one thing I learned as far as, like it comes to your mental health, take the breaks that you need. I've been streaming on and off and there was a lot of breaks in between those. I would disappear for two, two weeks, three months, six. But you know, working on how you're actually feeling with yourself is very important, because you're not going to be able to give the best to you if you're not feeling the best you. So there's that. Yes, very heavy. I am a person that's very heavy on mental health. As you see, I work at it now, so very heavy when it comes to mental health and even working on my own.

Speaker 2:

The second thing would definitely be what I've learned is to create action, like create a schedule that you follow. Now, obviously, you're not always going to be able to follow that schedule, so revamp it as you need to, but at least have something planned out so you know what you need to do. You know the days that you need to stream. You know the times that you need to stream to do. You know the days that you need to stream. You know the times that you need to stream if you're video editing, you know what specific days you're gonna video edit, at what time you're gonna video edit, how long you're gonna video edit for, as well as like, if you're uploading content and stuff like that just having that set schedule so you have an idea of, okay, today is this day.

Speaker 2:

I need to do this, this, this, because for me, in the beginning, I did kind of have a schedule for streaming, but I was still all over the place, so I feel like that would be. Having a schedule would definitely keep more of an organized system going. What was my third one dang I done lost what I was gonna say.

Speaker 1:

Let's see mental health mental health schedule lessons learned what was the? Question what's the lesson that you learned? Uh, because you started creating content oh, biggest one.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I got loud that one. Yeah, biggest one. I am my worst enemy. So I have come to the point where I realize a lot of the either, mistakes I've made errors, all of that stuff. I can't think of the actual word I want to say. I'm having a brain fart, but, um, the things that I've noticed within myself, me taking so many breaks, all came down to me either being demotivated, me being sad, or depressed, however you want to go about it, and I came to realize me criticizing myself too much, you know, comparing myself to other people that's doing similar as me. So I feel like when it what I learned from all of that is, instead of being your biggest critic, be your biggest fan. So, even if it's something that you're not really proud of that you're doing, or you're not really happy with the product I learned this from youtube because I've been doing some research.

Speaker 2:

Okay, as long as it's 70 perfection, because I have a problem with perfectionism yeah, as long as the thing that you're working on is at least 70, perfect to you, you could pick whatever percentage. Obviously don't make it be 80, 90, right, but if it's like 50, 60, 65, as long as it's within that range for you, post it, because if you're sitting there just trying to go over what you need to fix, what you need to fix, what you need to fix, you'll never have anything put out. No one would ever be able to see it, no one will know that you're going through all of that, right? So it's best to be your biggest fan. Whatever you're working on, just be super proud of it, put it out. Yeah, so that's something else. That was the biggest thing for me. That I'm my worst enemy, yeah, but now I'm becoming my best friend.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I don't have a pause button, but I would hit it here If I did. I, um, I 100 agree with your third point. There. I too struggled, used to struggle, from a perfection perfectionism I guess you would call it. One thing that I did is I just I did a minute video straight. I said what I had to say. I didn't edit that motherfucker and I just posted it just so I can get through what. I didn't know what was gonna happen. I was like, oh, it has to be perfect. So people are gonna clown me, like when I know what was going to happen, I was like, oh, I guess it'd be perfect.

Speaker 2:

People are going to clown me when I think about it.

Speaker 1:

I don't give a fuck. When I consciously think about it, I don't give a fuck and so I just put it out there so my subconscious can see, hey, you're alive, nobody said shit and people actually liked it. And I'm like, oh, all right, and I kind of lock that, uh, you don't have to be perfect. And, like you said 70, put that picture up, do it. Put it up, it's better to have quantity.

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm not even gonna say that, because it's like a mixture quantity quality, right but, you know, as long as it's good enough that's the motto that I've been trying to go by is as long as it's good enough, because perfection doesn't exist. It's all about progress, exactly that's what I say he is for progress, not perfection you know what's wild is I?

Speaker 1:

I think I've had a youtube channel for I don't know. Let's say it was 10 years. Like I went back and looked at my first video and at the time that version of me was like yo, this is perfect. I, I took three weeks to put this out. I put it up. That shit was trash. Like I'm looking at it now I'm like what was I thinking? Yo?

Speaker 2:

Oh, my God, cringe oh.

Speaker 1:

I need to. I need to cut that out. I'm like I'm going to make a vid. That's my next video.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to cut that out and be like I thought this was perfect at the time, me like just get your rough draft out, get the idea, the essence of the video you want, and just put it up, because just put it up, nobody especially come back. Yes, you could come back to it if you see it. You see things that you need to fix. You could revamp whatever you need to fix in the next video exactly. So learn from the mistakes you think you had in a prior video to make the next one better. Because if I look at my video, I'm sure that intro I was like what the hell? It was glitching and everything. I was like you know what and I posted it anyway. That video has like 10k views exactly.

Speaker 1:

I was like y'all, exactly exactly. I was up for the longest time. I was like I don't want something that I had like a throwaway idea to blow up, like it's not like my normal content, because I was like I don't want to have to keep doing that. And I was like a throwaway idea to blow up, like it's not like my normal content, because I was like I don't want to have to keep doing that and I was like you don't have to like, especially with tick, tock, like just run through content. So whatever he comes to mind, just put that up, because it's your channel.

Speaker 2:

You're gonna somebody gonna like it is your channel. Go with what you feel it's the best for you. Don't go try to follow what other people are doing. Please don't do that.

Speaker 1:

It was best for you, yeah yeah, that was my downfall when I first started streaming. I don't know why, but I was looking at everybody else. I'm like, oh, I could do that, oh, I could do that, and kind of replicated it. And then, once I deviated from that is when my channel started to take off, because I was like, oh y'all, are you can actually do some dope shit over here. Y'all are half-ass sleeping.

Speaker 2:

And then anyways, being your authentic self, exactly. Yes, so well you know what?

Speaker 1:

we're already here. We kind of did this a little bit in lessons learned, but there's never too much advice to give you, given so smitty. If you had to give some advice to somebody who was thinking about content creation, or is one who's been doing it for a while, what type of advice would you give them?

Speaker 2:

schedule schedule yes, I won't say it's number one, but it's there yeah, it's one to not forget about right? Definitely, because even if you just have to stream for one day, have your day planned out. Yeah, I guess, I guess. Yeah, have your day picked.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, have your time picked and that's your, just your one day yeah, I was about to say uh, that leads into the consistency part that everybody says and like we kind of regurgitate it and like it's hard to do, but once you get it in a rotation it does work for you.

Speaker 2:

Consistency has been my uh tonight, I guess oh wow.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I know, I see consistency. I'm like yeah, I know, I feel that I same biggest.

Speaker 2:

Biggest one, though, when it comes to content creating, is whether you're starting or you're already doing. It be yourself. There's a lot of people out here, which is funny because I see the video on it.

Speaker 2:

I'm gonna bring up cory kenshin, I'm sorry go ahead I've seen the video on him on now core kenshin but on people that are literally copying his style and they act just. I literally seen the guy that acts exactly like cory kenshin and I was like, sir, you're just giving me cory kenshin vibes. That's crazy. So be you, be you. That's the biggest thing. Yes, you can get ideas from other people, but revamp it to match you. Revamp it to match who you are, your character and all of that stuff. Don't just completely copy or it wouldn't be emulating. Yeah, don't just completely emulate someone else. Put your own little spin and twist to it, because people are gonna notice.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, with that guy, I went through his comments and people were like, bro, you're biting off of cory, can you like be yourself? This is this. He's growing, yes, but still, yeah, it's like people are gonna attach you, you to somebody else and you don't really want that unless you really don't care. But if you don't really want that, be yourself. That's my biggest thing for anyone that's starting out is go in there with the mindset of I am good enough, I don't need to be like this streamer. I don't need to be like that streamer. This person might be doing the same thing as me, but they're doing better than me. It doesn't matter. We all are moving at our own speed. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I remind myself that almost every goddamn day because I'd be trying to sprint and it don't work. But it's a marathon, not a sprint. Everyone has their time at their time, exactly. So be your authentic self that is again I.

Speaker 1:

It took me a while to learn that, and the lesson that I learned from being my authentic self is it makes creating content so much more fun, and it's easier.

Speaker 2:

And it's easier, yes, because you're not trying to think.

Speaker 1:

You're not trying to think. You're not trying to think of something that you're not. You're like, oh, I think this is funny, or I think this is interesting, and you just make that video, or you just play the game on stream the way that you would do it like if you were not on camera yeah, you don't have to fake a persona you're just being you, so it's easy, exactly because I feel like if you're trying to be something else, it takes more.

Speaker 2:

What is it? Energy? It's not brain length, wavelength it takes more wavelength. Yes, yes, for you to try to do that, and you're gonna get burnt out faster than if you were to just be you.

Speaker 1:

Yes, but yeah yeah, I think a lot of people tell everybody to be authentic, but I don't think they not that they don't know why, but most people are like, well, why would I do that? What's the benefit? I could blow up doing this. It's like oh, you're gonna burn out quick trying to pretend to be somebody else, like maybe that was a dope.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for that words of advice and, um, I'm going to go ahead and give you the floor. Where would you like to send the people who are listening as far as, oh, recursion, no consuming, consuming your content you'll say regurgitating it was like eating my throwing up my stuff consuming, consume I'm you know what I'm saying consuming your content.

Speaker 2:

Oh wow, all right, yes, yes, twitch. Everything is smitty chew. You can't. You can't not find me, so twitch would be one if, um, you want to watch me live playing these horror games, like I like he said. Like I said, you know, however it goes, I'm always playing some type of scary game. I don't know why I do this to myself, but here I am, which is crazy because I started off with fps games did you heavy, heavy yeah, I was destiny playing destiny apex was a long long run.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, destiny was very long. That's crazy. But that was something else that I learned too, when people was like, be variety, don't be stuck on one thing, because then people will only be there for that one thing. So I was like, oh, horror has a variety of games there. I am um youtube. I am uploading videos every week, except last week because I was like really busy, but every week trying to get that going as well. So if you are not able to catch the streams, you can possibly, depending on when it gets edited, you can catch the edited down version On YouTube. Tiktok is the same Smitty Chew Twitter.

Speaker 1:

Smitty.

Speaker 2:

Chew, but yeah, so mainly Twitch YouTube. I am mostly trying to um get up there as far as building, yeah, hell, yeah, all right, because I know tiktok's about to get bad too it looks like that might be the case, uh, which is weird youtube shorts for me yeah, instagram reels, I don't know I need to go. No, I don't even want to bombard my instagram anymore exactly like my, instagram is barely on its last legs we'll see. It'll just be pictures of me. I don't even know what you want to see crazy pictures?

Speaker 1:

hit on the instagram instagram you know what it is.

Speaker 2:

You can't go wrong that is dope.

Speaker 1:

Uh, let's go ahead. And as you listeners aren't, I don't know how you found the podcast. Actually, I do know how you found the podcast uploaded and unfiltered. We are everywhere uh apple music, spotify, alexa has a podcast place that you can find some. Any podcast podcast catcher, just search the name up and you'll find it. Uh, subscribe, leave me a message. I think you can send a text to the show now. Uh, somebody, do that, dare you? I will read it on on screen. Don't put anything too crazy. Uh, other than that, I will uh talk to y'all later again. Smitty, thank you for doing this. I appreciate you doing it. It was oh so awesome.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for having me. I'm not nervous. No, I'm not sweating.

Speaker 1:

Oh wait, I lied, my armpits are wet I lied wow, wow, well, you didn't sound nervous, you killed it, I did it. Yeah, you already know exactly um as always, uh, protect your mental, keep creating content, and I will talk to y'all in the next one peace, content. And I will talk to y'all in the next one Peace.