Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Courtney Taniguchi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been a full-time Twitch streamer and content creator for almost 6 years.

At first, it started off as a hobby. Just something to do outside of my main job. I’ve had a passion for video games ever since I was a little girl and I would watch my mom play the original Nintendo. The art, music, and storytelling in games always resonated with me more than other media, so I’ve been gaming my whole life.

One day I just said, “Why not try and stream it since I’m playing games in my free time anyway?”. And that’s how it all started.
About 3-4 months in, I was realizing that people enjoyed watching my content and participating in the community I was building, and about 10 months into streaming, I had the opportunity to leave my current job to pursue content creation full-time. There was a big shift in mindset. Going from hobby streaming to depending on content creation for your livelihood required a completely different approach. Just like building any small business, there is an incredible amount of work that goes into the branding of your channel, the promotion of your content, and the technical aspects of the job.
After I had really built the foundation of my brand, I found more opportunities to incorporate other creative endevours, like music, into my content. Dabbling in multiple content genres not only allowed me to stretch my creative muscles, but also made my business more sustainable through multiple revenue streams. Throughout my content creation career, I have also really found my place in charity and advocacy work. I am one of the lead organizers of the largest collaborative fundraiser on Twitch for Lupus research, advocacy, and education, called Game On! To End Lupus, where we’ve raised over $500,000 to date for the Lupus Foundation of America. I speak up on my experience as a Lupus Warrior and how I manage running my content creation business with an invisible disability. Most recently, I have been spending a lot of my time as one of the leaders of the Twitch Women’s Guild, which is a program that fights for equity for femmes in the content creation space by uplifting and amplifying their voices, projects, and businesses.

As much as I would have loved to start my creative journey sooner, and would have liked to reach success faster, I’m glad I didn’t. My previous jobs prepared me with the fundamental skills I needed to be able to run my own business, and I don’t think I would have been prepared for the demand of content creation if I didn’t have that experience. I still made mistakes along the way, but every one of those setbacks taught me something I didn’t know before, which made me into a better business owner.

Courtney , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Coco! A Twitch content creator and streamer, speedrunner, and musician.

I create a wide variety of content, which consists of a casual discovery of new games to competitive speedrunning of old classics. I play the occasional music show, but also showcase my other creative endeavors, such as cross-stitching.
The most important aspect of my channel is my community. No matter what content I provide, the focus is always around creating a space where community members can come and unapologetically be their authentic selves. We have people from all walks of life, and when we come together we can learn from each other and move forward to make this world a little bit of a better place through advocacy, education, and charity work.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of embracing my creative side is knowing that I’m always going to be at my best because I’m so passionate about what I do. Before I transitioned to content creation, I felt this weight on my shoulders all the time because I knew deep down that I would never reach my full potential working in a field that I wasn’t fully invested in.

I’ve heard you’ve really struck gold when you can find a job in a field that you’re passionate about, that you’re good at, and that you can get paid for. I’m so grateful to have found that job.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

One of the biggest goals in my journey is to help create space for marginalized communities in the tech and gaming landscapes. There is a huge opportunity for better representation across many facets of the industry, and advocacy and charity work is something that I’ve been very passionate about since the beginning. Discussing my own experiences with the systemic barriers I’ve had to face, has led to many tough conversations on what the industry is like for women and femme creators. And while the industry has made some strides for better representation, there is still a lot of work to do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cococonfession/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CocoConfession
• Other: https://www.twitch.tv/cococonfession