We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tim Penix. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tim below.
Hi Tim, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
When I first became a creator on Twitch, I wanted to not only provide entertainment and show my passion for all things video games, but I wanted to give back in some way. In late 2014, I made my first nonprofit fundraising effort for Extra Life, the charity fundraising effort for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH). That event yielded $220 raised for my local CMNH and started my path of including fundraising for nonprofits every year. To date, I have helped raise over $11,662 in total across numerous nonprofit organizations to include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Wounded Warrior Project, and most recently Point of Pride, an organization that provides financial aid and direct support to trans people for health and wellness care.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My path to becoming a content creator started in 2011 while watching the Electronic Entertainment Expo, as known as E3. I was watching the show and using Twitter to give my thoughts and reviews of gaming news. A friend of mine suggested that I create a blog to put all of this on and allow others to read it. I took that advice and started a blog that lasted for several years. I discovered Twitch in 2012 from that same friend suggesting I watch people “play video games”. I found it intriguing so I made an account and went from there.
I grew from being a viewer in creator channels, to becoming a chat moderator for some popular content creators, and finally putting on my own stream and before I knew it, I was a content creator and influencer on Twitch. I would go on to be a community manager for a local Twitch community meet up group in Orlando, FL and attaining my partnership on Twitch in 2017. April 2014 was when I started to become a committed creator on Twitch and it has been an experience I have loved. I have met some of the most talented, inspirational people, experienced life-changing opportunities, and made real impact in the world through charity fundraising.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Since it was still a very new and open world in live content creation in 2014, I was trying to take in as much information as possible and analyze everything I could. If I could go back and see myself, I would say to not put as much focus on the numbers and data. While that is great information and will help you grow, becoming too invested in that information could lead to self-doubt and destruction.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
When I first began fundraising for nonprofit organizations in 2014, I wanted to make as much of a real world impact as I could. Each nonprofit that I have supported and fundraised for has had a special meaning or impact in my life. From being a military veteran and supporting the Wounded Warrior Project to working on my own mental health and supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. My goal in content creation has been to not only provide entertainment and share my passion, but help someone, somewhere, in some way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gamrenchantment/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penixta/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GamrEnchantment