Hey 2022!
I took a bit of a break from blogging, videos and streams at the end of 2021. I’m back on that content grind though and thought I’d pop in here to give you a bit of an update of what’s been up, happening and what to expect in 2022.
Originally when I started Tech Girl (all the way back in 2012, so yes ten years ago!) I used to do a lot of these updates and over the years shared a lot of personal opinions and feelings. Over time, I stopped doing that. Sharing stuff on the internet is pretty scary after awhile and it felt like too many people thought they had some sort of direct line to my personal life. I think I’ve figured out how to find balance now so I’ll go back to the personal stuff you love but with a little bit of a barrier involved.
This post was going to be a video but I didn’t feel comfortable sharing some stuff in such a raw format. I’m hoping to do a bit more of those in 2022 as well. For now though, I hope you’re happy with this written vibe.
So long 2021
2021 was a tough year for me. In all fairness I think it was pretty tough for all of us, with a pandemic on the loose and feeling that Covid fatigue. I lost my father to COVID in 2021 and saw the end of a long term relationship with Player 2, someone you might be familiar with if you’ve followed me on social media for a while. To be clear, that sentence is the LAST time I’m discussing this part of my personal life online. Remember those barriers? That’s the big one. I hope you can respect that moving forward.
On the professional front I lost a lot of work opportunities because of flight bans and red lists. I also lost myself a bit in 2021. I was feeling a bit confused about what my future looked like on the personal front and, work wise, was feeling a bit lost with what I was doing. As I mentioned, I’ve been running this blog for ten years and I just didn’t know if I should keep going this route or look at packing it in to focus my energy elsewhere. I guess 2021 can be summed up in one word: Loss.
But now, 2022
While 2021 might have been a year of loss, I’m hoping 2022 will be the year of new. New ideas, new adventures and new things to explore. I really want to throw myself into esports commentating more than ever before… which is weird considering for the past 5 years that has been my main source of income, but just bear with me for a bit. I think I know who I am as a broadcaster now. I’m done following the same copy paste scripted job description. I’m hoping to get opportunities to showcase how I’ve grown into my voice and to challenge myself a bit more. I’m going to take a far more active interest in working with production behind the scenes to ensure the best possible show for you, every time. I realise it might ruffle some feathers but I don’t want to settle for anything else other than an awesome experience for the viewer and the player.
Content wise
In 2021 I started podcasting and I think Season 2 of Tech Girl Talks is one of the body of works I will be the most proud of. I loved trying out the new medium. I’m currently in discussions to see if we can renew the series for a Season 3 and figure out a fresh take. So that is definitely in the pipeline! I’m also going to try to get more active on Twitch. I had a good start in 2021 but with some of the personal issues in my life I didn’t feel comfortable with such raw and unfiltered access to me. Let’s see if I can find some bravery this year.
Find out a bit more about the Tech Girl Talks Podcast here.
You can follow me on Twitch by clicking here.
I’m also far more active on Instagram now. I think it is a great platform to share more of my behind the scenes life as well as my interests that aren’t gaming or esports (though those will feature prominently as well). I’d love it if you could pop past my Instagram account and click that follow button:
I’ll also still be doing YouTube but, if I’m honest, I don’t know what that is going to look like. I’m not interested in the over animated bullsh*t videos I see with how tos and the like. I want something different. I’m still working out what that looks like and what works. If you have any ideas, drop them in the comments PLEASE. I want to revamp the look and feel of my YouTube channel this year but I definitely need your help.
You can subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.
For those who care about this stuff, I’m currently partnered with Logitech G and Vox Gaming in South Africa. I’ll be working with them on a few things this year that I hope you’ll dig. I’m still contributing to Red Bull Gaming and hoping to tell more inspiring esports stories this year!
Finally, as the lockdown regulations lift – I’m going to hopefully be travelling much more and I’ll be working really hard at some rad real life experiences for you. You’ve supported me for 10 years and that is a huge deal to me. I want 2022 to be the year of new and also the year of gratitude. I’m already working on the first real life experience for you. It’s not going to be about brands, social promotion and all that other stuff. It’s going to be about you. We’ve built such a fun community and I really want to celebrate that this year.
Also, while I’m sailing down this river without any idea of direction, if you have any rad ideas for content you’d love to see from me, let me know in the comments. I’m literally at the point of crowdsourcing now. LOL.
