By Bridney C.
It is a pleasure to interview Twitch streamer, Nanomaly for the Sweet Scoop.
Fernando Galvez, also known as Nanomaly is a 23-year-old Twitch streamer from Connecticut, who creates live broadcasts of himself playing video games on Twitch, a video gaming website. Twitch is a live video streaming platform where users watch other people stream live videos of themselves playing video games while commentating on the game.
Galvez mainly streams himself playing Rocket League, a soccer video game as well as Overwatch, a science fiction first-person shooter game or Jump Force, a fighting game. He self describes himself as a positive guy who "feels he has the potential to do great things in life," and encourages others on all of his social media platforms to live positively through motivational posts and live videos.
His goal for his streaming channel is to promote kindness and positivity where viewers can feel welcomed and feel a part of the Twitch community. "If I was able to put a smile on your face then I did my job," Galvez writes on his Twitch biography page.
In this edition of 10 Questions, Nanomaly shared what he loves about video games, his favorite memory on Twitch so far, and his advice to those who would like to become future gaming streamers.
Bridney C: When did you start streaming and why? Have you always played video games?
Fernando Galvez: I first started streaming because I thought it would be cool to make it big like Ninja, who is a pro-Fortnite player. When I got to know the platform, I felt like there was more I wanted to do, and now I play games and stream to have fun. I also take time to say some motivating words to others and try my best to inspire those around to pick doing good rather than bad. I’ve been playing video games since forever but never seriously, it’s always just been for fun.
BC: What do you love about video games? Is there a favorite video game you have? If so, what is it?
FG: What I like about video games is the surprise of it all. In some games, you don’t know what’s going to happen, especially competitive ones. Sometimes you may think you’ll lose, but somehow turn you can it all-around at the very end. It’s crazy! The first video game I ever played was Spider-Man for the Playstation 1. One of my favorite video games growing up was Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts had such a story and build up that it was just incredible. That game brought me to tears and put me in the feels many times.
BC: How did you come up with your username?
FG: My username on Twitch is Nanomaly. It came from fusing my nickname, which is "Nando" and my favorite album, Anomaly by Christian rapper, Lecrae. When I heard the album, I was amazed by how deep and powerful it was. When I heard the word and saw it was something that deviates from normal, I thought that’s me. I’m different, I’m me.
BC: What is your favorite memory or achievement on Twitch so far?
FG: My favorite achievement was reaching twitch affiliate and from there being able to grow my channel even more with designs, emotes, and effects, as well as likes. My favorite memory? When I bought a key on rocket league to open a crate (things are randomly chosen from crates) and got the car I wanted after so many tries. I was so happy. There have been so many moments that I can’t think off the top of my head.
BC: So you are streaming for the day, walk us through what this looks like. How long do you normally stream for?
FG: I like to stream for 2-3 hours at most. I start by getting everything set such as my laptops, my camera, my stream deck, my game controller, a water bottle. And then, I hype myself and say a prayer. And finally, I remind myself “I got this. Have fun, and let’s make someone’s day with a smile.” I press the go-live button.
BC: How do you balance work, life, and streaming?
FG: When I worked and attended school, it was very tough. I had to time everything wisely, especially to get homework done and study, but I made time because streaming for me wasn’t something that was a job or a chore. It was something that I enjoyed and felt was like a huge stress reliever from college.
BC: What kind of equipment do you use?
FG: I use a gaming laptop (Dell G7 15) to stream and game on, and I also use a Chromebook to read my chat on. As for sound, I use a Razer Kraken headset with a built-in mic, Elgato stream deck. I use an Xbox one controller or a Razer gaming mouse to play a game. For a newcomer, I would highly recommend a strong computer that will handle high-quality videos because though it’s possible to stream with gaming laptops, it’s not as limited. I highly recommend a good headset and a Logitech camera of their choice. After that, an Elgato stream deck is amazing to have.
BC: Why do you think it's worth it to go into online videos with all of the people already doing it?
FG: I feel it’s worth it because even though a lot of people may be doing it, they are not YOU. Everyone has their individuality and has something that no other person has. I tell people all the time we are all special and we all have something to offer to better the world. Doing online videos is tough because there’s a lot of people who do it, but not everyone is going to do it the way YOU do it. So give it a shot.
BC: What advice would you give to others who want to start streaming?
FG: To people who want to start streaming, I usually tell them the number one thing to ALWAYS remember is to NOT let comments or people get to you. The internet itself is a mind game and if you listen to it, best believe there will be people who try to bring you down but remember YOU are the director, and YOU are in control! You can ban and block those people from your channel and social media. Plus, those people know nothing about who you are, so don’t let them get to you. Other than that, I would say support other streamers and network with people. Don’t just wait for people to come to your streams, go to others and say hello. One of the best things about Twitch is the networking side because you meet great people and friends. But if you don’t network, how can you expect to grow your channel? You gotta get out there. Put yourself out there!
BC: What other Twitch streamer has had the most influence on you?
FG: The two Twitch streamers that have had the most influence on me are ImStallion and PalmBee. PalmBee was one of the very first big streamers I met on twitch that made me feel comfortable to be on there. Through her, I learned a little more and what it meant to be a streamer who just acts like themselves and have fun! She also gave me great tips on how to improve streams and grow content. Other than that, she always had great stories to tell that were so fun and funny that I just enjoyed it. When she shouted me out on her streams in a way I felt like I made it! One of the very first people I used to watch on there noticed me for more than just some random guy in the chat saying hello, but a content creator who has potential for MORE. As for ImStallion, he’s always motivated me with great tips on how to stream and gave me tips on good equipment. He always had great ideas on how to bring the community together and I loved it! His motivation to keep pushing content out motivated me to do the same. They both are great people, and they both influenced me in a way to know what I want for my stream, my content, and my community.
Be sure to visit Nanomaly's Twitch Channel, Nanomaly20 for updates and new videos. Follow him on Twitter @nanomaly20 and Instagram @nanomaly20.