Creator Spotlight - BehavingBeardly

In our latest Creator Spotlight we have a very well-behaved beard on a very Beardly captain: it’s BehavingBeardly! We asked him some questions about his Voyages across the seas so far, and what experiences those travels have brought him.

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[Q]: What was your introduction to the world of games?

[A]: My earliest memory is of my mum having a clear out of the attic and bringing down her old Atari system! I’d spend hours playing Pong with her on a joystick that was so stiff, I’d get chronic wrist pain (worth it!). That and going round to my granddad’s house to play Super Mario World and Mortal Kombat on his Super Nintendo. Eventually he got sick of us taking up his game time so he bought one for me and my brother to fight over...

[Q]: How did you become part of the Sea of Thieves community?

[A]: I’d actually fallen out of touch with gaming and VERY casually played games like Gears of War and Tomb Raider on my Xbox. Then while watching the 2015 E3 show I saw the first announcement trailer for Sea of Thieves and my jaw hit the floor. I was straight on the phone to my sister narrating the whole trailer (she wasn’t as excitable, ha ha). I signed up to the Pioneer Programme as soon as it was available and got to know a lot of the pirates taking part. I co-started a Facebook social group called ‘The Horseman’s Fleet’ where we’d all generally get hyped for the game!

[Q]: How did creating content become your ‘thing’?

[A]: It was all down to Sea of Thieves! I was intermittently uploading home brewing tutorials to YouTube with my friend under the name ‘Men Behaving Beardly’. Then, when the open Beta sessions started, one of the members from The Horseman's Fleet suggested I broadcast to Mixer/Twitch, so I broadcast to Mixer (I only had an Xbox so used the app) and saved the recordings to broadcast to Twitch while we had conversations about the game in chat... up until that point I’d never heard of Twitch! #BlameRare

[Q]: How do you decide what kind of content to create?

[A]: I like to laugh. I think laughing is infectious and good for the soul. So, I always aim to make content that makes me laugh (even if no one else is!) When it comes to content, if the creator’s having a good time, the viewer will pick up on that – so basically whatever pops into my head seeing as I have the humour of a six-year-old.

[Q]: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while creating content?

[A]: Underestimating and not appreciating the amount of hard work and the hours that go into being a successful content creator. It’s our job to make it look like it’s easy and we’re having fun, otherwise our content will fail. That’s why it’s so important to focus on content that keeps you engaged, motivated and excited to make more!

I used to get bogged down in numbers and statistics. I’ve long since learned that if you focus on content, social media presence and branding instead, you’ll find the whole experience MUCH more enjoyable and get much better results – that and being a slightly overweight balding dude using a webcam, turns out all I needed was a Viking beanie and green screen shirt...

[Q]: What different channels do you have?

[A]: I mainly broadcast to Twitch and upload streamer tutorials to YouTube. But as soon as the school lockdown is over and my little one can start nursery, I’ll be uploading regular SoT videos to YouTube also! I’m REALLY excited to finally be able to put more time into this as I’ve spent the last 2+ years juggling content creation with being a stay-at-home dad (which is also fun)!

[Q]: What’s been your most memorable Sea of Thieves moment so far?

[A]: Without a shadow of a doubt, The Hungering Deep update. It was such a unique moment, making crews work together for the first time. The moment when your two crews were playing music to summon the Meg and you saw her break out of the ocean was amazing and terrifying at the same time... I feel sorry for anyone who wasn’t around for that update. Let’s face it, Meg’s just more of a pest now!

[Q]: What do you enjoy most about the game now, and what are you looking forward to in future?

[A]: Honestly, the community that surrounds Sea of Thieves but if we’re talking game specifics, then I LOVE the new Reaper’s Bones Emissaries. We have had some EPIC ship-to-ship battles which I haven't seen very much of since the early days of Sea of Thieves. In future I’m mostly looking forward to seeing how the Tall Tales play out. Every time we get a new one, I instantly play through it and I’m craving more! #WeServeFlameheart

[Q]: What’s something you’re particularly proud of accomplishing in gaming?

[A]: Building and being part of communities around gaming and helping to raise funds for children’s hospices and cancer research through gaming. I think a lot of people underestimate the power that gaming has in bringing people together. I feel closer to some people I’ve never met in the real world than some of my own family members. I’m proud that I’ve had a positive impact in creating, building and sustaining some of those communities – also beating my sister at Mario Kart that one time...

[Q]: How did you come up with your channel name?

[A]: Well originally, we were two bearded blokes making home brewing tutorials, so we played on the name of an old British sitcom called Men Behaving Badly and called ourselves ‘Men Behaving Beardly’ (genius, I know). As I took to Mixer and Twitch live streaming and going solo, the name quickly evolved into ‘BehavingBeardly’ – plus I wanted something with no spaces that was easy to read and available on all platforms!

[Q]: What advice would you give to a new content creator?

[A]: “Do You”. EVERYONE has an opinion on what YOU should do based on THEIR experiences. The truth is there’s no magic recipe or guide. What works for one will not work for another. Don’t focus on numbers, statistics and the success of ‘others who haven't worked as hard for it’, it’s a minefield and can really get you down. There's a reason you hear “play (or do) what you enjoy” because creating the actual content alongside building a brand and social media presence is draining. If you’re not having fun, you’ll burn out, and fast!

[Q]: What’s one thing you would advise a content creator not to do?

[A]: I’ve mentioned some things already, but a more serious one that I can’t stress enough is PLEASE DO NOT quit your job unless someone in your household can and will support you if everything goes wrong. It can and very often does go wrong! Always put the wellbeing of you and your family before chasing your career as a content creator. Also, always make sure you press the ‘stop streaming’ button before you start picking your nose... yeah...

[Q]: Could you give us one more random fact about yourself?

[A]: I really want a shave...

That’s all for today’s Creator Spotlight. Thank you to BehavingBeardly for letting us delve into his life as both a creator and a Sea of Thieves fan! We’re off to look for some ointment so that we too can be Follically Endowed…

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