esports
To be able to work with what you love is something that everybody strives for. Pierre “Fraelsarn” Johansson is doing just that. He streams for a living. And loves it. Hear his story.
One of the most desired jobs for Generation Z is that of the streamer. Different from the feared 9 to 5 jobs, streamers can, in practice, work anytime and anywhere. With the digital revolution comes the freedom of working wherever you want. If you want to work in tech, that is. If you like to entertain and play games, streaming is the perfect job for you. We had a talk with FraelsarN, a popular Swedish streamer on Twitch, about the life of a streamer, influences, tips for beginners and much, much more.
Tell us about yourself
"My name is Pierre Johnsson, named FraelsarN on Twitch, from Kinna in Sweden. I work as a full-time streamer based in Gothenburg. I’ve been a full-time streamer now for four years. And, compared to others, I chose the life of streaming with zero followers from the get go. Nobody knew me. I started from scratch. I had been saving up money as a buffer, and one day sat down and just began to stream. And the rest is history, haha. Simply put, I’m a happy, positive guy who loves gaming".
What made you interested in a career in streaming?
"Well, I’ve been playing games since I was a child. I got a Pentium 1 from my father, and played the racing game Ignition. And since then I was hooked. Time went by and I continued playing games for fun. Then Twitch and YouTube came, and the career as a streamer emerged. I began to watch streamers and thought to myself, I can probably do that as well as anybody, I might even do it a little better, haha. But at that time, my internet connection wasn’t sufficient enough to stream, resulting in me continuing watching streamers and play games. At the time, I lived and worked as a personal trainer in Helsingborg, but when I moved to Gothenburg I decided that this was the time. I got a steady internet connection, I knew that streaming was the career I wanted to have, and began to stream".
Describe a day in your life
"The life of a streamer can perhaps be likened to many other people who have their own businesses. Unusual hours, full on dedication and a lot of personal responsibilities. For me, it’s perfect. On a normal day, I wake up at noon, the morning for me haha, I eat breakfast and then go the gym. My training and eating healthy is really important. It makes me focused. When I get home from the gym, it’s all about playing games and stream. I usually go to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning. Then it’s repeat for 5-6 days a week".
How do you keep yourself relevant?
"Very good question. I’m a variety streamer, which means I play several different games. I usually play the newest games and the games that I enjoy, I’ll keep playing. That might not be the only way to go to be up to date, but I’m not afraid of trying out new things. Right now, I’m playing Dota 2 Auto Chess, and enjoy it immensely. It might look the same at first glance, but every game is different. It’s fantastic".
What are/were your influences?
"Back when I started, I was really into Hearthstone. I watched Hearthstone streams and also played Hearthstone myself. One of the first streamers I watched was F0rsen, and I really enjoyed it. He was one of the biggest in Sweden at the time, so he was one of my first influences. Not the style though, because we are really different, and have really different content, but more important the realization that you can do this for a living".
"Apart from influences in gaming, my friends Sebastian and Robert have had a big impact on me. They have taught me the value of being yourself and to follow your dreams. And have always been there for me. In streaming, I think that is very important, to be yourself. It might sound easy, but it’s not. People on Twitch, or YouTube, follow a persona. Let that persona be yourself, in good times and bad".
What are your tips for people who new streamers or people who would like to begin a streaming career?
"The whole streaming genre is just so new, so I don’t think that there is only one way to go, or a specific handbook to follow. Everyone who wants to stream, can stream. I believe that everyone can make their own path. Streaming has become this incredibly big thing, it’s not just about gaming anymore either, the content can focus on traveling for example, or just chatting".
"I think though, that it’s important to have a money buffer, to be able to fully dedicate yourself and give streaming a real chance. To beforehand decide a certain date which at that point, you can make a living out if it, and then it’s just full throttle to try to achieve that goal. That worked for me. But I have colleagues who streamed while having a full-time job, and when they felt that they had reached a certain level of success, quit their jobs and full heartedly focused on the stream".
"The most important tip though is to have fun. To more often than not, have a good time doing it. Everybody have their ups and downs of course, but that the amount of fun outweighs the bad times. Sometimes it feels like a grind, but you need to grind to succeed. It’s not easy for streamers in the beginning. It takes time and dedication to get viewers. Luck is also a factor, but I think that there is a higher chance of luck if you’ll keep grinding".
"To sum it all up: full throttle and just enjoy yourself. Having fun is contagious. If you are having fun, the viewers are as well".
Follow us on Facebook for more exciting articles!
