Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys admitted that if she could start her Twitch career all over again from scratch, she’d be a faceless content creator because it would allow her to preserve her identity.
Poki is a household name for anyone familiar with the streaming scene. She is one of the most-followed streamers on Twitch, and her popularity even saw her get handpicked for a cameo in the blockbuster hit Free Guy.
However, her meteoric rise to success hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Not only has it taken a toll on her mental health and well-being throughout the years, but it’s also put her on a collision course with haters and stalkers.
Fortunately, she’s in a good place now, and she revealed a big part of that is because she’s able to keep her streamer identity and personal identity separate, particularly in terms of dealing with criticism and hate.
Poki admitted that she’d be a faceless streamer if she could.
On the topic of keeping her identities separate in an interview with Anthony Padilla, Poki said: “That has served me well because when people say things about Poki, I don’t take it personally, and I don’t think any creator should.
“These people don’t know you personally, so their comments, therefore, cannot be personal. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t consider what they say or take constructive criticism. But I at least compartmentalize it.”
Poki explained that it helps her avoid lying in bed thinking about something a generic hater said about her. Then, she dropped a bombshell that would have solved the problem even more. “If I could do it again, I would be faceless.”
She believes that being faceless would eradicate many of the negatives of streaming. After all, it’s worked wonders for Corpse Husband, Dream, and countless VTubers without stunting their popularity and growth. Poki herself streamed as a VTuber during the medium’s rise.
The difference, though, was that she started streaming back in 2013 — a time when faceless content creation hadn’t gained traction yet. Still, it’s something she would have liked to do if she could turn back the clock.