“I will show you the best way I can possibly tell you. Squint. Squint, but to the point where your eyes are almost shut. Tell me what you see,” Taylor Muske explained. Muske, better known as TayMarie2018, is a visually impaired streamer who refuses to let her disability hold her back. “I’m blind, and I’m trying to show other people that it doesn’t matter what setback you may have. You can still do what you want,” Muske stated.
“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” – William Shakespeare
Taylor was diagnosed with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and bilateral congenital cataracts at birth, which resulted from being a premature baby. “I was born four months premature and I was one pound and eight ounces,” Muske said. At that point, the baby’s lungs aren’t developed, so they have to be given oxygen. “The high amount of oxygen that they are given either damages your optic nerves or it damages your hearing. It can go either way, and I know people who have both actually,” she continued.
A Smile is Contagious
Today Taylor uses her platform to raise awareness for people with disabilities, but that wasn’t why she started streaming. “I started streaming at the end of 2019 as a way for another income because I am visually impaired myself, and finding a job is horrendous,” Muske described. “It is almost impossible, so I decided to stream and I fell in love with it.” For TayMarie2018, her love for streaming comes from being able to make people laugh and spending time letting loose with friends.
Watch Me
Muske is here to break the stigma that blind people can’t play video games. “I might not be good at them, but I can still play,” she laughed. “And make fun of myself for not being good in the process.” Taylor gave some insight into her tips and tricks for playing games while being visually impaired. “Most games I actually play auditorily, like I just play with my ears,” she described. “I have a 27.5-inch monitor for my main monitor, so it’s not small. For [first-person shooter] FPS games I use my ears, and I try to strictly play games that are auditorily focused.”
Overcoming Obstacles
When Taylor is not streaming, she still continues to rewrite the narrative of what someone who is visually impaired can or cannot do. “I race 420 sailboats. I started that when I was fifteen, so six years ago,” Muske shared. “I steer and someone else is my eyes.” TayMarie2018 does not let her disability dictate her life. “Transportation is always something that is in the back of my mind because I cannot drive,” Muske explained. “I feel bad about having to rely on others for transportation, and my friends know that they are not going to be there 100% of the time that I need a ride. I had to learn how to take the bus.”
Blind Streamer Hosting 1st Charity Stream
TayMarie2018 has chosen to team up with Dreamscape Foundation for her first Charity Stream this Saturday, January 30, starting at 10 am EST. Being visually impaired herself, Dreamscape Foundation’s Mission really hit home for Muske. For her 12-hour Charity Stream, Taylor will be playing some of her favorite games including Among Us, Dead by Daylight and Call of Duty. In addition to the games, Taylor said to expect “a lot of shenanigans. A lot of them.”
To quote the great Dr. Seuss, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” For Brian Martin standing out was not always that simple. “I have the most common legal name in the world, so much so that there are twenty-six people with my first and last name in my city,” Brian Martin explained. Martin may not stand out in his Missouri town, but in the world of streaming he is one of a kind.
Guardian Angel
Martin, better known by his call name Serreph, is not your typical gamer. To truly understand Brian Martin, you need to understand the story behind the name Serreph. “Whenever I got into executive protection there were a couple instances that happened where I put myself in between the person that we were protecting and the gunfire,” he recalled. “They were like, ‘dude you are like a guardian angel, just like a Seraphim.’” The original nickname was shortened and has stuck with Martin throughout the years.
Taking One for the Team
Living up to his name, Serreph has no problem taking a bullet for the good of the group. “Whenever I play first-person shooters, I am so bad that I am usually the bait for everyone else. I run out there and put myself out there to get shot while everyone else cleans up the mess behind,” he laughed. For Martin, the whole reason behind gaming is to relax and enjoy yourself. “That is the number one key. It is a game, you are supposed to be having fun,” he explained. “I do rage a lot, but most of the time the rage is for an act. I can’t really let something like that get under my skin. If it truly got under my skin, I would cut it out. Anything that bothers me that bad has got to go.”
Multiple Interests
Serreph’s love of video games is just one of his many interests. “I have always been into a variety of things. I would like to start doing some cooking streams. I would also like to do video editing streams, where I teach people how to video edit,” Martin shared. At 46 years old, Serreph wants to share his experiences and knowledge with others. “That is one thing that I always take away from everything. Every day is a learning situation. Everything is a swap,” he stated.
Dreamscape’s Mission Hits Home
It comes as no surprise that this jack of all trades has a passion for charities. For Serreph, Dreamscape’s Mission really struck a chord. “I know people that are quadriplegic and paraplegic. I work with people that are partially blind. One of my best friends is an international DJ and he has what is known as Retinitis Pigmentosa, so he is legally blind,” he said. “He can only see shadows in bright light. This man was an inspiration to me for many, many years because he goes out there and DJs by feel,” Martin described.
First Time Charity Streamer
Dreamscape is ecstatic to announce that we are partnering with Serreph for his first ever Charity Stream this Thursday, January 21 starting at 1pm EST – and ending around 1am EST! Prepare yourself for some lively first-person shooting games, strategic puzzles and a lot of laughs during this 12-hour event. Join Dreamscape and Serreph in raising money to help those struggling with physical disabilities.