DeeSims
Home State: Maryland
Type of player: Storyteller
When did you start playing The Sims?
I was 9 or 10 years old when I first got into The Sims from a neighborhood friend. I would spend time at her house, and every day, I would pull up a chair and watch her play The Sims. I thought that was absolutely the best experience, and this went on for probably about a month until her mom had come upstairs and seen me watching my friend play, and she’s like, “Have you never played the game?” And I’m like, “No,” like, you know, “She won’t let me play,” and she was like, “Oh, give her a turn.” So that day was probably like a big strike in our friendship, because her mom was just insisting on me getting a turn where before I would just come over and just watch, and I thought that was the greatest thing until I actually started playing and I realized that, “Wow, I’m, like, in love with this game.” It’s been a crazy ride ever since.
What do you love about the game?
The one thing that I really love about The Sims is it’s my creative expression. It’s how I feel like I can create anything, I can create anybody, I can create people who look like me in the game and just live out different experiences. It really is a stress reliever. But most of all, it’s how I can creatively express myself in what I wanna see around me, how one’s story is to be told, and it really just gives me the freedom to create anything.
What draws you into playing The Sims?
What’s so great about The Sims is that I’m able to create a family and create a story and a background and really bring my Sims to life, really bring their stories to life, their characteristics, their traits, and how they adapt with each other and get along with each other. So I really feel like when you play The Sims and you play with different people that come from different walks of life, it’s so easy to put them together. That’s something that I really love about it, is that you can create anyone, anything, any past, any ethnicity, any diversity—you can create that and make it one big melting pot and in your own creative vision.
What is your unique approach to playing the game?
My approach would have to be creating a story with the most realistic elements! I love adding drama and plot twists to my gameplay! A lot of my gameplay is recorded for my YouTube channel! One thing I enjoy most, and my viewers too, is letting the Sims autonomy play a huge role in the direction of the storyline.
Where do you get inspiration for your creations?
My stories come from my experiences, and I think something that you’ll see a lot of my personal life in is my series Single Father. A lot of the really big events that happened in that series kind of shadowed my own life, and I think that’s why it is my favorite series. It’s unmatched. I get asked all the time, “Which series of yours is your favorite?” and hands down, I always say, you know, ”You have to take Single Father out of that equation because it’s unmatched.” It’s a replica of what I went through growing up.
What is your favorite part of The Sims community?
My favorite part of The Sims community is the level of creativity! Seeing the creations from my fellow Simmers blows my mind, from build to Create-a-Sim! But the area that shines the biggest light is the custom content creation for this game! It truly shows the talent these creators have!
How would you describe The Sims community and what does it mean to you?
Talented, creative, and supportive! My DeeSquadt community is the most supportive group I’ve ever witnessed in my life. They have definitely pulled me through some rough patches in life! I am forever grateful to them! Every day, when it's time for me to bring the daily dose of “ Vitamin Dee,” I know I’m doing it all for them!
What is your claim to fame as an influencer in The Sims community?
My mission with The Sims and my channel is to create people that look like me in the game and see the culture and the diversity in all of my gameplay, so in my game, I make a lot of African-American Sims ‘cause I want my community to look like the community that I’m used to.
What do you want the audience to know about you?
I love to entertain people. I honestly feel like I was put on this earth to entertain. I love drama and theater. It was my bachelor’s degree in undergrad. I have been in theater all of my life. I’ve always been a very dramatic person, so it kinda worked hand in hand, and with The Sims, I feel like I’m really able to express myself and really able to create characters and a setting and really come together and make a story.
What is a life lesson you have learned from playing The Sims?
One important life lesson that I have learned playing the Sims is charisma. I’m not shy about talking to people or performing in front of people. I think it’s important for someone to be charismatic. I know it’s not easy, but, you know, opening up and talking to people is very important to me. I am not afraid to talk to anyone.
