Gaming
Games
Get to Know: Grace "IamFallFromGrace"
Grace "IamFallFromGrace" isn't falling from grace at all from what we can tell. Get to know the Aussie Red Bull Player in our interview!
The camera loves Grace. Whether she knew that or not coming up, it obviously found her and now we have someone who presents to the ever-shaping world of streaming in a way that is absolutely natural. Which is kind of a big deal, really.
Humble though, Grace takes her successes in stride and champions just being herself as reason for her success. But what we can confidently tell you is that in the world of content creation and influencer dominance where games media is concerned, Grace gives us a grounded person to watch and absorb, and not a personality. That isn’t to say she doesn’t exude personality, rather what you get with this Red Bull Player is someone genuine and honest -- traits rare and coveted in her world.
We pulled Grace away from her busy schedule of just being a cool cat (she loves cats), to get to know what brought her to the world’s attention, and what makes her tick in gaming.
Gaming has been in Grace's blood since she can remember...
© David Solm / Red Bull
I think any labels come with a sense of entitlement, especially gamers, which can be a bit toxic in my opinion...
Red Bull: What's your earliest gaming-related memory?
Grace: Flashback to the early 90s playing Duck Hunt, Excitebike and Bubble Bobble on the NES. I think I was destined to be a gamer as my family always had some kind of gaming system in the house.
I definitely feigned illness on multiple occasions to have the chance to stay home and play games instead of going to school.
Red Bull: Would you describe yourself as a gamer, a geek, a cool kid or all of the above?
Grace: I guess I've never really thought to label myself as X, Y, Z. I think any labels come with a sense of entitlement, especially gamers, which can be a bit toxic in my opinion. A lot of gamers try to gate-keep being a 'real gamer' and it's silly. Videogames are for everyone and there shouldn't be any barrier to entry, no matter who you are or what your skill level is.
By definition, as gaming is the most prominent aspect of my content, I guess I'd be considered a 'Professional Gamer', in a sense, but I think the average person would think that means I'm exceptionally good at games, which isn't always the case haha.
Winter is co... wait, it's here? Already?
© David Solm / Red Bull
Red Bull: At what point did you realise you had a voice that needed to be heard as someone of influence in gaming?
Grace: Back when I started my YouTube channel in 2012, I felt that I was inspired by many others in the industry at the time, but I didn't see many women doing it... especially in my region. I felt as an Australian I could offer a unique perspective on the industry as I feel we're often overlooked down here. I think it also gave me an edge because my audience at the time was very US-based and they found my accent interesting.
Red Bull: When you're not checking out the influencer competition, how do you consume your gaming news and information?
Grace: I don't really feel the need to scope out the competition. I think a lot of content creators think that you're at war with everyone else but there's plenty of space for everyone to have their moment. I feel that it's much better to support other creators that you enjoy rather than try to compete with them. As I stream roughly 30-40 hours a week, I am fed a lot of news from Twitch chat while I'm live-streaming and also have a thriving Discord server where my members and I can share news about all the up and coming gaming titles. If we're talking specific sites, I love Press-Start. They're a great bunch and are always on top of the latest news.
Red Bull: What's a preconceived notion you had about being an influencer that was dispelled once you got into it?
When you gots a sleeve, you don'ts cover it up
© David Solm / Red Bull
I've had shampoo brands, adult toys, men's grooming products, frozen pizzas... you name it. It's flattering that they think I'm worth their time, I suppose...
Grace: I definitely underestimated how much work it can be and how difficult it is to set boundaries for yourself. You know the old saying, 'If you love what you do you won't work a day in your life'?
I think it's absolutely false.
You will work harder than anything because you're more invested and because you enjoy it. It's much harder to set boundaries between work and leisure. Especially when your 'office' is also your gaming setup.
Red Bull: Conversely, what's something about being an influencer you had no idea you'd face?
Grace: The number of brands and sponsored opportunities that come my way that often absolutely baffle me with what they're trying to pitch or encourage me to sell.
I've had shampoo brands, adult toys, men's grooming products, frozen pizzas... you name it. It's flattering that they think I'm worth their time, I suppose. But sometimes I just have to giggle at the pitches.
Red Bull: What's your take on how games, and games being played as entertainment for an audience, came about? What do you see as the appeal here given games are designed as an interactive art form?
We'll have what Grace is drinking... meta sponsorship at its finest :P
© David Solm / Red Bull
Grace: I think it's a natural progression as technology has evolved. When I was a kid, my dad and I used to play Call of Duty on the PSOne and we'd do one mission and then pass the controller. It was just as entertaining watching him tackle a mission as it was for me to be in control. Now that we're in the internet age, it's very similar. Everyone has their favourite YouTuber or streamer that they watch and they're invested in the way that person will tackle a story they love or a match that they're trying to win in. We're just fortunate now to have an endless amount of choice in what games and creators to watch.
Red Bull: Can you tell us about your tattoos?
Grace: I'd love to! At this point in time, I just have one sleeve, but I'm constantly planning more and more. My right arm from shoulder to wrist is completely covered in black and grey artwork. My artist, Emma Mere, completely understood my vision and knocked it out of the park. My first ever tattoo was actually in Canada when I was competing in the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in 2017. I got a tiny little maple leaf on my right wrist to mark the life-changing trip. This has now been worked into my sleeve that Emma has done.
The first major part of it is my Gypsy who is a symbol of independence and self-sufficiency. On her head is a brooch that bears the bird symbol that some people may recognise from BioShock Infinite. In her hands are the Sun and High Priestess Tarot Cards which each have their own symbolism, of course, but from a gaming 'Easter Egg' perspective are to represent The Binding of Isaac -- one of my favourite games of all time.
Underneath that on the underside of my bicep, I have a bottle with a woman flexing as the lid. This was also inspired by BioShock Infinite and the 'possession' bottle. This is my bottle of girl power and the woman on the bottle is dressed in a toga and adorning a laurel leaf crown which is a symbol of victory.
And the last major part of the sleeve is paying homage to my love of horror games. The main focus of this piece is the lantern which is present in a lot of horror games, including Bloodborne -- another one of my favourite games. The lantern is resting in a bed of flowers and foliage and around the flame are two death's-head hawk moths. All of the sessions combined probably took about 24 hours from stenciling, free-handing and actual tattooing. The elbow ditch was by far the most painful part of the process haha.
Stoic, strong and genuine
© David Solm / Red Bull
The whole 'PC Master Race' attitude can be intimidating for people if they're wanting to enter that world...
Red Bull: What does it mean for you being a Red Bull Player?
Grace: Being taken under the wings of one of the biggest brands in the world (pun intended) feels extremely validating. It's confirmation for me that I'm doing something right and all of the steps I've taken to get to this point have been in the right direction. It's great to see gaming professionals being recognised on the same scale as traditional athletes.
Red Bull: PC or console? Why?
Grace: All platforms have their perks. I main PC but that doesn't delegitimise console or mobile gamers. As I mentioned previously, the gate-keeping and entitlement in gaming is especially prevalent with PC gaming. The whole 'PC Master Race' attitude can be intimidating for people if they're wanting to enter that world. I'm here to tell you that no matter what you play games on, if it's important for you to be labeled a 'gamer', then you are one!
PC is an excellent platform for accessibility in terms of budget, adaptive controllers and game libraries. However, I will still game on PlayStation for the exclusives and even on my iPad when I'm cuddling with my many cats.
Red Bull: If you weren't in the influencer/gaming sphere, what would you be doing?
Grace: It's hard to imagine myself doing anything else because this is all I've known for basically a decade. As I was starting my content creation journey, I completed a Diploma of Business as a fallback plan. Gaming has always been a passion of mine, so if I had to guess... maybe working in PR for a publisher like Bethesda or Capcom. I'm glad I don't have to actually think about that though because I absolutely love what I do.
Grace's favourite games are some of our faves as well
© David Solm / Red Bull
Red Bull: Can you give us your all-time favourite game, why it's your favourite and then list your next five faves?
Grace: I think it's pretty obvious, given my tattoo explanation haha -- BioShock Infinite. It's the perfect game. Columbia (the setting of Infinite) is a floating world in the sky, literally the polar opposite of the underwater Rapture (from BioShock 1 & 2). And yet, while at first glance it seems like a bustling, beautiful place... it harbours a darkness. The story tackles some serious themes from religion, racism and oppression, all while weaving in the physics of spacetime while also giving the player some seriously fun weapons and gear to play with. It's one of the few games that I've played where the escort missions don't annoy the crap out of me. Elizabeth is the best companion ever, hurling salts and bullets at you when you're running low. I love everything about BioShock Infinite and I think it'll remain one of my favourite games forever.
It's soooo difficult to only pick a handful but my gut says Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Bloodborne, Fallout: New Vegas, Apex Legends, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Bull: What advice would you have for young people wanting to get into the world of games and influencer/content creation?
Grace: Don't try to be anyone else because there's only one of YOU and that makes you special. Embrace your quirks and love yourself because if you exude confidence and self-love, other people won't be able to help but feed off that energy and love watching you, too.
There will be people out there that don't like you, but it's not your responsibility to change their minds. Ignore them, stay in your own lane and keep pushing yourself to success. Succeeding is the best way to dunk on people that hate you.
Red Bull: Thank you, Grace.
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