I first started camming in 2017 when my sister, who was also a cam model at the time, told me I should give broadcasting a try. She thought I would enjoy camming and be good at it, so I decided to make a Chaturbate account. After my first show, I was hooked and have never turned back.
Through camming, I was able to find my community and make connections while earning a living. I consider myself blessed that, unlike many others who were financially and in many cases medically impacted by the virus, my online profession was not affected. In fact, the COVID-19 global pandemic has made my community and connections stronger.
Creating a Positive Space
When the world shut down in early March, it was a stressful and emotional time. As everyone was forced to stay at home, people turned online to find their social fix and a community they could bond with. I’m lucky that pre-quarantine I already had an amazing community of fans and this difficult time only brought us closer together. I constantly strive to create a positive space in my cam room, and I feel like that became even more important during quarantine. My experience is that positive people in a positive space attract other positive people.
Having this amazing community in place allows my fans to become a great support group for not only me, but also for each other. Every time I would go on cam, the room would collectively check in on each other, ask how everyone was doing and ask about each other’s days. I even have one fan who works as a nurse, and every show we would spend some time seeing what updates he would have and making sure he was doing okay. It’s an amazing sense of community and nice to know that you have people that cared enough to check in on you, not just for me but also for my fans. Having a community like this makes me so excited to get on cam. It’s never a stressful job or activity as I know I have an amazing fan base that will always meet me where I am.
Adapting Your Cam Shows
This year has been hard for everyone, and camming has been a great place to find an escape. I always look for ways to have fun with my fans; however, it’s important to always read the room and see what everyone is in the mood for. Some days I will just sit in a sweater and play with my cats for two hours, and other days we will do nine cum shows back-to-back.
I might have plans for how I want my shows to go, but it’s important to listen to your fans and see what they are feeling for that day. I adapt my shows based on the mood, but always keep them positive and fun to help keep spirits up.
Another way I have adapted my shows is with an increase in the amount of my earnings that I’ve donated to charity. I have always chosen one show each month and given 20% of my tokens to a charity. During the pandemic I have been doing this more often, choosing more charities that are helping relief efforts. It helps to give me a sense of purpose to be able to give back during these unpredictable times.
Setting a Schedule and Boundaries
Due to stay-at-home orders, I have also found that my fans are online more often and for longer periods of time. I might be the most punctual cam girl and always start my shows at the same time, on the dot. I have an extremely set schedule. However, with quarantine, I have found that my shows are going on for longer periods of time. I’ll be having so much fun and vibing with users that my show ends up going on more than expected. If a show is going well, why leave?
With everyone having more free time to be online it’s important to set up time management so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I have proactively set up boundaries and set a schedule so users know exactly when I can be reached. I have also made a rule that I will always respond to their messages; however, it will happen once I have the time. It might be two hours later or two days. Fans can send me whatever they want and I will respond with a genuine response, just on my time. Setting these guidelines helps me not feel pressured or overwhelmed by messages while still letting fans know they are cared for.
Taking Care of Yourself
Another really important aspect of camming during quarantine is self-care. Camming takes a lot out of you, both emotionally and physically. Sex work is work, so it’s important to take time for you when you’re not online. It can be demanding to entertain and socialize online for hours.
For me personally, I do yoga and meditate every day to help me stay calm and centered. It’s important to find an activity that works for you, whether it’s taking a bath, taking a stroll around the block or even just getting in an afternoon nap. I’m a big advocate for naps; they can do wonders. I also highly recommend getting outside every day, even for a short walk. Getting some vitamin D can be very, very healing.
I also recommend having something just for yourself. You don’t always need to share everything about your life. I love doing yoga, but I don’t make content around this or do yoga online. It’s something I do for myself and myself only.
For more tips and tricks on camming in quarantine, check out my interviews on the Camming Life YouTube channel. While you’re there, you can also catch my conversation with adult performer Tera Patrick on camming and sex work during COVID-19 for the podcast “Sex Tales.” Hosted by Melody Kush and me, “Sex Tales” is a weekly series where we will be talking to porn stars, cam stars, influencers and other industry insiders about their favorite stories and experiences working in adult entertainment.
Lana del Bae is a smol inked cam model who can be followed on Chaturbate.com/lana_del_bae and OnlyFans.com/lana_del_bae, as well as @Lana_Del_BaeBae on both Twitter and Instagram.
