Can I tell you how psyched I am to see this thread! I mean I'm a total garbage 1100ish rated player (I do not study at all), but god I love chess.
We really are living through a renaissance of chess. So many characters in the top ranks. I love Nepo because he's a total scifi/fantasy nerd. I just checked twitch, there's about 30k watching chess right now. Chess! I really wish I would have started playing when I was younger, but the stigma of it being SO uncool was there, and I was an idiot who believed it, even though I really wanted to learn.
The resurgence of chess has been amazing! The combination of Covid and the Queen's Gambit has driven so many more people to the game.
Anytime I feel like I want to watch chess on Twitch, it's practically a guarantee that there will be somebody streaming. Whether it's Hikaru, or Naroditsky, or Levy, or even the Botez sisters, there is always a presence there.
I have to admit, I found it a little hard to watch the Poggers tournament, but that may have been one of the greatest breakthroughs for chess ever! There was one point where a match between (I think) xQc and somebody else was THE most watched stream on Twitch. And Ludwig continues to stream chess on occasion; he even had Magnus Carlsen on last week, playing hand and brain with the Botez sisters.
If you're around 1100 and not studying at all, that isn't anything to be disappointed about. Those poggers were getting help from pro chess players, and only three or four of them got above 1100, I believe. The main thing is that you get what you want out of the game! And it sounds like you do.