Hey there @wipgirl!
Your current thoughts were echoed by so many at the start of when I first joined. Many people left solely because the money aspects to precedence over the establishment of their brand. From my point of view, a big mistake.
Their is so much potential in this platform and all it takes is a mental detachment from the focus of monetary gains. It can be done. Once you put the "quality" of your blog first, the rest will follow naturally.
From the wording of your post, you obviously have a firm grasp of the English language and that can help you to go very far on Steemit. So I would suggest putting that great tool to use and creating fantastic and original content on here. Do it for you and challenge yourself. New people will come and you will get notice if they see your worth.
Thank you for the kind comments and I hope you release your fullest potential here on Steemit. :)