- the more i learn the less i know
- financials are secondary, content and credibility are primary
- assess your value (what you can "offer" the community) and then offer it
i guess these three points could be applied to life in general. and learning and growing on steemit is not unlike learning and growing in real life. or IRL as the nerds say ;)
i consider myself tech saavy, and a bit of a nerd. blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are new frontiers for me (and the human world) and it's exciting to learn about something so new and potentially so powerful. but it's also super overwhelming. every ten minutes you spend researching something unlikes hours of new questions and new avenues of exploration. it's exhilirating and intimidating at the same time. but that's life, isn't it? and like in life, you have to just slow down and take it one day at a time. you're learning. i'm learning. we are all learning. and steemit is the front of a massive learning curve that will someday shift the paradigm between humans, corporations, intellectual property and personal financial power. or at least that's what i think we're all doing here? haha
i think there are a lot of people on Steemit with the sole intention of making money. if it's not your sole intention, it's definitely part of your motivation. as content creators, we want to see our value noted and respected. but we all think our content is amazing and worth money and that's just not the case. the artist doesn't decide the monetary value of his art; the consumer does. so really, at the end of the day, all you can control is your desire to create and your own sense of self-worth that it gives you. if you don't love writing, love creating, love photographing and singing and engaging with an audience and sharing your gift with the world BECAUSE YOU CAN... then this site, like a lifetime of pursuing someone else's validation, will leave you feeling empty. you should be here because you have more creativity and community-mindedness than you know what to do with. if those are your goals, the financials will fall in line without you even caring. in my opinion, THAT'S the power of Steemit.
being a citizen of any community means being part of a larger organism or ecosystem. your actions have consequences. and everyone has value. so, just like in a real life community, you need to find out what you can offer the group and then offer it. my theory on that is that at the end of the day, all anyone really has to offer is themselves. their uniqueness. their essence. their light. their point of view. we are all the same light particles, just seen from different points of view. i know i can offer empathy to my community, as well as a sense of humor, some music, some insight on travels and world experiences, and maybe even a killer potato salad recipe. IF YOU'RE LUCKY. but seriously - for this whole things to work and feel good, you have to offer your true and authentic self, and realize the value in that. the world doesn't need more of "the fastest" or "the strongest" or "the smartest" or "the sexiest".... it just needs you!
thank you, Steemians: for letting me be a part of this grand experiment, but also just for letting me be me. i think humans are innately good creatures. and our discovery and invention of technology should work to enhance and enable that innate good. I'm excited about our future. The nerds shall inherit the earth. Live long and prosper. May the Force be with you. I'm Pickle Riiiiiiiick!
thanks for reading ok bye now!
.j.
The slowly compounding nature of rewards here is an excellent filter to keep the real snatch n' grab opportunists disinterested.
Yes, it takes a long time to build a following and a steempower balance, but that time is invested; and as long as you're adding value, that investment will pay dividends over time.
perfectly put. thanks @mattclarke !
Nicely said. Now where's that potato salad recipe ;-). I particularly liked your comments around creating what you can because you can, rather than trying to earn from it. Not that there's anything wrong with earning from your creativity.... But if that's the sole purpose somehow it becomes tainted? Or it doesn't seem to meet the objective of being quality... I'm sure @benleemusic has some thoughts on this.
Anyway, you seem like an awesome dude so I'm following you. Take care brother!
I think the two things can flow effortlessly together - creating and earning. We don't need to separate them in our minds. If we give generously, we shall receive generously. The law of Divine compensation!
That's the key though right, with all of these things, is the mindset of giving or creating, rather than receiving. If I start creating posts with the thought of, how can I harvest as much SBD & SP from this platform as possible, it doesn't work... it's about giving of ourselves what we can, and creating value
thanks @positiveninja it's always an delicate dance when you decide to commodify your art. it can get messy. you just gotta focus on the art. the rest will settle itself. thanks for the kind words and the follow! happy steeming!
Not everyday I come across long texts like this one and read them all. Great words man. I joined a month ago and it's been such an amazing journey so far!
right on! i imagine the first month is kinda weird for most, myself included, as we figure out the frontiers of this new experience. so far i'm really impressed, though. and it's supportive folks like you that reaffirm it. thanks for reading and responding! take care!
Love this!
With an established fan base when you arrived, you never had to go through building one here, ;) You did the hard yards in the real world and now are reaping reasonable benefits here also. Great to see how your account is growing. Maybe, eventually, I will claw my way up the ladder. Meanwhile, I will just keep up the slow grind and worry more about the people I meet than the money I (don't) make.
Hope to see your base grow even larger, you are well on your way to big things.
I think pretty much all art/business/community-building follows the same rules. Its transferable from one field to another. Anywhere you put in the effort will pay off in the next endeavor that you undertake.
Unfortunately, I am the scratch mark. Gotta start somewhere. Having no prior exposure, I came here alone, and am building from the ground up.
Thats awesome! Start planting seeds today and the harvest cannot be prevented.
Yeah. I am loving what I do and who I am meeting along the way. The interactions are what keep me coming back.
Every journey starts with a first step.
love this whole conversation. i'm somewhere between ben and andy, in terms of my fanbase beyond steemit... but we are all in the exact same starting place and ending place when it comes to us being vulnerable humans just trying to find a connection and place in this world, and doing it through our art. one fan, a million fans, no fans... those are results that don't matter as much as the Cause: You. The Artist. The Individual. I'm here because i believe in myself and my art, and i believe in the power of a community to change the world. Glad to share this space with both of you!
I came here alone too Andy. Learning by trial and error and hoping to bring real world contacts to the platform and help them as much as possible through what I have learned so far. I'll be following you and will be upvoting my favorite post from you soon. I hope it goes well for you!
#thedialectic Same back at you mate.
Great post.. upvoted and resteemed :)
thanks @wiredwizard ! really appreciate the resteem! (and the upvote too ;) .... happy steeming!
Thanks for this post. As a noob, it's a great reminder to be humble and focus on providing value. Upvoted and following.
Noobs, unite! thanks @thedialectic .... just trying to stay focused on what i can provide instead of what i lack. i have a tendency to focus on the latter, and it leaves me feeling empty. Steemit has been a great way to share my value and find people who appreciate it. just like you! thanks for being awesome. take care and happy steeming!
Nicely summed up on Steemit and life in general, glad you're going to be with us on this crazy journey. But really did you have to wait until I went low carb to reveal you were sitting on a great potato salad recipe!
haha what if i said it was a lo carb potato salad recipe? just kidding. it's full carbs ;) but seriously, thank you for reading and writing and supporting me. this last month has been a wonderful surprise of connectivity and support. here's to many more! cheers!
I agree totally that the focus has to be on content not reward. And that you have to work to build a network of your own if you want to succeed, not expect great fortune to just be thrown at you.
I have built in a couple of months to 500 followers, and a reasonable wallet, not through trying for the money grab, but by diligently posting every day a couple of things that people might find interesting. I take my camera with me and photograph things I see and do through a day, and then just talk a bit about it. I try and include interesting information in every post alongside the photos.
But most importantly, I engage with people in comments. I answer nearly all my comments (as long as it is not a "nice post" throwaway looking for an upvote that is not deserved. And ignore pretty much everyone who asks for an upvote or follow.) and find posts that interest me in similar areas to comment on and vote on. This engagement has enabled me to interact and become friends with a number of people from all over the world and I am enjoying meeting them and finding out more about them through their posts.
right on man! same philosophy here. i'll be sure to follow and return the support. thanks for being awesome!
Great post, I actually read it all too. Thanks for the reminder, I am also new to this platform and was testing out different ways of getting noticed and collecting a fan base coming here solo. It's all trial and error and like you said, having something to say that adds value. Its taken me time to realize what that is, I think I am still learning on that front. Thanks. Upvoted and following.
thanks @jennwyant ... it's kind of crazy how i've found a parallel here for what i'm trying to do in my real life (and i think something we are all trying to do, deep down): and that is to find out who we are and what we think we have to offer the world and, hopefully, share that thing and be accepted and appreciated and VALUED for it. i firmly believe everyone has a unique value and purpose, but we are all so consumed with trying to write the same story. the money story. the fame story. the attractive story. the greatest mistake is believing that we all have the same story to tell. we don't. we all have DIFFERENT stories to tell. you just gotta find your story and tell it. easier said than done, and a lifelong pursuit for most. here's to the journey!
Hey @aliceadishakti . For when you get on here lol 😂 💗
@javierdunn great post! Totally on point 👌🙏
hurry up and get on here already @aliceadishakti your friends are waiting for you! ;) thanks for reading and replying and sharing, @suryarose ... i really appreciate it.
I made it!! 🤩
haha welcome to steemit!
@javierdunn haha!! I’m going to meet up with her next week to get her going on Steemit. I share my experience of Steemit with everyone! 🙏🙏
I’m finally here!! Thank you !!
a very good post, I just joined 1 week ago., you are absolutely right because our goal is the same. you are entitled to get upvote from me. though only slightly. Thank you for the information. do not forget to follow back and vote. 😊
On your point #2 - I feel like there are 2 main posting types. There are people with the goal of creating content to make money; and there are people with the goal of making money to create content. Confusing? Yup.
By this I mean that some folks are geared toward the money as an end goal and use content creation as a tool to generate money. The other folks were creating before Steemit, and would create without it, but see the monetary rewards as a means to devoting more time to their art, funding a book, album, or piece of software, etc.
There’s nothing wrong with the first group. And in their activity some undoubtedly find a passion which moves them into group two! But overall I find group two to be more authentic, engaging, and enjoyable. Their participation is a virtuous cycle wherein content generates rewards which feeds content creation.
i couldn't have said this better myself @bryan-imhoff ... you are spot on. I'm not really one to judge another person's intentions for why they do anything, but of course we have our perceptions and opinions. and i totally agree with your groupings and summaries. i'm a group 2 guy: i decided a long time ago to dedicate my life to my art and craft, and remarkably i've spent the last 12 years making a living at it. some years better than others. and i've been guilty of conflating financial worth with artistic worth and it's toxic and horrible. i'm on steemit to hopefully right that balance a bit, and reaffirm my desire to make art to connect with a community to be understood and accepted, more than to make money off it. and if someone has to make money off it, i'd rather it be me than some silicon valley corporation ;) .... thanks for reading and responding and being awesome. you got a new follower. cheers!