The value of effort is subjective. You may think you deserve xyz for your content, but if no one views it, its worth how much? The answer is zero. Unfortunately that is the way most writers view the world. They write for people who want the content.
My next post will be about the shit posts on this website, but you have to also understand that people arent looking for good content here. People are looking to make $, any way necessary.
Pushing to the trending page is also not the way to make something work. In fact, the real way to make your post work is to rise above the noise and connect with your audience.
Even your tag line says "A creative soul searching for an audience". Who is your audience? Steemit caters to the crypto audience. That means that if you aren't writing about crypto, then your audience is unlikely to care about your content.
Hard to hear, but its the truth. This website mimics real life, and making money in real life aint easy if you dont have money to start.
You are right, of course. I tend to focus myself toward the creative sub-communities of Steemit where the things I do can get validation from like minded steemians without ever coming to that realization about the community: crypto is the goal, not the perk. That puts things in a whole new perspective. I mean, I knew there were people here who were just in it to make a buck. It just never occurred to me that it was the majority of people. Feeling kind of stupid right now for that. Thanks for shining the light in my eyes, brother.