Somehow I let my 1st anniversary on Steemit pass by but I want to go ahead and acknowledge the powerful presence it has in my life and my birthday seems to me the perfect day to do so. While Steemit is not without its shortcomings, I’ve found it to be overwhelmingly positive and even revolutionary within my own life.
On August 12, 2016 I first posted and expected that I would simply post about my various tile projects, but what I didn’t expect is that Steemit would very quickly become one of the most important developments in my life during the past year.
Quite honestly I was initially lured by the financial reward but I soon discovered that I desperately needed what Steemit had to offer which was and still is a place to explore my creative voice and to connect with others - alike and different - in a uniquely personal way.
My commitment over the last 13 months has remained consistent regardless of the ups and downs in the value of Steem because Steemit gives back so much beyond the financial. I’ve managed to find time for Steemit almost every day even if it’s only 15 minutes and often at the expense of sleep which says a lot because my time was already spread far too thin with too little sleep.
Lucy and I found a sunbeam in which to do some early morning writing
a catalyst for creativity - and much more so than meets the eye
I’m not a quick writer, nor a great one and it takes me a lot of time to create a post but it’s well worth it. I’ve found that creating content provides an opportunity to improve my storytelling skills, and it turned out that writing about my studio life, projects and the inside stories behind them offered a professional reflection that has been profoundly eye-opening for me.
I’ve felt a kind of freedom here from the usual censorship I impose on myself when writing and it has become an essential outlet for exploration of ideas that I’m not sure I would have found expression for otherwise. Although sharing in this way has always felt risky to me, I’ve grown a lot through daring to do it anyway.
There is a lot more transparency, and edgy exploration I can do but I’ll get there in good time.
I cannot stress how life changing Steemit has been for me and mostly because it’s given me a vehicle to find my voice on a whole new level. These days if I’m not spending enough time posting, reading and interacting on Steemit, I begin to feel edgy. It’s truly become an essential endeavor for me.
As we’ve all seen, Steemit is also an invaluable catalyst for collaboration and creative inspiration. This aspect of the platform is growing in leaps and bounds and I”m really interested to see where it will take us.
a unique brand of connection that is removed yet surprisingly intimate
Another huge reason I'm committed to Steemit is the friends that I've made here. This community has a real place in my life, in my heart and daily I show up to curate, upvote and give feedback because I care deeply about this platform and the friends I've made here.
We’ve created a web of support here, of personal, regular connection. We take risks to reveal ourselves a little more than usual here because it’s removed, and then when we receive a positive response, we feel seen and validated, and thus the intimacy.
And at times there is a profound quality of conversation that arises and I’m blown away by the intelligence and innovative thinking that goes on here.
a revelation of support
As a full-time artist starved for support, I burst in to tears at the overwhelming response I received with my first post. Our society pays a lot of lip service to valuing creativity, but when it comes to paying for it there is a disconnect. I’ve seen it over and over again across creative industries and genres from music to digital art to painting to intellectual property to photography to ceramics and have spent most of my adult life subsidizing the difference between what my work costs to make and what I have been able to sell it for. This subsidy has come at the expense of my time, energy, health and quality of life. The price has been steep to say the least.
So to be paid here for one’s ideas, thinking, creative process IS a revelation and having this support has changed me for the better.
in process some waves carved from clay. Darker areas indicate clay wetness, and the lightest crests are already bisque fired.
A huge thank you to @fairytalelife and @steemed without whom I never would have joined. Each in different ways coached me through the process of my first post and my first SBD->USD conversion which was as foreign to me as navigating pluto. They were profoundly gracious and generous and didn’t once patronize me for my complete cluelessness.
And to all of you dear friends new and old, you know who you are and I hope to continue to nurture our connection and support each other to be our most vast and brilliant versions of ourselves.
There are so many who have influenced, affected and helped me that I can’t possibly name all of you, but you matter a whole lot whether you know it or not. A special shout-out to those especially generous Steemians (or Steemers as some prefer) who act beyond your own benefit. Those who are reaching out to make it a better place in each your own way.
I’d like to close with a quote from @hansikhouse
“In the end, there's nothing better than being incentivized and rewarded for improving one's self and making great new friends”.
Thank you for your support of my blog and for your presence here, may this platform soar and all of us with it!
HAPPY B'DAY!
Your smile, sincerity, hopefulness, compassion and creativity are an inspiration. Steemit is lucky to have you...
aww thanks so much my friend, such kind words!!
Thank you! 👍 It's a great platform. I need my time writing, too. Sometimes way too long... but I love the process. Thank you for your inspiration.
you've said it well - "sometimes way too long...but I love the process". You've said in 9 words what I was trying to say but took me 1000 words ;-))
No, your text brings much more value ;)
:-) very kind, thanks
Happiest Birthday @natureofbeing your journey in steemit is an inspiration. I just started in July of this year and have learned a lot already. I too came here initially for the monetary rewards, but am now getting rewarded in many different forms.
It got frustrating in the beginning when my work is not being noticed. I am not letting that bother me anymore. I will continue posting for cents while developing my skills and building connections. I am having fun while doing both, and that is a reward on its own.
Please continue being an inspiration. Steem on!
thank you so much for your kind words and for your inspiring comment. Keep up the great work here on Steemit, I took a look at your content and will continue to look at it. We really need great quality content and if you provide it with each post -even if only once a week- you will be noticed. please feel free to alert me to posts you're especially proud of!
I appreciate it @natureofbeing. I am keeping at it. Rewards come in many shapes here, and I feel like new connections like what we just started is one form of reward. I've only been here 2 months, and am already optimistic about the future. Thanks for your encouragement
Hi ma'am I am hereher again at your invitation to alert you on my post I am specially proud of. I am not sure of the best way to do that though and do not necessarily want to spam your comments. Please let me know. What will mean more to me is some tips on how I can improve anu aspect of what I did in this post more than an upvote. Thanks in advance.
https://steemit.com/philippines/@steemitph/five-elements-of-effective-thinking-and-steemit
ok I'll take a look! And thanks for the awareness about not spamming comments, best way to contact me is steemitchat, my handle is Ruth Greenberg and you can message me there. (just in case you don't know where it is, the upper right of your blog page is 3 line menu, in there you'll see the steemitchat link. )
Grats on your anniversary! You've done well here and we love you!
how sweet, thanks so much @cyberblock :-)))
First of all, happy birthday and anniversary! I think you may be underestimating your writing skills a wee bit, I think you write very well! This is also the first time that I have seen what you look like and you're a very attractive lady, meant with the upmost respect.
We apparently have something in common that I have just noticed. You stated that it takes you a long time to create a post. Well let me tell ya, I can definitely relate to that because I'm as slow as molases when it comes to typing lol. It's nice to see how passionate you are about this platform as well as the people in your circle. I too love this place and strongly believe that it will skyrocket to the moon very soon, as long as the government stays away from it that is. Thank you for your friendship and just let me know about that honey :)
thanks for your kind compliments @bluelightbandit :-)!
takes me forever to write...slow as molasses is about right but maybe that's just the nature of it unless one is a very well-practiced and naturally good writer which I am not. I've spent my life building self-mastery and artistic mastery as much as possible but as I said in my post, writing has a lot of benefits and I've found that it tones the brain plus the more we practice the better we can use words in all avenues of life to express ourselves!
I'm glad that you like it here and as I've said, keep those good stories coming! Have a beautiful Sunday
i just got here, i love the idea people being rewarded for decent content and all but so far i find it all a bit sycophantic as if everyones super polite and plastic just because they want likes and are afraid to express any genuin opinions, and bot like clubs to boost noobs ect with hardly any real coments or discution on posts , the idea of this forrum is brilliant but given the financial aspect bots human or machine are inevitable , tho as i say i just got here perhaps im not looking in the right place yet , perhaps you can educate me?
Welcome to steemit! One does have to initially wade through a lot of junk. Ignore meaningless comments, find the bloggers you're interested in, post consistently excellent content that is more than just a photo and blurb. It should be a story of some kind along with original photos. Doesn't have to be long, 300 words can be great, but meaningful! Also find subjects to post about that help you grow as a person so that posting gives you something regardless of the rewards. If your content is consistently good, I promise that you will be supported. There are people searching and searching for good new content. Also, try searching the hashtags #sndbox for very specific instructions to help you understand and use this platform, and search #steemlight as well as #sndbox for leads to good bloggers. Feel free to message me in steemitchat, my handle there is Ruth Greenberg if you have more questions or have a post you're proud of.
thank you
Welcome to steemit! One does have to initially wade through a lot of junk. Ignore meaningless comments, find the bloggers you're interested in, post consistently excellent content that is more than just a photo and blurb. It should be a story of some kind along with original photos. Doesn't have to be long, 300 words can be great, but meaningful! Also find subjects to post about that help you grow as a person so that posting gives you something regardless of the rewards. If your content is consistently good, I promise that you will be supported. There are people searching and searching for good new content. Also, try searching the hashtags #sndbox for very specific instructions to help you understand and use this platform, and search #steemlight as well as #sndbox for leads to good bloggers. Feel free to message me in steemitchat
my handle there is my name ruth greenberg btw
I'm so glad steemit has been so positive in your life. I also think your writing skills are great :)
that's a great compliment, thank you so much!
Congratulations! Nice thoughts.
thanks @oldtimer, appreciate you taking a look at my post!
I'm really short on time, but your post gave me some good feelings about the platform as a whole. When more people like you will join, we'll win. Rewards will go to the right people eventually. I resteemed your post for my followers to see a good spirit. Great job and keep grinding.
what a heartening and kind comment @oldtimer, I really appreciate hearing this from you and many thanks for the resteem!
So beautiful picture,best photo capture
As a newbie on Steemit, I find posts like this one inspiring. It's definitely a journey of discovery, and I find it reassuring to know that the people who have been on here for a while found it daunting at first as well... it's not just me. :)
thanks, very kind of you to say! and welcome to steemit, it is daunting for sure for non-programmers. a good resource for "how tos" is #sndbox but it looks like you've figured out the basics. thanks for your support!
Thanks for the advice. I will take a look :)
Great to hear stories like this! SteemIt def. changes everything.
thanks so much for reading and checking out my post @steemitqa, means a lot coming from someone who's been here as long as you have!
Thank you! :)
Congratulations! @natureofbeing Nice thoughts. Keep it up upvoted and Followed.
thanks @rsrb!
Thank you @natureofbeing and Happy belated birthday. Your post is encouraging for those of us just starting this Steemit adventure. Wishing you continued success.
thanks @mountainwalker, you have some good posts, keep up the good work and I'm going to keep my eye on you!
many thanks @mountainwalker!
It is always pleasure reading stories and the journey of ones in Steemit and to be exact we get to learn a lot things from this kind of posts ,and to be precise it kind of motivates us to go further in Steemit .
And to mention it ,Happy Anniversary and a month in Steemit ;)
thanks for reading my post and for your support! Cheers @rehan12!
wow. you are an early adopter. i agree running a steemit account motivates oneself to create more work. :) id like to follow you now
Hi @web-gnar, you've got some pretty cool posts, glad to learn about your blog, I'm now following you too. Thanks for the support, it's great to support other artists so we can do even better work!
STEEMIT is the best thing happened in the Internet as it gives hope for people to make at least some money for any reason.
I wish you more success in here so that we can harmoniously make this community more vibrant and productive for all of us.
Steemit is definitely a very cool thing, I agree @crytopie! Thanks and I wish you great success here as well, let's all rise together.
It's such an exciting time to be part of this online community. Thank you @natureofbeing for being such an inspiring figure on this platform and for continuing to push the envelope in the right direction. I can't wait to look back (again) 1 year from now and take stock of all that has changed.
Thanks so much @voronoi, so great to hear this! I too am very curious about what it will be like a year from now. So glad we've all kept at this.
Hurrah for your incredible commitment and always big cheers for great new friendships!!
hip hip hurray!!!
You have brought happiness to my stream🌼
so glad to know this and the feeling is mutual, I love your posts!
Congrats Ruth!!! You look exactly the way you are in these pictures: SO sweet :D
I am wishing you even more followers, even more anniversaries, even more creativity! And you know, the support - at least from me - is a given: How can I not support master pieces??? :D Steem on @natureofbeing, drive us nuts with your talent!
you're the best @meanmommy33, I'm so glad to have met you and that we've become fans and friends! Thanks for the kind words, let's support each other to make great work!
I'm new to Steemit. It was great to hear how you interact with this platform and how it helped you find your voice.
Hi @monroe.bell, welcome!
"...my first SBD->USD conversion which was as foreign to me as navigating pluto..." it is complicated. I mean SBD should be pegged to USD, which would mean that SBD/USD would be flat.
But it isn't flat, it looks much more like the Rocky Mountains.
No, problem bc SBD has also its internal exchange rate with steem (the other tokens) which is also not that flat.
But as long as you power up your steem all is fine......
And now we start to analyse potential arbitrage potentials between SBD/Steem/BTC/ETH/EUR and USD.... :-)
:-), ah yes....
I often power up but then cash is good too. Thanks for the comment @asknbid
congratulation sir
I'm so glad to hear that you stuck it out! Traveling the world via backpack?!! wow, that must really be something, I'm going to take a look at your posts, I imagine they have a lot to offer. Thanks for your comment, your support and your kind words :-)