Yesterday when I looked on Steemit for the first time in a few weeks I realized that the landscape here has really changed. My feed is populated most prominently with different names and there has been such a huge turnover of users - diehards from the early Steemit days are no longer active, many witnesses have deactivated and meanwhile there are very active newer users who are doing lots to keep this platform alive and growing.
I suppose this is a new era of Steemit and it’s great to see new energy even if it’s consolidated into a small group of dedicated users. Let’s hope all of the truly perplexing moves from Steemit Inc don’t cause too much more harm (
Since summer 2016 I’ve been super committed to Steemit; a dedicated participant and curator. But my presence here has been spotty at best for the past 6 months so I feel compelled to clarify that my less than hearty engagement has nothing to do with what’s going on with the platform nor a response to low crypto values, but rather just my own personal state of affairs.
“Things are going reasonably well for me. I'm busy with a small amount of work which is nearly finished so I need to get some more, but my ceramic work is indeed different with a smaller and more limited facility. Much different! Firstly, I can only make one project at a time and have the tiniest kiln ever so it takes a lot longer to finish each project. But this feels better to me, I really felt done with all the responsibility of multiple projects, renting out spaces, having employees and the many expenses and office work that accompanies that. I am relieved to have a really simple operation while I chart my course in my new life.
getting used to the cold, or at least trying to!
This move has been a lot more for me than the physical location shift which seems small in comparison to what's felt so consuming ——> I’m ruthlessly editing my life of what doesn't work, clearing the slate of the stuff I once liked but has felt draining. For a few years I have been extremely burned out and not very happy with my life but felt like I couldn't really make changes because I was too busy, too stretched financially and not really sure what I wanted. I became so creatively tapped out from producing commission work at a breakneck speed that I've been in a sort of recovery needing lots of time with very simple things like cooking, walking and lots of journal writing.
It wasn't until last week that I actually felt my creative spark returning! I felt those creative juices churning and it felt so so so wonderful. Guess I've had to refill my sponge before I start squeezing it out again.
So while I am creating a life that actually IS life-giving I’m in a kind of chrysalis and not at my most productive.
Lucy, my best companion in this and everything
All of this might help explain why I've had a hard time showing up on Steemit - I just haven't had much life force to give and very little capacity to put my experiences into meaningful words. The good news though is that I'm finding my feet again and can feel the glimmers of creativity returning.
A big thank you to all of you such as 
photos are all from my walks in the woods near my home
)aka Ruth Frances Greenberg, I am a ceramic artist who makes mosaics, tile and all things clay from my home studio in rural Connecticut. I’m here on Steemit to offer my support and friendship to creatives, individuals and projects that I value and want to see more of in the world. The decentralized economy and blockchain technology are promising and I am very pleased to be a part of this exciting new revolution.
Your support means the world to me and enables me to pursue my life and creativity with more freedom and opportunity, thank you! You can learn more about me and my work at www.ruthfrancesgreenberg.com