In purely financial terms, I wouldn't consider Steemit to be worth my while at all. I am sure that for most people there are much better ways of generating a living - alternatively, reducing your living costs - than trying their hardest to produce interesting content.

Therein lies the problem, really. In order to maximize profits made you have to be a salesman; a merchant of words and thoughts, ideas simply passing through your hands without much thought on your part. This doesn't mean that everyone successful in their writing endeavours here on steemit is a calculating sell-out, no, as sometimes it happens that the most honest and sincere thoughts resonate well with the public, aided by apt content creation skills.

Whatever you might do, you will see your reflection in your actions. I've noticed writing has a nice activating and vitalizing feeling, helps me find ideas where I'd previously be blindfolded by old patterns, whereas I couldn't go on for very long if focusing on profit alone. Quantitative evaluation of creative arts seems so out of place, disharmonic and square-shaped.