Tl;dr: Steemit = HOPE
I've been setting a lot of goals lately, and for the first time in my life, feeling like those goals might just be attainable.
One of my longest goals has been to be a financially sustainable creator, meaning that my creations in their various capacities (through music, writing, art, and various crafting) would provide a sustainable income for me, so I can be freed from the chains of the 9-5 life.
Ultimately, I left a comfortable and very fulfilling teaching profession to pursue this goal of sustainable creation, and I've been working diligently toward that goal since then, while working "just a job" in the meantime to make ends meet.
The strain comes in regard to exhaustion. I don't get much sleep. I'm either out playing music late into the night (or I'm plagued with insomnia), and then I am up early for work. I honestly haven't felt this generally tired since my senior year of college.
I'm exhausted.
My job, as far as difficulty, doesn't seem much at first, but the reality is that it is taking a huge toll on my life in general. There's an added element of an emotional tax with my job, and by the time I'm off work, if I don't have a gig or a meeting to run to, I typically need to be practicing or working on other endeavors, as I'm trying to make this work.
However, the exhaustive emotional and creative drain I feel when I get home makes me want to do nothing except sink into the couch and watch reruns of The Golden Girls on Netflix.
When a person has to force themselves to do something they love to do, it is time for a change.
To make this work, many times artists of all varieties have to wear various hats.
As a musician, most of the time, one gig doesn't pay your bills...you have to keep booking them, keep that income streaming...however, this money can be incredibly inconsistent.
I live in a town that I've always felt didn't really get what I'm doing with my music, and I'll say that the popular music in the area differs a bit from what I create, so to help "make ends meet," I spend a lot of time playing acoustic covers of popular songs for dinner services, which is great to help bridge the gap, but again, are not always completely consistent.
Enter Steemit.com:
Not only have I found incredible community along the way on this platform, I have also found literal supplemental income from posting my various forms of content I'd be creating for free anyway, and that most people wouldn't see.
I'm working toward these goals. These goals seemed lofty for a long time, and they are seeming less lofty now.
Between Steemit and my gigs in real life, I am incredibly close to being freed from the chains of the 9-5 grind.
Steemit = HOPE
Check out @virtualgrowth's post about my Steemit musical history HERE.
Click Here to Join the Steemit Local Music Society on Discord
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