I've created a lot of post over the past few weeks, or at least it feels like a lot to somebody who never considered herself a "writer," and I felt it was time for a little reflection on my time here!
I was brought to Steemit by a good friend. He told me what Steemit was about, and that it would be a very useful outlet for a "chatterbox" like me! (That's what he calls me.)
The way I understood this site was that it was a place for writers to create cool articles and possibly get paid for it.
This made me a little skeptical and very insecure because everything I've written "pre Steemit" has been atrocious (in my eyes anyway).
But decided to "woman-up" and just put myself out there and let the chips fall where they may.
I can honestly say that I didn't feel completely comfortable till around my fifth post. It was nerve-racking!
And that was just the writing part of it, nevermind all the "ins and outs" of understanding the site itself. But like anything new, if you stick with it you'll eventually start to pick up a few things, right?
I know there a lot of people who joined Steemit for the financial benefit of the upvoting. Obviously extra money would be nice, and for anyone who's down on their luck and trying to hustle to make a few bucks I'm not judging you.
But Steemit is not a job. You don't "do work" then get paid for it. If you do make a little coin from it, "great!" That's a bonus! But the expectation of a payout will kill your joy very quickly! And why put that kind of pressure on yourself right?
The money side of this was never an incentive for me as my career pays me well enough. But I put a different "pressure" on myself that's just as unhealthy... EGO! Trying to prove to myself (and others) that I can be a good writer... or at least a decent one.
I'm still wrestling with this, but this is the beauty of Steemit: PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT YOU TO SUCCEED!
I am completely blown away by the community aspect of Steemit! This was really a cool surprise for me. I have been met with nothing but positive reinforcement and kindness which is so weird for a social media platform!
I also find it pretty damn cool that this site continues to grow every week and that I'm part of something young that could possibly be as big as Twitter eventually! (Who knows right?)
Not saying that I've figured everything out here yet. I'm still lost on things like:
- Curation and crypto currency
- Understanding what "minnow, dolphin, and whale" actually are
- How the blockchain works
But I have at least gotten to know a few cool people in the community and I'm encouraged to broaden by my reach and be even of a presence here!
There are some things that the site can improve on and make it function a little better, but I can honestly say that about EVERY platform.
All in all, this has been one of the most POSITIVE experiences I've had on the internet in a long time and cant wait till I'm at a point where I can make more contributions. Like maybe being able mentor minnows that are confused as I once was.
Anyway, here's to one day celebrating my one year anniversary!