My absolutely non-strategic, rather naive approach to Steemit
It's all about strategy, right? About making sure you get all the rules or algorithms or tricks or loopholes down so you can succeed, right?
You know, sometimes it is. Sometimes it is, and I don't think it's a bad way to do things.
But the more I go on in life, I realize it's not really how I function, at least most of the time.
(Edited pixabay cottage - random and lovely.)
I remember talking to my mom in my last semester of high school, which was a particularly difficult and exhausting semester for a lot of reasons, and realizing that there weren't any real "rules" for what I had to do. I didn't have to go to university; I didn't have to do what everyone else was doing.
I would soon be graduating fairly near to the top of my class--but I chose not to apply for any scholarships because I didn't want to get them and then feel like I had to go.
I got one anyway, which was automatic based on GPA. So I took one philosophy class that interested me, while working a random couple of jobs and basically going nowhere. (I'm so glad my parents didn't force me to go to school! It would have sucked the lifeblood out of me.)
My life has certainly unfolded unconventionally ever since:
- I long-distance dated an American before that was cool;
- I considered a performing arts school;
- I ended up at a sort of backwoods formation school which changed my life;
- I attended 3 different schools in 3 different countries before receiving my first degree--a Master's (I don't have a BA);
- my area of study was in no way practical but was eminently educational--the antithesis, I think many would argue here, of our current education system, where it is often emphatically non-educational and tries only to be "practical" (which has now turned into grads unable to find jobs. Crazy town.);
- I worked with a record label in the UK and made music friends from London to LA and several places in between;
- I saw Europe on a shoe string and have friends in probably 20 countries;
- I have moved probably 17 times in just a few years;
- I drove across the whole North American continent (literally to the easternmost tip of Canada) with a friend on tour.
(My friend's husband gets her flowers every single month on the day of their anniversary. Pretty awesome, hey?)
Has it been easy? Absolutely not. Has it been worth it? I think so. I'm watching that unfold, and the jury is still out. But even just for freedom and fullness of life? Yes, absolutely yes.
It would have been easier, and certainly more lucrative, to just "follow the rules." If I had even just worked at a bank out of school (as I considered at the time) and worked my way up I would currently feel like I am rolling in the dough compared to how hard things have been as an unconventional artist.
Why do I say all of this?
Well, I realized it's how I'm approaching Steemit, too. I know there are many "rules" and "tricks" I could follow to try to beat the system, or follow the system, or whatever people call it, and when I've seen them mentioned, I've attempted one or two. A slight bit of self-voting experimenting, for example, with all of the huzzah about that lately--but, friends.. it was so boring and bleh.
I always just end up feeling like any of the different strategies take the life and joy out of being here for me. In the end, my way, especially as your classic artist, I suppose, is a lot more fluid and intuitive.
I write what I would like to write about.
I record what I'd like to share.
I stick a picture up if I think it's beautiful.
I ask a noobie question if I need an answer.
I forget to follow up on REALLY IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS and wince at not being able to find them in my comments section.
I comment on things that interest me.
I upvote when something is great quality, or makes me laugh, or when someone is new and might be discouraged, or when someone leaves me a nice comment, or because someone made a valiant attempt with their English on an intimidating platform, or simply because I like being contrary.
(A nice used-with-permission library where I'd like to put a giant bed and make my little kingdom)
Would I maybe be doing "better" if I were doing things a little differently? Maybe.
But for the most part I've just found that being my best and being sincere, and seeing what every unique day brings/invites me to has made this a great place to be and succeed. This doesn't mean I don't want to do well, or that I'm not disappointed at a post that I work hard on that doesn't get much traction but.. I'm just finding it can't be my driving force to worry about that.
Still just.. grateful. And enjoying life here.
xx,
Kay
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P.S. Hey! Listen to me sing a cover of Adele or an original of mine :).
I self vote only my articles. I experimented, I wrote about it. If the busker puts a bit of change in the guitar case, more will come. It's been like that for centuries. If it's just someone sitting there doing nothing but asking for money and they are putting coins in a cup hoping for more, that's a con-artist.
Then, look at my comment section. I put on an after show. Everyone is getting voted up by me. The more they talk, the more they earn(provided it's fun and they have built up a good rapport with me). I consider that effort and the money they earn to be a nice balance. The self vote doesn't feel like I'm only taking.
As for the rest. We're on the same page. I'm not depending on some sort of trickery or loophole. I publish my work, I hope people come and look, and their votes are showing me they care. Some people have me on their auto vote list and they ensure me it's only because they want to support my work but can't always be around to vote at a good time. I always see them pop up in my comment section, eventually. Those votes don't bother me at all.
I'll use the steemit chat from time to time to spam my links in those promotion rooms. I'm not sure how much attention I get from doing that, but I do it anyway.
Wow. I'm rambling some good stuff here.
Yes!
I'll have to think it through a bit more. I guess I'm just coming across all of these articles about self-voting when you've got a ton of power, and how it's messing up the platform, and was feeling like.. well, I could definitely sacrifice my small vote and use it to encourage others, and trust that others will vote for me! But you're right about the busking thing, to some degree. I just honestly want to do what's best for the platform and is ordered to a mode of generosity more than just self-gain. It doesn't really bother me that people vote their own articles.
And yes! You're great with rewarding good interaction! I've noticed, and not just with me - that's awesome, and reeeeeally encouraging to users.
I've been meaning to get more into chat but somehow it feels like it will be overwhelming to keep up with.. I already feel like there is more than enough just inside the platform!
We can all see who's abusing their power and it's locked into this blockchain forever. They are leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that lead all the way to their true colors. That's not for us to solve.
The chat rooms here and hosted elsewhere have a major downside. They take people away from this place. People form little cliques, tribes. They spend their days with each other there which in turn takes the eyes we need on our work, away. We need to socialize. Going to the private room at a bar is rarely as much fun as being right in the middle of everything... but some people prefer those walls.
I like ur style, im kind of on the same page.. i keep in touch with quite a few people that started at the same time as me. They were way more ambitious then me and it definitely shows.. but they tell me how much time and effort they put into this platform and i only do it for fun, for a way to express myself and to invest in steem with just my time and make a few dollars while im at it.. i did try for a month to hit it hard but for me it just sucked the fun out of it, made it feel like a job. So im back to just having fun with it now too. :)
Great article!
Cool :). Yeah, I still put a good amount of time into it, and it's really helping me financially, but yes - when i was hitting things really hard it did sort of wipe me out. So I'm more at slow and steady now and hopefully that will hold!
Wow I was literally thinking the same thing. My revenue expectations are quite low and/but "this" is not my job. Although it would be nice if the system was to a point that even regular people could have a tiny profit for their content. Basically i'm here to watch how all this flows. Nice read
Being "organic" has actually worked pretty well for me, too. People have been generous in supporting me as a singer-songwriter and writer. Maybe I'd be a bigger deal if I got into some more things, and maybe will moreso in the future. But it's treating me well for sure! Especially with the current exchange rate.