I would echo what simplymike has said. Communities and contests are really important from what I've seen on this platform.
It is much slower on here than it used to be, though I also hope it picks back up in time and I think it might!

I would suggest looking into @steemitbloggers as they have a really healthy and vibrant community and also a contest I run which simplymike mentioned is the @ifc though there's only about 5 rounds left this season.. However you only need to get 1 point to make it into the finals so it's never too late to give it a try!

Good luck with your efforts on here and hopfully one day we see steem make a comeback. :)