My motivation when I started on Steemit was purely material. I had a goal that I was hoping to reach and Steemit was going to be my vehicle to do that. Now, my outlook is much different. I realize that it isn't going to be the quick fix to the problems I had planned. I see it as more of a hobby and a creative outlet. My goal now is mainly to keep producing content, interacting, and growing my account so that I can give back to others on the platform. To say I no longer care about upvotes would be a lie though. I put a lot of time from my week into posting, commenting, and other activities. To not expect some form of reward for that is just irresponsible on my part. It took a while for me to be content with rewards in general though despite their size.