2,000 FOLLOWERS! Is Steemit really worth it?!

Happy Halloween, Steemit! I’m coming to all with an abundance of gratitude in helping me reach a big, big Steemit milestone. I just hit 2,000 followers and with just over a year invested in the community, I’ve been asking myself “…is Steemit really worth it?”. That’s not meant to sound as click baity as it sounds because, of course to me, it is. I’ve cobbled together a following of 25K on Instagram, 11K on Facebook and still, 2,000 followers on Steemit is the number I’m most proud to claim! It’s those I brought here. The ones I introduced to this incredible, revolutionary platform, held their hand from their first post to that moment they bought a coffee with STEEM rewards via a Bitpay or Shift card. 

This post is already shaping up to be a therapeutic session of venting frustration, but I’m going to try and redirect that energy in to what Steemit has done for me, rather than what it “could have done” for my friends. I’m not mentioning names and won’t shame any one in particular. The thing is, Steemit is a choice to be made because it is a commitment. Some people just aren’t good with commitments.

When I joined Steemit and made my introduction post, it quickly began trending. It was a “right place, right time” situation and it closed earning $1,600. My friend and crypto-mentor @mada navigated me through the process of turning STEEM rewards in to tangible money, and I was hooked. This platform would change my life, and it absolutely has. A year later, I’ve seen lows of STEEM at $0.08 and heights of $2.80, and I’ve posted near daily in between.

I’ve bought an iPad Pro, and paid entire mortgages with STEEM. Last week, I ordered the new iPhone X paid with STEEM rewards! Even beyond those flagship purchases, Steemit has given me a way to fill in the gaps between photography work. Those painfully long chasms between receiving deposits for shoots and the shoots themselves. Those are the times that being a freelance artist makes me feel genuinely “poor”. Steemit has circumvented that. 

As an artist, most of my friends are artists. Most of them feel the same pains. On the spectrum of earnings, @tarotbyfergus was on the lowest echelon, making his living reading tarot at a local metaphysical shop. Myself, @vermillionfox and @mada pressed him to join Steemit for months, and eventually, he did. He’s consistently earned twice his months income blogging and bringing his unique mystical gifts […and music] to the community. During the solar eclipse, @tarotbyfergus paid for an entire trip to Arkansas and back via STEEM.

For every @tarotbyfergus, though, I have friends that join, post and wither never to return. One friend in particular has made over $300 in post rewards for a total of three posts, then, just like that…stopped! He’s currently attempting a YouTube strategy to make money, which is frustrating, as my own income has doubled since joining Steemit. I’ve come to let those feelings go, however. I know this is a revolution and I feel incredible fortunate to be a part of it so early. It’s my job to share what I know with those I believe in, and let them make their choice. Much like @mada, @lovejoy, @roadscape @robrigo and @timcliff are for me, I’ve become an on call Steemit resource for anyone I’ve introduced to the platform. Beyond that, the work, content and commitment is up to them.

Beyond just the monetary incentives, Steemit has unearthed a sense of creativity I’ve never known in my lifetime. Artists that post here regularly will know what I’m talking about. A few months after joining, I felt my creativity and consciousness snap in to a higher gear. @lovejoy once made a joke that “…everything is a Steemit post”, and I’ve remained at that altitude ever since. Photography and illustration is what I do, so that’s easy to blog about, but the nuances of those mediums. “How to draw a face”, “How to shoot with available light”, “How to responsibility handle difficult clients” or “What to do when your copyrighted work is infringed on” topics suddenly expand the knowledge of your own experience and gives you a platform to share it, and be paid for it!

Around the Spring of 2017 I set a goal to reach 1,000 followers on Steemit by Halloween. Thanks to the resteems, the votes, the comments and the tireless Steemit devs that keep improving the site and growing the community, I’ve doubled that hopeful projection. The success of Trial by Comics has provided me with an entirely deeper dimension of love for Steemit and the artists here. Virtually every good metric in my life, be it money, happiness, art and friendship, has doubled since last summer. Without a doubt, Steemit is SO worth it!

Thank you for helping me reach 2,000 followers! I post often so for more photography, art, illustration and the stories behind the work, follow me here @kommienezuspadt. 2,000 Steemian’s can’t be wrong!