Great questions and topic - probably the first of its kind I've seen since joining steemit in June 2017!

After 10 months on this platform, I mostly use steemit to showcase my art, but almost always with a twist.

The nature of steemit makes for alot of different dynamics (inherent in steemit's nature: posts have an actual pay-out, post have a week in which their value is determined (older posts become more or less 'worthless', unless for reference, or archival-value), actally 24 hours is almost the lifespan of any post I've made (but that may be similar to Twitter etc..)

So steemit is different than a portfolio-website, different that reddit, instagram, facebook, what have ye. And allows me to experiment more with bringing my art online - I can tell stories, I'm seeking and getting interaction, I can try fun and chaotic experiments, all based on my paintings and art.

If I used steemit as a portfolio, or regular place to just showcase my work, I would've left long ago (proabably because it takes a lot of time to build up your audience here - but maybe steemit is just still young, and not so many artists/art lovers have found their way here).

The same if we wouldn't be rewarded in steem, I would've left a while ago (the possibility that the crypto will be worth more some day makes the time and effort mostly worth their while).

Could steemit improve for artists? You bet, as it isn't designed with artists in mind. But I like to work my way around that, by showcasing more than just my art, and by trying to interact with my audience, something other sites cannot do.

Thanks for this, hope this helps a bit, and I'm willing to expand of course!