I am new to Steemit too and I have a bit to learn about how it works yet. This link gives a decent explanation of the differences between Steem, Steem Power and Steem Dollars.

The key thing to know is any money you make on this site is rewarded as Steem. For curating content or creating content you get votes which then translate into money. I am still getting used to how the site works and I think there is a bit of getting used to but in theory if you contribute to the community with articles and curating content you will get rewarded. Best of luck on your journey and Steem on!