Re-Inventing Myself: Something Old, Renewed...
As part of my ongoing attempts to "reinvent myself," I visited one of my old blog properties today.
And decided that it was time to kick some life back into it. After all, it's currently the oldest ongoing chronicle of my attempts to understand life that's still published online.
I decided that it was time to give it a "facelift," and then to resume it... except with some new twists.
Thistle in the sun
No, I'm Not Abandoning Steem!
But I am going to go back to a psychology niche where I built a name for myself, between 2002 and about 2016. Except, this time I am going to put the more consequential content behind that "pseudo paywall" known as Patreon.
Yes, maybe I am partially selling out to one of the "evil empires" of the world, but yanno what? I have to eat.
And with some 15,000 subscribers, I feel hopeful that at least a few dozen will be willing throw a couple of bucks a month my way. I may be an idealist, but I am sort of done with giving away everything for free... ironically, something that has really been reinforced by being part of this community.
Yes, I realize that here we don't make anyone pay for content... but, on the other hand, we are also taught that our content has at least some minimal value.
Of course, I am also going to use aforesaid blog to cross reference our community here, and to sell people on the idea of becoming Steemians. So yes, there's some extended method to my madness!
Path through the greenery...
Announcements Later
Sorry, not going to link to it till later, once I've gotten some housecleaning done. Right now, things are a little out-of-date.
This just another example (mostly) of that nifty attribute of a blockchain community: This is a bit of a "permament record," so I can record that I started this work today... and later I can report my progress.
In connection with the blog, I also plan to start a book project I shelved some years back... mostly with the "excuse" that I wasn't able to "concentrate" for long enough to finish a book.
In retrospect, that was just a "cover story."
And that's about it, for this little "bookmark." Thanks for reading!
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(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 190421 23:58 PST
0989
I bought a printer on Saturday. Spent yesterday printing out a lot of invoices and receipts and filing them in an easy to access form. I can't handle keeping everything only on line anymore :-)
Hearing you say that makes me happy, on some level.
Sometimes it feels like "the need to automate" goes a little too far over the edge. Everything does not need to be online, and it's not necessarily the best or most functional solution. For example, plans and schedules: I'm FAR better off having a big visual calendar on the wall, than trying to keep track of all my stuff online.
I truly wish you good luck!! Now and then, a break from it some or all of it is a great decision, opening your mind to different things. A spring cleaning of sorts.
You happen to be one of my most favorite reads, truly.
Upped and Steemed
!tip
Thanks for the encouragement and kind words *@dswigle!
Change has always been a tricky proposition for me, as I tend to be someone who prefers stability and routine... but I am kinda getting the "Cosmic kick in the butt" here, and hopefully something good will come of it.
I feel ya, bro, I feel ya.
Yesterday was my one year anniversary on Steemit, and I have jackshit to show for it. Most of my blog posts rack up a "reward", if you can call it that, of 0.06 to 0.08, and the ROI on my time is just pathetically low.
I can teach English online and make 5 or 6 USD per hour, which is also painfully low for a credentialed EFL teacher of 5 years experience, but it's still several orders of magnitude more than I make for investing my time in Steemit.
If your work is good enough to get you into the Powerhouse Creatives, you certainly deserve more than you are getting, but there are many of us out here getting far less.
I am very reluctant to outright give up on Steemit, but there is such a thing as throwing good money after bad, and I do believe the same principle applies to our time and creative energy.
Just to be clear, I'm not planning to abandon this community... but I also never had any particular plans that this was going to be much of a money maker. I'm pretty happy that I get to blog here and occasionally it throws me a few bucks.
But that fact that we do get rewarded something here reminds me that I shouldn't be giving away my better instructional writing for free.
And I feel you, too. I have a couple of separate alt accounts here, too, for business ventures and my art... and getting much "traction" as a small account in SteemLand is hard. But the way I look at it is that if I'm willing to waste an hour day on Facebook for absolutely nothing, I'd rather give that time to Steem for... a couple of bucks. Besides, the dialogue here seems a lot more intelligent and respectful.
An HOUR a DAY on Facebook? Holy hell, I spend maybe 5 minutes a month on FB.
And I'm not getting "a couple of bucks" per post here on Steemit, I'm getting a couple of pennies.
Good luck with this!!!
Sometimes taking a little break from certain aspects (or websites) in life can regenerate your ideas and the changes can be SO positive! Looking forward to updates coming in the near future!
Thanks @goldendawne! The should be plenty of updates as I get "into" it, a bit more...
I have battled "the need for 30-hour days" for some time, and that realization serves a bit of a reminder that very little of what I have been doing is really financially viable. And that has to change... and hopefully without my having to sell my soul in the process!
Everyone needs a break now and then.
I think it is a good idea to update and set up a Patreon account.
It's important... and I am aware that I have been approaching the burnout stage, as well.
I hope this Patreon thing works out... in some ways, it's a similar concept to Steem, in other ways quite different.
good luck, if what make's you feel comfortable that's all that matters.
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Change is pretty inevitable, and these were changes that needed to be made... time will tell whether or not I succeed in putting myself into a more comfortable space.
I was like read it, so not stop and make more 😉👌🌟
🎁 Hi @denmarkguy! You have received 0.1 SBD tip from @dswigle!
@dswigle wrote lately about: Happy Easter On A Sublimely Beautiful Sunday Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)
Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide :)
Thanks for the tip @dswigle!
My pleasure!