5 Ways i LOVE Steemit - #introduceyourself

Here it is, my introductory post. Why now? Because inviting someone into your heart should be done with care and consideration. I wanted to wait until I have at least 50 followers and understand a bit of the ins and outs of this community. I wanted to have a bit of content on my blog, before I say "here I am, look at me". I wanted to deserve your attention before I call for it.

The short version

I'm a 40 year old designer, artist, instructor and musician. I spent my life looking for a place where to fit in and a way to create & share. I believe that art should be for the people, not for the 1% who can afford it. So i always look for ways to make art more accessible and shareable. This, first and foremost, means to share the knowledge and experience, rather than keeping it hidden behind a wall of patents and copyrights.

1) A love Story

Ever since I joined Steemit, I have fallen in love with it. I catch myself multiple times a day, thinking about what I could add next and how to others help more. The Steemit community is like no other. So warm, welcoming, encouraging and helpful. I never felt that level of connectedness and sense of purpose on any other social media platform out there.

I love to share, teach and learn - that is something I want to embrace on steemit too. Giving back makes me happy for so many reasons. It is so much better to watch people grow, enjoy and pass know-how on, rather than putting a price tag on every minute of my life.

Right now I write a series about Design Basics to help you reach more people on steemit, dtube and dsound

2) Struggle - rising from the dirt

I'm also an artist - raised and certified. Yet I dislike the closed and walled systems of the art world. Creativity should be free and open. People shouldn't be limited by rules in order to make a living from their creations. In the series Struggle I write about my experiences, my way of getting out of the dirt and being myself. There are a lot of risks and obstacles to overcome. Some from inside my head, some from the outside. This is a story of personal growth, the hope to become more and be free.

3) Friends

I found more friends on steemit in a couple of days, than I found on facebook in years. Maybe because here, people are not "friends" who "like" your post. They are Friends who Support your creativity. Among the dearest friends are @nobyeni, @tinypaleokitchen, @bex-dk, @gmuxx, @anikekirsten, @princessmewmew, @crimsonclad and more. All of them spend their time and effort to help me. Without asking for anything in return or even knowing who I am. That is the kindness that we lack so often in our money polluted world. Out there it's so often just "me-me-me", but here on Steemit, it's US, WE and TOGETHER.

Yes, there are some bad apples. Scammers, spammers and haters - but they still have the old world in mind. The "me first, you never" concept. Let's end that and replace it with giving and sharing.

4) Crypto

Unlike Fiat, Crypto is not based on competition. It's not a war over power. Yes, we share a pool and reach for our share. But the more we gain, the more we can share. This is about empowering, not about holding down. This is about connecting, not building walls. This is about helping, instead of defending. I like that a lot. I love any culture of gifting, but never found one that is so open and accessible. Even Burning Man has rules and regulations. Here on Steemit we are free to express ourselves any way we want. It is the most open community and economy I have ever seen. This reflects what I want in this world on so many levels.

5) Respect

Because Steemit is open and you can see who did what, it also calls for respect. I admit freely and openly that I have often used social media to scold people for their opinion. Nobody can agree on everything. Sometimes you just get enraged by the views of others. Maybe let me use this place to say: I am sorry. I had no right to bring any more harm and disagreement into this world.

On Steemit I learned to respect the views of others a lot more. There are still posts and opinions I don't share. Instead of scolding them, I leave them be. If I critique, I do it in a positive and helpful way. It is not always easy, but it feels a lot better. On facebook I didn't spend a single day without getting into an argument with a "moron". On Steemit I spent not a single day getting into an argument with anyone. Every time I closed my browser I felt good, happy, relaxed. I can learn a lot from that. We can learn a lot from that.

That's it

You made it through my intro post. Hope you like it. Thank you again to everyone who supports me. Leave a comment and share your experience.