The beginning of your story reminds me of mine, when I suddenly made 82$ for my art post: https://steemit.com/surreal/@patschwork/no-manipulation, thanks to @curie. That was the first and the last time. Since then it's hard work to get my stuff well paid. But for me, steemit isn't only about that,I found so many great people and artists, that it's always worth to create good posts. Thanks for sharing your experience, @carlgnash!