The best way to use Steemit is to not even think about financial gain
If you do you will probably just end up copying and pasting popular posts, in desperation of getting that one big post that will get you money.
The way i see it, just write posts about things that interest you, chances are there will be people that will read and vote on your post as they have the exact same interest.
That is how i'm going to go about it, maybe write a few posts a day, but mainly read other's posts.
And if you do make a substantial amount of money out of posting on Steemit, then see it as a great bonus, not as a means to an end.
This is how I've been looking at the platform since I've joined. I think I've shared more of others articles, upvoted and commented on posts, than I have spent time into worrying about any financial gain here. Hey, I didn't gain anything from Facebook posting after all the years of hours spent there so what's it going to hurt to post without the expectation of reward? It will likely generate a better following, more honest original content from the users, and generally a more friendly, productive environment.
I completely agree with your point of view. For me Steemit is rather a motivation to improve my English and skill of drawing.
Don't give up! enjoy your time on steemit)
Everyone on Steemit should see this before going forward then: https://steemit.com/steemit/@chaching/is-steemit-a-scam