What Steemit has meant for me
I've written a little about how I had the desire to get back into the blogging game before I found out about Steemit, and I want to share that with you tonight. But before we get to the reasons I was so interested in joining Steemit and what Steemit has come to mean to me over such a short period of time, I wanted to get something out of the way first.
When I first joined, I didn't know a lot about etiquette on Steemit and what is and isn't permissible. I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks in the beginning and violate any unwritten rules, so I didn't give due credit where credit is due. I owe my knowledge of the existence of Steemit entirely to @givonwayne. Without him I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be engaging in this great opportunity. I also should take the opportunity to out my husband who is also on Steemit. If you have an opportunity to check out @millennialnow, you should. He an alright guy. :-)
So - why did I want to join Steemit and what has joining Steemit meant to me?
Writing has been part of my life for a long time. I've been writing since I was a teenager, and I learned that out of all the things in the world I could do, I'm not half bad at writing. I continued to write consistently up until the last 2-3 years. In the last 2-3 years, I haven't written at all. There are reasons for that, but for now, we'll just say that life happened and the times when I should have turned to writing the most were the times I turned to writing the least.
In the couple of months leading up to the discovery of Steemit, it had been my silent prayer for something to come along that would make me write again. I desperately wanted to write, but I had no motivation to do it; so, in the category of prayers unspoken, I just prayed and waited for an answer to that prayer.
While I was at work one day, @millennialnow texted and said that @givonwayne had shown him the coolest writing platform and he couldn't wait to show me. You can guess that writing platform is Steemit. We both signed up for accounts and have been championing the steep learning curve ever since. Okay, almost championing. We're making strides.
I won't lie; the opportunity to make money just for posting my ramblings was exactly the motivation I needed to get back into writing. I also won't lie and say I don't want to make any money on this platform. I do. It would be awesome to be able to support my expensive reading habit (read "buy all the books I want and my own personal library in which to house them"), but even if that takes months to come to fruition or never happens at all, I'm still glad I came.
You see, I was so incredibly afraid that I'd lost my writing talent because I hadn't used it in such a long time, and I was afraid that it might not come back even if I gave it the old college try. I think I'm very rusty, but I do have brief moments of brilliance that shine through. It's like riding a bike. You don't forget how to ride a bike, but you do have to practice in order to become good at it again.
Steemit is my opportunity to write again, and it is an opportunity to become part of and help grow community. It could also spawn other opportunities, and although there have been highs, lows, and lots of questioning myself, it has helped reawaken the desire to do more and to conquer this thing called life.
In short, it's been great, and I've loved almost all the minutes of it. If you're feeling a little skeptical because, as a lowly minnow like me, very few people read your posts, don't get discouraged. This is a marathon - not a sprint. Good things often take time and hard work.
Happy Steeming!
You're right about it being a marathon! And at the end of the day, if it's nothing more than an outlet, I think it's a very good one!
My favorite is when you get inspired to write while you are riding a bike. That happened to me yesterday. I'm so glad you guys came over here to steemit. I love reading your posts. You and @millennialnow are both tremendously talented writers and I am honored to be one of your followers. Who knows, maybe one day we will all be crypto whales and write a whale of a tale.
I upvoted this post for multiple reasons but mostly because you managed to sneak in a pretty good pun there. Thank you for the compliments too! I really do love to write. Words are the best thing in the world, because of their versatility and power. Anyway, just be careful that you don't try to write and ride a bike at the same time. ;-)
Hey @queenvick, gotta love Steemit! Still awesome platform and community and it's nice having great people contribute so we all benefit. Keep up the good work! Cheers!
Hey! Thank you for the comment and visit! There are a lot of great Steemians out there. It is definitely the best part of the platform.
It really is a great place to be! I, unlike you, have never written anything before coming here so it's all very new to me. It's tough to begin with but you find people who are willing to help and it gets better. I've been trying my habd at poetry and no one ever says "you suck" which is great lol. Have fun!
You obviously have some natural ability then, because I think you write pretty well. I really enjoy reading your posts - poems too! The best advice I could give anyone is to write a lot and to read a lot. They go hand in hand really, and you learn so much about what you like and don't like as a writer when you read a lot.
Aww thanks :) I have always read a lot but I lack the imagination to think up stories. My poetry is coming from experiences that I see as funny - I'm sure they will run out soon lol
Funny poetry is some of the best poetry. Keep up the awesome work!
Congratulations @queenvick, your post has been selected by the @asapers for a resteem and a feature in our brand new curation post. Issue 15
What does this mean for you? Well first an upvote from some members of the team, we are no @curie but who is going to be unhappy with some extra upvotes. Second each post featured in the article will receive a 10% share of the curation post.
Keep up the great work and please consider supporting the @asapers with a follow and an upvote on the post you feature in. Please wait seven days for payout.
Your friendly @asapers
Giving back A.S.A.P
Wow, thank you so much for selecting my post! This has really been encouraging to me, and I am so thankful to be part of a community that celebrates each other. I can't wait to read the other selections.
The etiquette thing gets me, too. But there are so many warm, helpful people here it won't take long before you're an expert!
Yes, there are. This has been the best social media experience I've ever had. Thanks for the encouragement!
@queenvick It's good to know that you found where your writing talent could be reawakened again. Keep putting the pen to paper. You're sure to shine brighter.
Thank you so much for the encouragement. This is truly one of the best things about Steemit.
Hi @queenvick it's so awesome that you have found a space to do your writing!! That's such a blessing 💜
What is your fave to write?
I am an #asaper here to chime in offer support and encouragement. I think your mindset is an asset!!
Wishing you and your husband @millennialnow lots of success here!!😊
Hi @yogajill, thanks for stopping by! I mostly write non-fiction, expository kind of stuff these days, but I used to write short stories and poetry a lot. I might again someday. Steemit has definitely re-awakened the writer in me. :-)
Do!! Write!! Especially if it helps you to come alive 💙💚💜