In Episode 3 of the Steemit Talk Podcast, our hosts and hostess (@winstonwolfe @sykochicha @quantumanomaly @giftedgaia) ask us "What do you want Steemit to be?"
This post is my answer to that question and a declaration of intent!

A cultural space to promote what I hold most dear

I am a cultural creative. I see Steemit as the ideal cultural space to promote those things most dear to me.

I value authenticity, engaged action, idealism, equality, whole learning, activism, ecology, self-actualization, creativity, and altruism. These are more important than all the fame and fortune in the world.
For those of us who seek freedom, feel our talents impossible to express in a world-for-profit, and tire of building pyramids for others, Steemit is a revolutionary model.

The Revolutionary Model

It's easy to lose sight of these alternative modes of existence in the modern world where the exploitation that is Empire is normal and necessary to survive. Empire seems omnipresent and immobile. We are indoctrinated from birth that living has always been this way and that there are no other ways to survive. It's Empire or Bust.
Steemit stands apart from this. I will work to see that it continues.

In Beyond Civilization, Daniel Quinn examines how ancient civilizations and modern-day microcosms of alternative living stand apart from cultural monopoly of Empire. He uses circuses and theatre troupes as examples of these modern day tribes.

I see Steemit as Quinn's theatre troupe. Together we all orchestrate our unique dramatic endeavors. We don't work for the troupe, we are the troupe. The goal isn't to use Steemit to make us rich, although we do hope it enriches us! The goal is to be a part of something that supports us-- all of us. An endeavor that creates space for our talents and perhaps, if we are very devoted, lucky, tenacious and creative assist us in our sustenance.

"...but it isn't about the money" and other lies I've told you

It is about the money too. I want the way that I live and get my living to be a clear expression of my belief in nonviolence and nonexploitation. I want my day-to-day relations to reflect my desire for a world of reason, sharing and creativity. I want to support people doing what they love and I want to get some support as I pursue that which I love.

Yet within Empire, my very sustenance is embedded in systems organized around violence in its many manifestations. To collaborate with it is to collaborate with the opposite of what I hold most dear.

Only a profound change in my way of life can correct this. To me that means living with ever greater simplicity and devising ways to secure my most basic needs more directly. If I can live more within the bounds of my own productivity I might reduce my exploitation of the earth and her inhabitants.

May this declaration spiral forth, forever embedded in the block. I will continue to strive so that my vision, which I think is shared by a great many of you, might become a reality.

Pick up the phone co-conspirators are standing by

Join me! Talk to me on Steemit.chat! Email me [email protected]! Tell me about your dreams, your superpowers, and what you want to accomplish! I'm called the illuminaughti for a reason, except my secret society isn't very secret. We're recruiting and we want you, cultural creatives! We want you, your madness, your broken hearts, your hope, your tireless dedication.

Love,
Renée