I'm Hanging up the Pens for a While
Dear Team Australia,
It's been a whirlwind ride over the last few months and I've enjoyed the interactions, with those I've had deeper conversations with, but it's time I hang up my pens for a while and concentrate on more meaning activities to earn my living.
Now I feel I've given it a fair shot at trying to work this writing gig out but alas having over 300+ users means naught around here.
My average post value is somewhere between $2-$3 and this isn't enough to warrant the effort I put into my posts. And sure you could say just shut up and take the easy money, but it's depressing to see my worth so low and it does affect the outcome of my day.
To be honest, I thought building a base of followers would help but besides a few semi-regular supporters, it hasn't panned out that way. And I've seen accounts with over 1000 followers with just as little voting support so it's not something worth striving for.
But to those supporters who've found value in my work, thank-you, even though some are just bots and curation trials. lol
Now initially, I tried bots, to get more exposure, but this didn't translate into ongoing monetary rewards. And recently the bot market has become just too saturated to even consider pushing down this path.
In recent times I have enjoyed a 1000SP delegation, to experience the rarified air with a little voting power and it's been fun, but again it hasn't translated into a sustainable idea.
And I've even pushed through my introverted barriers interacting with people in the Team Australia Discord channel and quickly rose to a level 15 through consistent conversations.
However, since the new AUS/NZ discord server was set up and linking restrictions were put in place, I can't get want I need from that community anymore so I've stepped back.
Some may have noticed I even stopped using the Team Australia tag, as I needed to make sure this wasn't just a TA circle jerk.
So here I am at the crossroads, wondering which path to take.
Well actually, one path says to 'follow your dreams' but the other says 'you do wanna eat, right?'
So I'm stepping back from consistent posting and may just post once or twice a week so I can work on bigger things and clear my mind.
I just thought you should know, why I'm not around and aren't interacting with your posts.
It's not you, it's me...
That said I still have 'Random Drinks' planned for this Thursday 6:30PM on 8th March for anyone who is interested
https://steemit.com/teamaustralia/@just2random/random-drinks-for-melbourne-steemians-2
And I'll be back eventually, with new vigor and something to show for my time away.
Each to their own, mate. I only post once a week or so, and consider myself a full time steem-head.
Posting too frequently is a really good way to burn out.
We'll be here when you get back :)
Yeah.... it's pretty tough.
I have no idea if any of my plans or ideas will turn into something I can use to unhook myself from corporate dronery... but I'm still having a great time trying to figure it all out. I do have the luxury of current permanent employment to keep food on the table while I play.
I've very much enjoyed our interactions, and I'll miss you. .. but I also look forward to a new-vigor dude with ideas and plans for the money -making. Good luck!!!
Thanks bro, I too have enjoyed our interactions, and I'll still be in Steem just not at the coal face any more.
Of course, I could go and get a real job, but Steem isn't a big enough incentive for me to quit my current lifestyle.
I feel like all of my favorite people are leaving, and I am super bummed. I am glad that you are still going to be coming back every once in a while. I do hope things improve around here enough to start making people want to stay. (Or at least as enough of an incentive monetarily to be able to use Steem to make more than just pennies.) Good luck with everything, and please do try to come back sometimes!
Yeah, I'll be back, it's just Steemit is distracting and depressing sometimes, so it's best I go cold turkey. And hopefully, you'll still be here when I get back to regular interactions again.
Love the Gif :-D
Gawd he was a good Doctor W
We all struggle from time to time with evaluating the return on investment and justifying the time we spend here. When I'd only been here 3 months though, I don't think I was even getting the sort of amounts you're talking about, asides from the couple of posts that got picked up by curation trails and provided some nice returns.
I do understand needing to take time out to revitalise yourself though, as well as the burn out from posting too often. I'm considering going back to every other day (or Mon-Wed-Fri) posts instead of daily with the amount I've been skipping days lately.
Hope you find your groove again and work out a way to still be happy with what you're producing here, while getting better returns than you have been.
Hope to see more of your posts after the while. I'm reading @aghunter's series on the matter as well.