How YOU Steemit community made a minnow trend organically! Thank you letter (to each one of you).

^{THANK YOU}

Well...
I have been meaning to write this for several days... and I am still at a loss for words... So let me start with the most important thing: Thank you, Community: You placed a Minnow on the trend page with YOUR VOICE. With 92 resteems so far and the love of many. Thanks.
The post I refer to is my previous one:

• Līgo (Traditional Latvian Folk Song): NEW MUSIC VIDEO, celebration of Summer, Life, Lammas

So here I am after almost 8 months since I started this blockchain adventure... It's been a rollercoaster for sure... from overenthusiastic newbie, the burnout.. back in...but now aware of its flaws and aware of its VIRTUES

So I'm going to share about my journey here and also link it to this last "success story" that unfolded these past few days and that has encouraged me so much.

• And by the way I make this blog also an entry to @poeticsnake "Snek Contest" about why we are and love Steemit! Go and check her discord because she is sweet and is doing a lot of curation. And these contests (and she's sweet and all she asks for is participation and apples... (lots of love your way))

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Current Mood: The hills are alive with the sound of music

THANK YOU STEEMIT COMMUNITY

Yes, this is an unusual post... a post about my previous post (post-inception)... Yes a dream within a dream...
And it's going to have some heavy tagging so my apologies in advance for that... I thought about doing a video but here it's a written thank you letter to you all!!

As you all know I released a music video, a traditional Latvian folk song (actually encouraged to learn a Latvian song by my fellow steemian friend @lindahas). I spent two months working on it and as Steemit has been a bit on "low spirits" and it was not part of any contest I honestly thought and braced for it to echo on silent Halls...
For the first time I even announced it here on blockchain before I did on traditional networks, and also for the first time and despite being a much smaller platform it has had more feedback here than in the other networks

Expect the Unexpected

Above all I wouldn't be on Steemit or share content if it were not for my partner @hedac so always I must mention him first. Thank you so much, for everything.

So when I posted I shyly forwarded a message to @meno @llfarms and @poeticsnake They all have been always very supportive and I kind of shared my angst... I had been working long and I have learned not to expect anything but this one special.

Curiously I had just happened to see the encouraging dlive video @isaria and @swelker101 had made to keep users on Steemit, because let's face it, some of our talented content creators have got discouraged and left...
I did my best those days... and even tried something that I believe worked...

Note: If you realize you're missing someone from your feed, someone you enjoyed and maybe haven't posted in a month... leave them a message, a feedback, it doesn't matter if posts are expired... posts don't expire, feedback don't expire... show them you care, show them you noticed they are gone

So I left a couple of messages, and some fellow friends replied and even came back...

That is something that makes us stay on Steemit... the engagement goes beyond "followers, fans, likes". We engage, we are a community... And yes most of us are plankton (I'm a minnow now) but remember all marine life rely on us... We are of importance...

We gather in this wonderful communities. Thank you @helpie and @thealliance and @sma

I was aware already that due to previous payouts I was not eligible for @curie (I am 100% into manual curation initiatives like @curie and @ocd so if you haven't voted for them please do) so I was just expecting the encouraging feedback... Nothing else.

Yet a little miracle happened...

The community came together to send this humble minnow to the trend page from the smallest to the biggest accounts... each one of you who upvoted, resteemed and commented... Thank you

@meno and @llfarms from @helpie made their initial comments and a clear statement and so encouraging, and people followed. Thanks for wrapping me up in the warmth of your friendship
Soon after @curie (even if it was not fitting the specifications due to payout gave me a small curie). I have never had a curie that was so ENCOURAGING... I had spent so long in this one... I think I needed that, also @c-squared and @photomag and other teams, and known curators left their feedback... Sweetest curie ever It meant a lot to me

@anomadsoul joined in forces and resteemed... and helped spread the word and forwarded word up the ladder. actually I have lost count of the resteems... but they are many and each one of you thanks for the shout out. I know you moved some strings here and there and I started to stumble everywhere with gestures of your kindness. Sorry for the typos this post is almost a freewrite.

Thank you of course to Captain @drakos He has been consistently there supporting many of my posts when they are underrated and not doing well (it happens to all of us). And I am aware some posts were "rescued" by him as sign of encouragement with his manual curation. Of course I counted with him in this one too... and a lovely compliment which was even better.

And to @alexpmorris who has been here from day 1 supporting my posts. Thanks for your encouragement. You have become a friend. Plus I get rodentbits haha.

At this time I was so encouraged... and all the messages from everyone

Then of course @blocktrades joined in with a big vote and made this happen... IGNITION, and I'm aware this is the fourth time (I can recall) they do, but this one was BOOM, the chain reaction was on... I could barely sleep that night...! I really wish I knew you to say Thanks, but if you happen to read this... well this is my story

Of course also to @dtube
I realized I hadn't uploaded in a while and my old videos in the channel are gone... I confess I'm unable to post daily (this took me two months) but thanks for supporting me... and hopefully my next open mic video is going to be up very soon.

@fulltimegeek blessings werealso felt.

@Luzcypher and my @openmic community ( a contest that I have had the honour to have participated and won twice, and has connected me with fellow songwriters). Count with me more times, soon

Thanks also @acidyo also because @ocd has boosted me quite a few times on underrated posts... I hope to resume @dlive concerts very soon :) too

And @ausbitbank @ngc @delso and EVERYONE.... How can I mention some and not others... My apologies if so. When I say thanks I want every one of my friends, followers and even people who found me through this post feelwelcomed and included.

While it all happened I was a bit "lost"

So I posted Saturday night... I had difficulties to sleep (I was so thrilled) but I had to because Sundays are sacred and I go to Nature to heal off-grid* so I did not even checked anymore and went off to the wild... I may do a post about it next, but we literally followed an unsafe route and we were surprised by sunset and retreating through a dark forest with no trail... mud, nettles, thorns and a couple of bruises... My intentions were to film a video for the Steemfest and an outdoors open mic so I carried the harp with me.. We failed, the urgency of finding a way back during daylight made us retreat... Still I have prove the harp made it up there XD and would have been a lovely spot to film but it couldn't be. And while I was in the middle of nowhere, in the dark forest under the full moon, all that started on Saturday kept unfolding... Monday morning I started to realize it all and reply the comments, and my apologies if I may have skipped any... I'll try to double check... But I'm grateful... all capitals GRATEFUL.

Hiking with an harp 10 hours is not a good idea... though let's be fair @hedac got the worst part carrying it most of the time

The post in question: A Latvian folk song Music Video (yes, I'm Spanish) and some funny questions

Līgo (Traditional Latvian Folk Song): NEW MUSIC VIDEO, celebration of Summer, Life, Lammas

-Did you kidnap the deer and made him lick your hand?
No, It wasn't even feeding him, and it's not the family of deer I've befriended, this was a random wild deer and yes it did come to me, I think it knew I meant no harm.

-Why Latvian? Have you got Latvian Heritage? No, but I loved the music and the traditions (check the post) and I was encouraged by fellow Latvian @Lindahas who helped me recording a spoken word version. I have found out now that there are other fellow Latvians here like @indy8phish and @hqmafa420 who made me know they could actually understand me.
-Are you the crazy rat lady that posts rat memes on discord? Yes. Lol

-Why this post and not other videos you've shared?
Well this one is "new" and premiered on blockchain... I try my best in every post but I am pretty sure this all happened because Pikku the duck (who stars in the video too) has that X factor cos c´mon look at his charm

-Are the sunflowers cgi? No, actually most of the locations are close to the fields by my house... we filmed how Summer "shifted". This was Meno joking but he was funny.

Thank you for making me an example and encourage me to keep on sharing:

Special thanks also to @llfarms and @carlgnash. They both have posted their reflections about what has happened and I feel so encouraged by their shoutouts... You can check their posts here:

• Curation. Why It's Important, from the Outside Looking in by @LLfarms

• # Bits and Bobs: Where's Carl | Whither Trending? | A lizard in the hand... | Slow Mo 360° Disc Golf Drive

Carl you're the sweetest, thanks for making me feel so special. Justine, same thing :)

It was unexpected and it was encouraging... and yes we are surfing harsh times on Steemit yet you placed briefly in trending a humble minnow ORGANICALLY and most importantly I've been blessed with your lovely and amazing feedback. Thanks to all the Curation teams for almost coordinate like a little army to assist me.I have felt the love and I'm grateful

This is not a discussion pro or against bid-bots... I have never used them and I'm aware there is an abuse of them... but I believe they can be used for good things too, though for personal reasons my path has been growing this account the organic way just engaging, posting and trusting. I remember once a big account (probably not ill-intended) told me I would ALWAYS be on Zero-land If I chose not to use them... It is not a judgement but I tried my choice and I believe the solution is not black or white...
In fact fact some of you used them to help this post too and I'm grateful. And are starting to join on the "curation" wagon. Thank you @themarkymark (and for the pancakes too!). I don't know why I fancy some popcorn now.

What do I expect?

Anything at all... I'll keep on posting normally... I will brace, aware that this was a community statement that went far beyond my post... I'll try my best, as I've been trying since I began, in that post, in every post I've done so far... I really try my feed to talk about my work and leave something meaningful in it...
I'm ready... I know some of you new followers will stay... and will also help me grow...

You are like new green leaves!

Steem on!

The song in also, in a way is about Summer and also about the Harvest... and could be a metaphor as well... Plant your seeds, water your plants, nurture them, love them... see them GROW, and collect the fruits of your work.
Perseverance and care...

So if you ask me why I'm here, ups and downs

STILL HERE

It's because here I've found friends I love...

I'm here because of YOU!

You made me feel special and I'm very encouraged! More to come!

Here a pannel of selfies and phone pics while filming the video

And If you miss the video, here it is though I'd recommend your feedback on the previous post (even if payout expires). Feedback never does

This is the original POST
https://steemit.com/music/@yidneth/jt5tm3n6

• https://choon.co/tracks/0y6dq29z53a/lgo-latvian-traditional-summer-song

And if you are lazy to go, here is the video again:

Song is now also on Choon (soon on Dsound as well) where you can stream the audio:

• https://choon.co/tracks/0y6dq29z53a/lgo-latvian-traditional-summer-song

In gratitude,

Pris

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