Life After the Hamster Wheel
I quit my job as a chef and I have now been a full time Steemian for over three months. I wanted to write an update about my feelings and general life after quitting a normal day job and the steady pay, and relying solely on Steemit and the volatile nature of crypto market.
When I worked as a chef, I had a minimum wage, working mostly morning shift (5.30am start) and having to deal with the shit that is customer service. Even though I love(d) cooking, I started to hate the job after being a chef for about 6 years. After being introduced to Steemit and getting some decent rewards here, I quit my day job in search of a better life.
Spoiler alert: I found it!
So far I’ve been really happy about my choice. I get to work alone, on what I want, when I want and I get to sleep in if I feel like it. I can work from anywhere in the world, as long as I have internet connection, that is the only limitation. I will never have to deal with anyone I don’t want to, I can choose the people I interact with, and I am very picky with that.
However, it’s not all roses
I work a lot more than I have ever worked before, constantly creating new content, taking photographs and writing. I’m ON almost 24/7, if not creating per se, then thinking about new ideas and answering comments or just chatting and making connections.
Crypto markets are very volatile and even though the amount of upvotes is somewhat the same, the price is like a rollercoaster. I kinda have a payday every day, but then again, because I don’t want to sell when the price is bad, so I never know when the next pay day actually is. It’s kinda scary but I am prepared to sell at a low price too if need be, it’s not like I’m loosing anything really because I haven’t invested much fiat into crypto, I just earn it with Steeming.
Sometimes I feel stuck for a while when I have no material for the days post, but somehow I always make something up. I try to avoid using any old material, other than some random pics just to accompany a piece that is more about the words than the pictures, like this post and the old picture of me in it. I pride myself on creating something new every day.
Working alone and for myself
I love that I can do everything at my own pace and I’m myself responsible about everything. I hated working for other people and with people. I don’t have to compromise on the quality of work or my ideas because the bullshit that is called consensus. If I want, I can take a day off, but that will bite me in the ass the next week, so I don’t take time off. I really enjoy my life now, even when I’m not doing anything special.
Now when I work, there is a meaning to it, because I’m doing it all for myself. If I work a lot, I get to reap the rewards from it. If I slack, I pay the price. I don’t have to work myself to the grave so that someone else can take the benefits and pay me minimum wage.
It is amazing that you have been able to quit your day job to become a full time content creator on Steemit. I am curious why you don't make use of Steepshot, Zappl and Dlive/Dtube to expand your options. Perhaps it is because you want every single post to have a lo of body to it and you prefer pictures and writing to videos. Anyways I just wanted to congratulate you on 3 months of successful Steemit living. Great post, Upvoted 100% and Resteemed! I have been a longtime silent fan enjoying your work from the shadows. Keep up the good work!
You are an inspiration :) Keep up the good work!
Oawwww, what a sweet message, thank you :) 🤗
Thank you so much for sharing the real experience that you have had going full time. I've been running in the hampster wheel for so long and as a creative person its really just killing me inside. I need to go full time creative...I have to make it work! And I will. I've been planning for years and am so close to paying off all my student loans and other debt...so close.
Anyway- thanks for sharing! And Good Luck!
I felt like it's important to share both the good and the bad that come with this new venture :) Good luck on your journey and wait for that amazing feeling of getting all your debt paid and getting to start from a clean slate :) It's the best!
Yes, super important!
I do feel like things are lining up which is awesome. Debt is going away, kids are going into public school (free), I'm doing pretty well on Youtube, etc. Just gotta keep putting in the work!
AND I will definitely start posting here daily when I make the jump. Eeep!
Nice post and quite inspiring.
When your doing a creative job or work online (or both) people tend to ask „do you even work?“.
And when they understand they don’t see the dark side like editing fotos for hours and not knowing how to pay the next rent.
I‘ve got a question to you:
When did you realize this may become your main source of income. Did you even plan to become a full time steemian?
When I joined, blogging for a living was a very distant and unrealistic dream, but after I kept at it for like five months, I started to see some real results and slowly the idea of making this a full time job formed. I did a lot of thinking, soul-searching and preparing before I finally made the jump.
Cool. Did you have experience before ? Like do you run other blogs Instagram pages or so?
Of course I’ve been on social media for forever but I’ve never tried to do it professionally before.
Okay but it’s not like you brought 2000 followers with you to steemit.
I think I've brought all of three people here 😂
More than 2 is a Gang.
So you were more a Social Media Consumer
*insert a long generic comment about believing in yourself and following your dreams. + congrats with your current success... * why is everyone starting to puke?
Thank you for being you.
Also: "hard work pays off" and "carpe diem"
I really admire how you are so real all the time. Very genuine and dare I say transparent? You have so many layers to your personality and this post really made me see that. I have been a follower for a little while and your posts have intrigued me at times (and confused at others). This platform has so much more room for growth that it isn't even funny. We are all early adopters at this point and should be glad to be here :)
Thihih, I'm usually so pale that I am quite literally transparent, but now I have had the pleasure of getting some sun :) I'm glad to have you as a follower and I hope to keep you intrigued and confused :P
Well done🙌👏🙌👏
congrats. it's the future! :) we are living it.
Well ... Great work :)
I quit my job as an appliance repairman to pursue my passion selling rocks and fossils. I used to walk in the office and say "another day, another carrot to chase". Now I may live a little longer. I do post blogs during slow times at the store and have generated a small reward. I am investing in steem while the price is down. A friend once told me, "if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life"