My Beginner Experience On Steemit - What I Learned, Who I Met & How I Felt

I've been wanting to make this post for quite some time now but I never really did because I was waiting for a special occasion. Well, today I have officially completed 3 months on Steemit, and I have a lot to say, so sit tight!

As a newbie blogger, joining Steemit was probably one of the biggest decisions of my life, not only because I was stepping into the world of cryptocurrencies which I knew nothing about, but also because it was the first time I got to do something I love for a potential future career.

I was excited, but also kinda scared because it was a completely new experience for me and I knew pretty much nothing about how the system works. But I still knew that I had potential and I wanted to share my ideas with other like-minded people.

But in the first month or so, I took it easy and stuck with generic topics because I knew that if I started out with my best ideas and didn't get any appreciation, I would get demotivated rather quickly, and also because learning how the platform really works was a bigger priority for me at that moment.

What proved to be one of the most valuable lessons for me was when when I poured all my heart out while writing some of my articles and still couldn't earn the recognition that I hoped for, which left me disappointed and unwilling to write.

But soon after I learned and began to realize, that's just the way things are. Sometimes it's hard to be found and even harder to be valued, but that doesn't mean that you should stop trying. I kept saying to myself:

Just keep writing. Don't think about the reward. It's only a matter of time until people discover your blog and start to connect with you.

Finding Inspiration On Steemit

One thing that I think we can all agree on is how awesome are those who just don't wanna give up no matter what happens. I've seen people here who have constantly been trying to share their work and refuse to give up on the platform even after little to no reward.

It's been one of my main sources of inspiration to see how so many people are so determined to share their original work with others. It's amazing to see how emotionally invested people can be in their work and how true they are to themselves and to their audience.

I've even come across numerous articles where people finally opened up about their mental illnesses and were brave enough to share their struggle stories with other people, which filled me up with the courage to share my own life. To see how writing has become an outlet for so many people brings nothing but a feeling of absolute bliss in my heart.

The First Big Push

Back in June, I decided to participate in a writing contest. I thought it would be fun to try out something new and out of the ordinary, but little did I know that participating in that contest would become one of my most memorable experiences on Steemit and give me my first long-awaited push.

For those of you who have been with me since then, know exactly which article am I talking about. But for those of you who are new to my blog (welcome!), you can find it here. The reason why that article means so much to me is because it was the first time that I truly shared my life on the internet to complete strangers.

I felt vulnerable, but I also felt... happy that I finally let out one of my life stories. To be honest, I didn't really participate with the intention to win. I just wanted to let myself be heard, because there were so many people who had amazing writing skills and I never expected that I'll be able to compete with them, but I did, and... I won.

I can't express the rush of the moment when I saw my name in the winners' list. It was the first time I felt that I've accomplished something in my blogging career. I felt valuable, discovered and appreciated. It was also my first post which earned above $10, which as a newbie, is all I could've ever wished for, really.

Quality Beats Quantity

I have shared this a lot of times in my previous articles that quality beats quantity for me, especially when it comes to something as close to me as writing. I know it sounds cliche, but it's true. There have been times when I didn't post even a single article in 4 or 5 days, because I was too busy and stressed out to think with a clear mind.

I know that being consistent with your work is a huge part of what makes an active, social, and successful blogger, but what good is an article if you don't feel like you have given your all? Why even write if you don't want to let out all what's there in your heart? Maybe that's too dramatic, I don't know, but that's what I think.

Honestly, I would rather write one amazing article every three days that people can relate, empathize, and learn something from than one mediocre article every single day. Now just to be clear, I'm not saying that you should write only when you feel like it. I've made a whole separate article explaining why that's a bad idea.

The point I'm trying to make here is, what you write and how you write it matters way more than how often you write. You can't build a genuine audience if your posts aren't worth paying attention to. People come back to those who they can relate and learn from, not to those who post everyday expecting recognition without actually working hard for their blog.

Stop Comparing Yourself With Others

I admit, I was impatient in the beginning. I saw people rise way faster than me who started the journey after me. This brought out a feeling of unfairness and injustice. I kept wishing negative for them (I know, that's just horrible) because I was too jealous to see the hater that I was making myself.

But my brother @sauravrungta helped me realize how painfully wrong my way of thinking was becoming. He taught me how I should focus solely on my own blog. "It's not about them, it's about you", he said. It took some time, but I realized how big of an asshole I was to wish poorly for those people. Fortunately, I've grown out out that phase and now all I do is learn from other people.

Learning From Other Writers

It's no secret that in order to become a great writer/blogger, you have to learn from others. You have to acquire some of their qualities and use them for improving your own blog. You never know what lesson you might learn from someone, and that's why it's better to always keep searching.

In my 3-month journey, I've met a lot of people who I've learned a lot from and hope to continue learning from. It's super important to know that it's not always the whales and dolphins who give great advice, but minnows too. You would expect that it's only the elites that carry valuable information, but it's not always the case.

Even though every writer has their own unique thinking pattern, there are still some qualities that almost all of them share, and that's why it's necessary to genuinely read others' articles and interact with them to find those qualities and make the best use out of your resources, and most importantly, to ask for help if you need it.

Thank you guys for all the support! :)

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