I haven’t always been a good steemian.
In fact, I’ve been a lousy steemian by and large. I’ve burned off on people, I’ve accidentally ignored (muted) people for months, I’ve over-commented, I’ve dropped off the map, I’ve crowded my followers’ feeds with off-beat resteems, I’ve sown seeds of resentment, I’ve circle-jerked as hard as the best of them. All that’s left is shit posting, NSFW-ing, and vote buying, I haven’t done those yet. Except that one time I used jerrybanfield’s bot, just to see what it was like (anti-climactic).
A month ago I unexpectedly started working in a new position with a Dallas-based service company, which has demanded my fullest attention and 40 hours plus commute every week. Unlike when @winstonalden started his gig at the cigar store in Boston and transitioned his posting schedule smoothly and brilliantly, my shift into a new work routine has not been steemit-friendly. As a result, there have been no new posts from this side of steemit in weeks. Forgive me! (Or don’t, that’s cool too).
°°°°
Conceptualize this. The year is 2016, it’s the start of a new adventure. A gentle, yet persistent voice urges: Join Steemit – take part in a new social media experiment by becoming a blogger while simultaneously investing in crypto. Hone art skillz and interact with a variety of people from around the world. Expansion.
But wait! Standing at the gates of this incredible realm is an invisible Cerberus known as the Dread FUD.
Slay the beast! Take the plunge!
Well that was easy. Fast sign-up and approval back then, there was no waiting list in July 2016. Intro post was relatively painless. What next? The whole world is open and waiting now, all eyes on me. Hey, no pressure.
°°°°
The persistent voice that encouraged me to pick up the pen because of the excitement and joy drawing brought me was housed in @jschindler, endless thanks for introducing me to cryptocurrency, blockchain and, last but not least, steemit.
Deep respect goes out to @gotmeens. He is the epitome of a successfully operational artrepreneuer. A content factory, he is addicted to the arts and sure to be an instant favorite. Keep arting all over the world in your drippy, colorful ways, JB.
Admittedly, there have been challenges along this steemy path. Internet service to rural areas (where I live) is known for being notoriously slower than in urban centers. DTube? DLive? Fuhgeddaboudit. In regards to steemit and creating content, I work from a small, glass-top draft style desk with a folding metal chair. It’s not the most ergonomic workspace, yet it’s the best I have at present. And don't even get me started on my awkward online presence.
On a more personal level, I’ve struggled over the past two years, feeling the dull blade of doubt twist into me deeper. The only formal art training I have is two years from high school. Most of what I know how to create comes from “Learn How to ____ Step-by-Step” books and observational drawing sessions.
The whole reason I started posting on steemit was to share my art expansion journey. Despite best efforts, I’ve managed to take many steps away from posting about my own art. To those of you who have stuck it out this long, thank you! To any newcomers, welcome to the amalgamation. Your encouragement and support is golden.
A few more specific thanks belong in here:
@benja, always keep your good-natured and buoyant personality. You’ll never know how much your music and doodles helped uplift me during the dark days after losing my grandparents in 2016/2017. Infinite thanks to you, young Benja.
@ddschteinn, your vast knowledge of all things forest never ceases to amaze. Not to mention your feline finesse, your creative culinary compositions, and your wizardly ways with words. Bravo and thank you! Yours is a special brand of ramble, it’s just the right amount of Schteinn.
@manouche, @polebird, @adayat523, @donnadavisart, @veryspider, @kristyglas, @vermillionfox, @ryivhnn @nanosesame, @sandrina.life, @fabiyamada: You are each lovely in your own unique ways. Together, you inspire and illuminate steemit, making it a more beautiful place to spend some Internet time. A gracious thanks to you, ladies.
To everyone else who knows they belong in here, thanks to you too.
For the time being, relying on my creation of art to make a living for myself is overwhelming. Yet “artistic” still feels like an appropriate way to auto-describe.
Becoming physically fit and active, taking care of IRL responsibilities, and focusing on spiritual enrichment is crucial at this stage. Art has been the perfect avenue for expressing the beauty, grace, chaos, peace observed and experienced through day-to-day life. It’s an old friend whom I will always welcome back home.
°°°°
Another year on steemit has passed. It’s grown into a giant, untamable beast of a beta phase. And yet, here we are.
Steemit has morphed from a tiny blip on the crypto radar to a full-fledged contender in the blockchain-social media arena. When I started posting in August 2016, I felt like I was standing in a giant open warehouse and shouting into a megaphone, then listening to the echo bounce off of itself. Now, posting on steemit is shouting into a cacophony of din; discerning one specific note is a challenge at times.
The last two years here have been more than a wild ride. From the sidelines I watched the development of The Haejin Wars. I witnessed the rise and fall of Jerry Banfield on steemit. I met and shook hands with the renowned @adamkokesh because of steemit. Through steemit, I was allowed the opportunity to experience firsthand the new paradigm shift in action at the @gardenofeden. Steemit has offered me confidence, a better understanding of human nature, the possibility of forming real-world relationships, the list goes on and on.
What have I given Steemit since 2016? A few nominally interesting poems, some scratchy and chaotic doodles, half-assed origami. By the way, congratulations for reading this far through this novel – it’s my longest post ever. Now is an opportunity to return the favors, and a fitting time to pose this question:
Who wants some delegation?
Here’s the how: Tell me who you nominate to receive 500 SP in delegation and why you believe they ought to have said SP. One of the nominated steemians will become the recipient of 500 SP. The recipient will be chosen at my sole discretion, for the duration of 2018 – no strings attached, take it or leave it.
We thank you for watching. Your regularly scheduled programming will return right after -–
Here's some old-recent posts for anyone interested:
♥ Sunrise Surprise is ASAP Fast Toast - Breakfast with enternamehere
♥ Disc Golf Date Turns Ugly at Denton's North Lakes Park
♥ New Original Haiku - Entry for kristyglas' Random Games Week 4 - Poetry
Luv ya!
So good to hear from you - and thanks for the mention. Just keep doing what you love to do when you have time to do it, and we'll all read and enjoy!
And congratulations on the new job!
Never. The more the better.
Happens to the best of us.
Just spreading the love.
Impossible. Unless you injured someone in your mad frisbee-golf tournament.
Sounds like it was a great party!
Thank you always for your support and for the lolz. If anyone ought to know how to balance steem life with work life it's Winston Alden. You're some kind of biological blogging machine, I think. See you around the blockchain 🤓
First of all! Those origami posts are how I got to know you and they made me smile and feel happy every time ^^ I still hope that you'll find time to do some more in the future :D
Sometimes taking existing tutorials and then personalizing them is the best way to learn and have fun.
Congratulations on the work! And I understand it's important to take all the time you need for it ^^ New routines get easier after a while and great job on taking care of health.
Also when I started reading this post I was amazed by your honesty :D and I sort of felt my own feelings echo, as Steemit is so unpredictable, the only thing we can do is to experiment.
I don't think you missed on on art education, it was mostly: draw this, then this.. little advice (I quit uni after 2nd year). I did get great feedback in highschool tho, most useful was drawing cubes and using a knitting needle for measurements. Eventually you can measure the proportions without the needle. If there are any still life courses around you, maybe try that ^^
I think most importantly realize what interests you and learn what you need to draw that. You don'thave to learn everything at once :)
I started posting once a week my old posts, it's fun too see the style difference now. Maybe you can try it as well, just add a little something new like a little backstory or how things have changed since then, or combine several posts (I didn't get flagged so far: my example.) I got to know you only recently and I'd love to see more of your previous posts ^^
Thank you so much for delegating, it has made a huge difference, at least I feel that I'm upvoting posts with something useful. I'm recharging the vote power until tomorrow and then back to full force :D
Also I thought of the first delegators' prize, as I'm very slow at making the things I initially planned. xD Let me know where I can send you the free codes (discord?): https://gumroad.com/photoreferencepacks
If this doesn't seem useful to you pick someone else you'd like to have it ^^ These are my photos, I took for my art reference and for digital art textures. I think the nature pack has awesome photos for poetry.
I'd like to nominate my brother @ivan-g for a delegation, I think he would use it well, as his inner circle are all new Steemians trying to get noticed on Steemit ^^
He even recently designed his own origami model thanks to the support he has received on Steemit and he always shares full process steps for his posts :D
Thank you so much for sharing everything and never devalue yourself, that's one of the most important lessons I've learned from online art communities. If you want faster improvement, ask and encourage criticism and feedback. It's hard at first, but totally worth it.
Wish you all the best! ^-^
Happy Steemit birthday!!! 🎂
Glad to hear you enjoyed the Origami Journey so well! Ivan is far more advanced, and compared to him I am just a little child folding paper. (Your nomination will certainly be added to the list.) It's been some time since I've folded any sheets, but rest assured, the journey will come to a proper end before everything is said and done. There's a whole box full of models and flat sheets waiting to get to their final places in the diorama.
You're absolutely right about new routines becoming easier over time. Last month was totally different, it really took some getting used to. This month will be a bit better for steeming :-D.
Thank you for your insight into art education. Part of me feels I missed out on something important, and part of me doesn't even care about formal training because experimentation is a rewarding instructor and the online and local resources available for artists are endless.
As for upcoming posts, the list I made back at the end of June is still waiting to come to life on the blockchain! Recycling older posts? Interesting idea, thank you for sharing. Sounds like an exercise in self-reflection. Those can be so painful!
Ah, the photoreferencepacks, wonderful! Yes send the codes to me on Discord, I appreciate it - ThAnK yOu!
Again, thank you for everything you do here. There was no doubt in my mind you would put that delegation to good use. See you around!
First of all, so I don't forget, my Discord name is kristyglas#6340 :D I still don't have you in contacts.
I'm really glad you're getting used to new routine ^^ Mine will change again soon, but I think for better this time. I'm on a sort of vacation lately, waiting for important news before continuing real work :D
I definitely don't regret quitting uni, I still have occasional nightmares that I'm back there xD and I always try to quit again even in the dreams haha. I will much rather spend money on a course than going to (free public) uni again :)
The trick is realising what you really want to do. I still try out variety of things, but I work mostly on improving my skills needed for the goal :D That makes things easier and faster ^^
For origami, you shouldn't compare yourself, he does different style and it's a pleasure to see both ^-^
For old posts, give it a try and see if you like it :D You can share ones you liked before.
I searched for your name, kristyglas#6340, but no results came up. Later this evening I will get on and look for you again, I think my name is enternamehere too, but I'm not 100% on that.
You must have had quite an experience at university for it to elicit that reaction 🙃. Yes figuring out what we want can be tricky sometimes. So can being patient.
Hopefully your important news has reached you well and you've been able to continue your work. Life is all about riding the waves. See you around!
Hey. I was in a car accident, minor injuries, but resting at home :) My brother was driving, he got concussion but seems better today (physical tests all good). He is under observation.
I'll double check the name. I've joined lots of discord channels, maybe can find that way :)
Laters
Upvoted wrong comment :P
Yaay, you're back. At least for a bit. We've missed you. But I can relate to life getting in the way of the joys of Steemit. Same thing here. Guess we just muddle through as best we can.
Congratulations on the big Ohh-2. A grand accomplishment indeed. Seems like just yesterday your presence appeared 'through the thick of Steem', in my world. I'm sure glad that it did. It's been a fun ride, hasn't it?! Making friends like yourself is what makes it all go round.
Thanks so much for the kind thoughts and word. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the innards. I've so greatly enjoyed getting to know you on here, and I'm sure we have many more years to come in the land of creative pursuits and long commentalationships. (As the always entertaining @winstonalden says...there's no such thing as too much/too long-a-comment. But then, of that, you may already be aware. I'm sure you could put out a whole three-part tome of all the Schteinnbabble cluttering your site over the last year or so.) That is one of the largest joys of Steemit for me...looking forward to discussions and banter and the like. That and your Origami... those are priceless. Though I still haven't seen a chicken on a bicycle yet ( :
(and am still just a touch bummed about the demise of early-on octopod...)
I enjoyed your analogy of the warehouse, and also do feel you add a lot to the site, with a real diverse range of very artistic creations. (And discussions about car repair, deep thoughts, with some fris 'tossed' in now and then. ) I love diversity in posting. Keeps it fresh.
Glad you have a new job that is going well, though not that it takes you away from the site. (If only we could all work in a pipe store). But I'm sure your world will all settle in one day soon.
Then there will be more art, fun and disc-haps to discuss and go forward into the future. Thanks so much for being a great friend on here, it means a lot to me. So, with no more ado, onwards, upwards and awaywards, to more Amalgamationfull posts. Full Steem Ahead, and Damn the Dumb Torpedoes (all the other jive that gets in the way...)
Cheerio(s), my friend, and have a nice night
PS. When (?) I get around to putting out a book or 3 I've thought about, I may ask you to write a review for the book jacket. Your Schteinn ramble preamble would be the lions roar (cat's meow on steroids). Really cracked me up and was nice. And my book would be an instant hit, with a comment from THE @enternamehere.
Thank you for your endearing sentiment, in this comment and in general. 'Through the thick of steemit' is right, there's such an abunance of content here. It's a wonder anyone is able to forge a connection with other human-types, given all the mucky slop one sometimes has to wade through in "created" or "trending". Digression, digression...
Ah, the origami days, those are fond memories. There will be more paper folding to come in The Future, though specifics beyond that vague time frame are currently unavailable. Yes, cyling chicken! That'd be quite a feat, for a person on my level anyway. It would also become an intstant classic, if properly executed.
Your book is coming, it's practically already written. You have a wealth of tales to share, and a printed book of yours would make a fine addition to many a collection. When the time comes, please let me know how I may assist you with your literary endeavors, definitely.
Again, thank you for the laughs, the support and the food for thought. Oh and thanks for sticking it out during the post droughts, I appreciate that. By the way, long comments are all the rage these days, haven't you heard? ;-]
I think as long as you keep posting, even if not regularly, you're a good Steemian. Plus you can identify some good people, that means you have made some friends on this platform, which is awesome. Some people might gain more financial success and post regularly here but they might not care at all about other people.
As for delegation, you already have some good people on your list, so I would nominate one of them @veryspider because she keeps winning the comment contest in c-squared weekly. That means she gives the most support in terms of comments and upvotes to other people, and these kind of people are the major bloodline in a community.
Other than that, have fun and I am looking forward to your third year post anniversary :).
Edit: Here's this week stats from the comment contest. As you can see, spider just beat everybody else with a high margin.
Thank you, Scrawly, for your nomination of Very Spider and for your encouraging words about what being a valuable steemian means. Although you are new this year to steemit, you have the skillz and skills (artistic and interpersonal) to become a pillar of the community.
We're all looking forward to seeing your anniversary post in the spring! Have a great week, Scrawly and take care. :->
I agree with @scrawly.
entie ! i miss youuuuu and omg what a lovely post, it went up and twirled about and at the end, i felt like i had danced with you and laughed a bit and got to know you a lil better :>
you have such an open and honest spirit about you and i have enjoyed your interactions, the few that they are as it is, because you're infectious in your warmth <3
i look forward to when you can be more active on steemit, but in the meanwhile, i give thanks that you are doing well /busy with real life stuff.
as for nominations, 500 SP is pretty significant ! and i would like to nominate @scrawly for your consideration <3 They are a wonderful and hard-working steemian, always friendly and always helpful to many artists that have come to join the Steem Artists' discord.
For a bit of a background, Steem Artists was founded by spaceginger but he has been awol since March this year. I was given admin access to the discord but as a group, Steem Artists have no actual resources in terms of voting powers, and so on. Of course, I try to provide valuable non-monetary support, such as comments, resteems, and curation through c-squared groups, but @scrawly has been instrumental in helping new comers that come into the chat. @scrawly is a fastidious community-minded steemian and is always looking to help others find their feet on this blockchain !
Steemit, like other social networking place, can be a lonely place for new joiners who knows no one else, but I think @scrawly has been fostering meaningful friends, despite having meager voting powers, which is a testament to their commitment to giving back to others :D
Additionally, they are a blossoming art talents on the blockchain and @scrawly produces really wonderful artworks for Steemit to keep and enjoy :D
as a last note, thank you for your 200SP delegations to me, i've been using it consistently to upvote and curate wonderful steemians, some are new comers who may have been a little discouraged of earning almost nothing per post, but but but if you need it back at ANY TIME, just grab 'em off me, okay :D
<3 u entie !
NO D:
I want you to get delegation, not me. I know SP would be best used if it's in your hands because then a lot of people will benefit from it.
Plus you can not nominate me when I have nominated you!!! :3.
omg wth how did you reply earlier than me :screaming:
You two, I can always count on seeing the pair of you wherever I go :)
Miss Spider, thank you for sharing your heartfelt and thoughtful nomination in Scrawly. Between you and Scrawly there's enough imagination to fill whole libraries. Steemit is made better by both of you.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed this rambling trip down a pot-holed road of a post. Social media is still a bit mystifying to me at times, and real life is sometimes very quick to take the reigns of my attention away from internet life. The result is I don't spend as much time as I'd like interacting with you and other people of the internet worlds, and I become a lurking bystander which makes "getting to know me" difficult sometimes. Anyway -
Thanks again for sharing your kind words! I'll be announcing the recipient once this post reaches its payout. Take care, see you around the blockchain.
Awww you are too nice, Seana. What a wonderful thought thinking it that way, because sometime I feel more like I pollute Steemit with my arts hahaha.
Sorry for butting in the conversation but when people are nice, I need to let them know :).
<3
First of all, happy steemit birthday!
Second, thanks for the shout out.
I often go days wondering where you've been. You asked 'What have I given Steemit since 2016?'
You were the first one to actually actively begin upvoting my comment, encouraging my work and resteeming it to your audience. It's safe to say that you gave me the confidence to keep going on in those early days. It's safe to say that my interaction with you, and our long exchanges on some of our posts remains one of the best parts of steemit!
Dropping off the map happens! And I entirey empathise with having a full time job and not being able to post much on steemit. It's something you have to do when you want to do it. Just know that whenever that is, I'm going to be incredibly excited to read your post. Just like I was when this one popped up on my feed.
Your artistic endeavours have definitely influenced the way I think and it reflects in my own work sometimes. Specifically the origami and the poetry. I haven't posted any of that on here but I learnt how to fold a crane and it hangs in my car back in Chennai.
I'd like to nominate @agmoore for this delegation. He writes some of the best content on here - well researched, written simply and beautifully, and covering a wide range of topics. A lot of his content is longform and I feel like people don't take the time to read longform. An artist's work is so visual that it's slightly easier to gain recognition on a platform. A writer struggles more. This one is not only eloquent but also is constantly creating content that I imagine takes hours (even days) to put together. And I know @agmoore as the steemian who is also constantly encouraging me with a warmth and sincerity that reminds me of you. And so, I nominate him.
@manouche, thank you so much for taking the time to compose this well-developed comment. I had no idea my presence here had such an influence on your steemit experience.
Your posts are a desert rain. There's always a lively, refreshing energy woven into your content that is invigorating to the spirit. What's normal in your world seems incredibly adventurous and exciting, and it's always fun to see what you've been seeing. Though I may not always comment, I always enjoy your posts thoroughly. (Looking forward to your future origami posts!)
I read @agmoore's Anhelo: Ode to Color and was promptly swept away into that remarkable world. Clearly, it is a story crafted with care. It exhibits eloquent writing, as you said, and its tone is chilling to be sure. Anhelo is still lingering in my mind, a week after reading it. (What would my life be like in a world where color and art is dangerous?)
Thank you for your thoughtful nomination, Manu, and for being your bright and shiny self. One of these days, I'll get the most unexpected surprise in a postcard from a friend I've never met. Imagine where that card is now, and all the places it must have already been. Now there's a post!
Seana! You are one of my biggest cheerleaders. Your comment here is just a testament to that. I wrote something like that on your postcard which I actually sent out MONTHS ago. Good gosh, I can't believe that it has not reached you yet.
@agmoore is honestly one of the best writers I have ever come across. He gets me excited about WORMS. And if someone can do that, imagine what a book by them would be like. Anhelo is on my reading list for tonight.
I know you haven't been posting much but don't be too hard on yourself for it. Just to hear from you is nice - either through posts, comments or just upvotes that tell me that you've read my posts ( I definitely notice!)
I'm going to try this postcard thing again. Gosh, I can't believe the first one hasn't gotten to you yet. Maybe in some years, eh?
AG Moore is a skilled writer, for sure, and there can never be too many of those around. That ol' postcard, how mysterious it's become. Maybe in some years it will show it's face, yeah! Either way, if it arrives soon or never, you're still awesome for being so considerate.
I'll be around, until next time :)
I would like to nominate @kristyglas who I found through her brother @ivan-g origami posts. Her random-games competitions and her honesty in her own personal art journey are inspirational.
I like hearing about your steemit journey and how the platform has changed. I was on LiveJournal in its early days and watched how it went from a very welcoming and encouraging environment for writing and art to a more rigid and advertising focused platform, which was disappointing.
Aww thank you @gmatthe2! I already received a delegation from @enternamehere, so it's probably more fair if some else gets it :D
Also thank you for participating continuously in my contests <3 It's really motivating to continue when there are others willing to have fun together ^-^
@gmatthe2, thank you for your nomination. KG and IG put an amazing amount of detail into their art and posts and are definitely an asset to the steemit community.
Being part of a dynamic, evolving platform has its ups and downs, as you know from your LiveJournal experience. We never really know where the ride is going, but that's part of the fun, isn't it!
Thanks for commenting :^)
Happy steemit birthday :D
ps. You don't need education to make art. That's what the internet is for <3
Time is running so wast isnt it? Happy anniversary day...i had my one year back a month ;)
Thank you, and happy steemit birthday to you also, bronkong. You've had your ups and downs too, between steemit and your regular life. It's always nice to see you around :^)
aww happy steemit anniversary!! Thank you for the kind words and you have definitely added a lot of positivity to my steemit expereince my friend!! <3 are you on chat or IG?
A belated thank you! It is no small blessing to share and interact here on steemit - for two years seems unreal, and the list of remarkable people here keeps growing. I am really looking forward to branching out further to meet more steemians IRL! I am on chat, very occasionally, especially these days. If you send me a message I'll check it out :->