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We joined Steemit 5 months ago and we love it!

We have posted each day (sometimes multiple times a day) of our 5 month journey after joining Steemit in early December. We've made many positive connections and felt our creativity blossom!

Prior to this, we had been posting on Facebook and Instagram for years and a friend of ours told us that she had made money here sharing her art and thought we would do well at it. We decided to give it a go and haven't looked back since then!

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Basics of the STEEM-O-VERSE

In the post to follow, we're going to walk you through some of the basics of the STEEM-O-VERSE, share why blogging for a crytpocurrency, Steem, makes so much more sense compared to platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram where you can never earn for your content and are in fact making the people who run those companies millions of dollars off of your creativity!

We'll also share some tips about how to succeed on Steemit (hint hint: it's all about engaging in and being connected to awesome communities which we'll list below!).

We entered into the world of cryptos with just a little trepidation. Being homesteaders more than techno wizards, the technological world and crypto based platforms seemed like a slight departure from our passion and comfort zone. And to be honest, Steemit frankly seemed too good to be true -- Could we really earn through blogging and vlogging?! That said, we were willing to give it a go and know how important it is to do the very things that we are apprehensive about. So we dove in.

Living the dream Through Steem!

We're living our dream; doing what we love on our land and are making income that supports our lifestyle. Part of what really attracted us to the platform was the potential for us to share what we're passionate about and get rewarded for it. Seems like a no brainer, but it turns out it's a little more layered than that... As we mentioned earlier, it's all about the connections and networks, so a major part of why we're still here is the people, groups and networks that we're a part of.

Thoughts become Connections which become Networks Which Create Value, Currency & Income

We soon realized that this platform has incredible potential. We had our big WOW moment when one of our early posts made over $200 from a vote from the awesome folks at @curie. It was here where we realized we could be rewarded for our intellectual efforts.

We were over the moon when we understood how the $ on the post translated into $USD. When it really felt real was the first time we transferred Steem into fiat and purchased perennial plants to further broaden genetic diversity and abundance on our homestead. We looked at each with big smiles and knew in that moment that this Steemit thing is for real and that we were in!

Can Facebook Promise you that?

Ever want to use your brain and creativity to earn you an income and be seen, heard, and connected while being a part of a bright new paradigm?

We all are unique beings with plenty to share and gifts to be appreciated. Much of this sharing can help teach, heal connect and empower others. So why not participate in a system that creates win-win situations for all? There is a new path being forged and cryptocurrencies are shifting tides of economies and culture. Are you willing to walk this path with so many others seeking to leave the unjust centralized and censored reality behind?

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Welcome to the New Paradigm

A place you can earn by creating quality content.

Unlike other cryptos where the coins are mined using computing power and don't have immediate utilities, Steem is a cryptocurrency that is a utility token based upon rewarding creativity and engagement.

Steem is a blockchain network where you can earn cryptocurrencies for posting & commenting on any of the network dapps on top of the Steem blockchain. These dapps (decentralized apps) are like different trains running on the same tracks using the same fuel (Steem) to power them.

Thanks to @riverflows for this analogy read more here.

These live dApps include:

• Steemit.com
• Busy.org
• Utopian.io
• DLive.io
• D.Tube
• Dmania.lol

....and more are being created every day!

What is Steemit?

• Uncensored platform for expression

Unlike on Facebook where you can get flagged and your account gets suspended, on Steemit there are no centralized forces that decide whose content gets seen. There are upvotes (like likes) which boost your content and actually equal awards in the form of Steem/SBD (more into that later) and flags, but your content is never permanently deleted.

• Outlet for Creativity

Did you ever think about the Infinite Nature of Creativity?
Our minds are capable of producing an unlimited supply of thoughts which can turn into value on the blockchain.

On Steemit, your thoughts and creativity have a place. By unleashing the power of your creative potential and building community here, your creations can earn you money. This incentivizes creation. Imagine earning for your writings, photos, videos, etc!

• Networks and Support Groups

Through hashtags, creators find each other in similar threads. Whether #travel, #photography, #food, #homesteading or #cryptocurrencies are your interests, you can easily find people writing and sharing on topics that interest you. There are also a plethora of groups and networks where you can connect and develop relationships with likeminded individuals (more on that below).

• Structures for financial compensation

"Content is dependent on Curation which is dependent on Quality of Content"

Posting on Steemit literally makes you money. When you create content, it is curated (voted on) by other members of the community.

As mentioned earlier, each upvote that you receive gains you Steem Tokens in the form of Steem (live price) and Steem Dollars (live price). Each of these can be exchanged on cryptocurrency trading sites to BTC, ETH, LTC, etc and/or then converted to your currency whether USD, EUR, KRW, etc.

Communities: the difference between thriving or diving!

There are a lot of initiatives to help you get on your feet when you first arrive and support you in thriving as you continue exploring on the platform. I've listed a few below (it's impossible to list them all so sorry if I've left yours out!). You can check out many of their pages on Steemit and also their Discord servers (a chat room area where many go to communicate off of Steemit.)

• Minnow Support Project (MSP) and their Peace Abundance and Liberty (PAL) Discord.
• Helpie
• Adsactly
• The Alliance
• Promo-Mentors
• Asher's Curation and Engagment Leagues
• Ecotrain #ecotrain
• Homesteaders Online & Offgrid-Online - #homesteaders-online #homesteading
• The New Alchemists - #thenewalchemists
• Steem Sugars
• Newbie Resteem Day #newbieresteemday
• OCD - #ocd-resteem
• Curie

This is just a sampling of the many communities. Check out this post by @revisesociology for even more!

Steemit is Changing Our Lives & the Lives of Many!

This is something my partner and I talk about a lot.

We have felt our creativity blossom and our ideas come with increasing fervor since joining the Steem Blockchain. I have blogged for over 15 years and yet I've never gotten a cent for it-- until now. The incentive of being a part of this fantastic community and earning for creating high quality content is truly changing our lives. We've seen this happen with many.

On Steemit, we aren't isolated individuals shouting into the void, but creators finding likeminded people to form community with. If you have something to share or want a voice on the internet where people actually listen and respond, Steemit is the place for you.

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banner by @radicalunicorn

This is an entry for @abh12345's contest. (edit: we won! thanks Asher!) Be sure to check out the comment's section for more #welcometosteemit inspiration and specifically do yourself a favor and read the other two winning posts below!:

@surfermarly: The 'American Dream' Got Decentralized Now And You Can Live It On Steemit.com

@davemccoy: The Party Is Just Getting Started - Welcome To Steemit Everyone!

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