Charting my Course on Steemit | a challenge by @dreamsteem

I’ve been on steemit for just over 10 weeks and it’s been an amazing opportunity to learn, network, and expand my definition of what it means to be a freelance “artist”!

I came to steemit because I wanted to know how the platform might empower creatives like myself to build support for work that they’re already doing. 6 months ago I didn’t know anything about cryptocurrency or blockchain technology -- but I’m learning quickly.

So far it’s been a remarkable journey and I’m excited to see where this goes. A few days ago, I was nominated to lay out my goals and plans for steemit by @ameliabartlett as part of @dreamsteem’s #chartyourcourse challenge! Thank you both so much for giving me the opportunity to participate in this!

This challenge came at a great time as I’ve been spending the last few weeks putting a great deal of energy into considering how I want to use steemit, and what I want to contribute here in the long-term. Your simple, concise challenge gave me a chance to organize my thoughts and bring my goals into focus!

Here are some of the things that have been on my mind the last few weeks:

I love steemit, but it’s important for me to find a pace that works. Consistency is key, but daily publishing is not absolutely necessary. I need to let go of the guilt and pressure I feel to put out content every 24 hours. It’s okay to take a break, and it means the work I do create is stronger! Self-care is important, and finding balance is crucial!
Ultimately I am really enjoying writing a personal blog that focuses on art, social justice, nature, and creative enterprises that interest me. I have never been paid for creative writing before and it is awesome -- I want to keep going with it. Check out my intro post, my ongoing series about teaching theatre in prison, or my explanation of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey to get a sense of my style.
I also want to use steemit as a place to promote my creative work and the work of other artists. I just launched the “steemit branch” of my real-life artist collective The New Alchemists. We are a steemit platform for interdisciplinary artists to develop their work, network, and build their business/brand. Find out more in our intro post, design a logo for our curation work, or apply to be a curator with us and get a 50/50 payout split for your contributions!

And now, the #ChartYourCourse Challenge Rules

What is your Steemit goal? (In one sentence, make it as specific and as measurable as possible)
Prioritize these three aspects of Steemit for you: Posting, Curating, Commenting
Name up to 5 groups/communities that help you to achieve your goal.
Name at least one measurable future goal for: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
And because everything should end on a sweet note... name your favorite dessert!
Challenge 3-5 people to chart their course!
Use the #chartyourcourse tag

And at last, my response to the #ChartYourCourse Challenge prompts!

What is your Steemit goal?

My steemit goal is to build a vibrant community of interdisciplinary artists dedicated to making quality work and developing new models of business and community engagement via blockchain technology.

Prioritize these three aspects of Steemit for you: Posting, Curating, Commenting

This is a hard question, because I believe that all 3 of these aspects are interconnected. The greatest success is achieved by balancing all 3, but I appreciate the clarity of deciding where my priorities lie! Here goes:

POSTING: Posting is my first priority because I think that the best managers and organizers of artists are also artists/creators themselves! When you are actively engaged in the creation process you have a strong appreciation for what other artists are experiencing and overcoming (plus, you keep your imagination and artistry honed). My bare minimum expectation for myself on the platform is to post several times a week!
CURATING: Curating is my second priority (but also a big one!). I strongly believe that building an artist community is dependent on consistent curation of quality content makers and artists. What is more, I have always noticed my own work grow exponentially when I lift up others: the rising tide lifts all ships. My footer says “I am here to help artists thrive” and I truly mean that.
COMMENTING: Commenting is another important aspect of steemit and one of the things that really helps to build an authentic, long-term relationship. For me, a presence on Discord within the communities there, is often more valuable than simply commenting on posts--but in general chatting with people back and forth is crucial to building up real relationships!

Name up to 5 groups/communities that help you to achieve your goal.

There are so many groups, communities, and individuals on steemit who have been amazing throughout my time here. In no particular order, here are 6 who immediately pop to mind!

The Alliance - @thealliance
Curie - @curie
SteemSugars - @steemsugars
TeamGirlPowa - @teamgirlpowa
The New Alchemists - @thenewalchemists
Qurator - @qurator

Name at least one measurable future goal for: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.

Please note that my goals are very tied to my new artist initiative @TheNewAlchemists! This is where I will run my primary “business” on steemit as I get more and more comfortable managing/empowering an artist community!

1 month -- 750 followers, have the @TheNewAlchemists ArtSearch Curation Initiative up and running, with at least 4 awesome regular curators!
3 months - 1000 followers, see @TheNewAlchemists publishing 2-3 weekly curation posts with a roster of 6-10 ongoing curators, @TheNewAlchemists will produce our first live theatre event on the blockchain, and @TheNewAlchemists will launch an ongoing art contest: Steem Idol.
6 months -- 1500 followers, begin to make enough income via steemit to constitute a sizable portion of my earnings/savings (my goal is approx. $1,000 monthly)
12 months -- 3000 followers, see my steemit income increase (my goal is approx. $1,500 monthly from blogging activities within a year), see @TheNewAlchemists supporting at least 250 interdisciplinary artists via vibrant curation, ongoing contests, live performance events on the blockchain, and opportunities that get SBD into the hands of creators around the world.

And because everything should end on a sweet note... name your favorite dessert!

My favorite dessert is a deep-dish huckleberry pie. There is nothing sweeter than spending the day in the mountains tracking down huckleberries (they’re so small, and often hard to find, so it’s a real treat when it happens)! When I am lucky enough to get my hands on these berries the first thing I do is make them into a deepdish served with french vanilla ice-cream. Nothing better in the world.

Gif by Daniel Castro

Challenge 3-5 people to chart their course!

I love this part -- because it’s so awesome to see how other people are planning their time on steemit and charting their goals. Here are some folks I’d love to challenge to jump in and map things out: