RE: COVER TIME (and some curation discussion!): Brooke Fraser's Arithmetic covered by KAY CLARITY
Truth be told, I'm hesitant in some ways because I have never wanted to comment just to get people over to my stuff--but the thing is, the way I am, I just can't do things unless I do them sincerely, so I really shouldn't worry about that.
I know that feeling. To put it bluntly, there are plenty of sycophants around and they have a tendency of ruining the concept of sincerity for the rest of us. I'll often leave a comment somewhere and be completely blown off and I think it's because they thought I was only talking so I could get something out of it in return. They don't know the part about how I don't really need their help, I simply enjoyed their post but I end up blending in with all the riffraff. Others can be funny about it. Once upon a time I paid a compliment to another blogger and in return I received a hefty vote and a few lighthearted words for my apparent butt-kissery. So, to prove a point and to have a good laugh, I flagged my own comment into oblivion. Good times!
For the most part though, the good ones, they know what's real and what isn't, so yeah, just say what comes naturally... and who cares about where it might lead.
It's so strange. Had I been thinking, I would have added this into my post today somehow. Often, the advice given goes something like: say things to people, try to get noticed! You might get followers! You might get votes! You might get both!
...but they never seem to mention how you might simply make someone feel good and maybe make a new friend.
It's true. And it was fun to hear your story!
The relationships are what have kept me plugged in here more than the money, but it's obviously a difficult balance. The money aspect is changing the lives of many of us, and not just in a stupid way: knowing there is an income makes it possible for me to focus here. Otherwise, I would have to stop and put all of my time into trying to get my marketing off the ground on other platforms because.. I am really in need of thing taking off, in one way or another. I still do that other stuff, and need to, but the income brings quality here. The last couple of months I have heavily neglected the other aspects of my work (un-name-able other platforms, for example).
However, while the money brings talent, it also easily corrupts. It's hard to pick apart our own motivations sometimes, and it's obviously something that chronically affects the whole platform. I'm trying to stay focused on saying: hey! I have enough. This is kind of incredibly paying my bills at the moment. If I do fantastically well once in a while.. well.. that's awesome. But, at the base? Enough is, well, enough. I sometimes drift, but always return to gratefulness. I really am just grateful.
I'm torn as well because when it's busy, I want to keep posting, partly due to wanting to prove my commitment to being here, especially when the going isn't as good! But then sometimes that can look like I'm only posting to get money, too. It's hard to "win" here unless you are putting in a ton of time, consistently--treating it like your job. And that makes it difficult to imagine it being mass-adopted if it takes that much time.
Perhaps mass adoption will, in the long-run, be about users primarily being on here to find good content, and only secondarily to have a lottery chance? Don't know. I just know I want to be on here in the right way that both leads to success and makes me a sincere, contributing member of the whole thing. Working it all out.. a little vacation is doing me good in terms of some perspective.
Literally just babbling now. Bed time. Lots of thoughts, and not a lot of discipline!