I've said many times before that I thought Steemit would be another flash-in-the-pan hype train to nowhere once I joined, because the first speculative bubble had burst. I thought I would get some practice writing on various topics and see what happened. Instead, we forked to Hive and here we are almost a decade later. I'm not rich. Our token is not doing well on the market. I don't chase popular topics, and instead often write whatever is on my mind, usually sorting ideas as I go. The structure of writing helps me clarify my own ideas as I wrestle with preconceptions and propaganda. That's the real reward. But upvotes and comments are encouraging, whether they support or dispute my ideas.
The "sorting of ideas" is especially powerful I believe. I am much the same, often starting at one point or with one feeling, and then moving through a complex series of thoughts to change my mind and body. And yeah, the rewards are an added and welcome bonus :)