I can say with certainty that this is the end of a beginning and the beginning of something new, bigger. This is my story about how it all even started in the first place, and how did I, without investing any of my money, earned some crypto that will become my first ever staked Hive in Hive Power 3 years later.
How It All Started - Introduction
In January, 2018, on the advice of my friend @tmntzara, who is sadly not active anymore due to life obligations, I've started my first Crypto Journey on the Steemit Platform. Before that, I was never introduced with the crypto world and how does it all work. But, Damn it, I said to myself, let's try something new... Maybe it will get intereseting and I might earn something for myself. At the moment, I was a student, and as you know, any amount of money is welcome.
I was getting used to the platform, and slowly, but safely, I was learning every day something new. Information about crypto and platform itself were piling up, so I was getting a feeling everything is sitting on its place.
Looking at my first few posts, at this moment, I can easily see they were typical shitposts - but I was fuming how is everyone getting attention and rewards on their shitposts, not having in mind I've just started and that actually no one cares about my $0.00 - strange, huh?
The time for my first post I actually shed some sweat for - learning, exploring and thinking about how will it look and are the information in it right, has come. COLORS - INTERPRETATION WITH THE WORLD. After few days seeing $5 reward on it I was so happy and proud. I bet there's plenty of you who can identify with me - we've all been through that euphoria. "People actually liked this and my effort paid of!?". The beautiful feeling of getting recognized for something you liked doing is just incomparable & priceless.
My wallet was slightly filling with some Steem & Steem Backed Dollars which I never touched due to my ignorance about transactions, powering up / crypto in general. I was thinking back then, let it stack - I'm going to do with it some day, it wasn't really important to me. The more people I met, the more interesting it all became to me. I think my biggest turning point was the time I met @ivan.atman with his legendary iTALENT contest. The contest itself was ultra great with creative & unique voting system containing really interesting topics. He considered "all" the branches of art and everyone (from singers to painters) could find a room for themselves. It's not only the focus point on that contest as much as it was on our Discord gatherings. Firstly he opened Official Croatian Discord Server for Steemit purposes. Not long after Official Balkan Discord Server was opened up and this is the point where the real party have started!
We were "hanging out" literally every evening and sometimes until late into the night. Through that our fellowship little new actions were created gradually. Now, I can't remember what day clearly, but one day in the week was reserved for Voice presentation of our recent posts in which we would praise each others work, but also, more important, we took care of each other - gave advices, on what to change, add or take away in posts to make them better and better.
I've met a lot of people there and some of them are still active. The situation from "Let's try this platform" changed very quickly into "I freaking love to spend my time in here". I really liked that people, situation, community, and last but not least, I was getting some money maaan! I'm glad I'm still in touch with some of them, also, check out their work it's great! @ervin-lemark, @whack.science, @enjoyinglife, @runicar, @bil.prag, @moon32walker, @seckorama
Although our virtual socializing was productive in every sense, we managed to take a step further. We made a deal to meet up in real life and the first Steemit Meeting in Zagreb happened few months after we opened our Croatia & Balkan Discord Channel. It was really a step further. I finally met someone in person, and we were talking for few hours about our thoughts, how we started, what drives us, what we would change, improve and similar topics. I've collected 50% of the knowledge in 1 day, brutal headstart!
Our First Steemit Meeting
@matejka13, @arrrados, @olegw, @positivity420, @rita0404, @zen-art
Not long after, my first epic post reward happened. As I said, I was a student of Graphic Design and Production. We got a great project to do at college - Scene Remake for the movie of our choice. We decided to do it for legendary and cult movie - Se7en. It's a movie where leading actors were Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt & Kevin Spacey. Brutally sounding names, but we weren't scared of acting, no matter we never did such thing. I wrote a post about my first filmmaking, as I'm typing it right now for my first Power Up. You just have to adore and respect things you do for the first time - there is a certain beauty in the that. First Filmmaking - Se7en Scene Remake.
I was rewarded with a high $75 thanks to @hendrikdegrote's 80% of that, and that meant a world to me back then, but to be honest, it still does.
That money was in my Steemit wallet for straight 2 and a half years, so now we come to the point where today’s power up came from.
Converting SBD to Hive + Power Up
Few days ago, I saw @traciyork's post about HivePUD, read it once... read it twice, stopped and thought, "Why wouldn't I participate?". Soon after, I checked my Steemit Wallet, dumped all of my SBD and Steem I could, transferred it on my Bittrex Wallet, converted it to BTC firstly (the only way possible for SBD --> Hive) worth around $110 and then converted to Hive. Transferring that Hive from Bittrex to my Hive.blog account has produced such a great feeling followed by little bit of nostalgia I can't even describe to you.
It's my "short story" how have I managed to earn without investing any money in crypto. It have all started with Steemit, and I have to be thankful how it all played. We're not even aware how certain situations and decisions in our life can affect on the future. It's just amazing!
I had around 50 HP right before Power Up, and my upvote with 100% power while with full voting mana was worth around $0.003.
This may be my first Power Up, but certainly not the last one
As I feel a great improvement in my knowledge compared with 3 years ago, I'm still open for advices. How to improve my knowledge, where, when and to whom should I delegate etc.
Thank you for reading & feel free to share advices and some situations that might help.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
I like your stories. I feel the same way. At steem times I was more active, then came Hive and I delegated all my HP, because I understood at most 10% what it was about. But since a few weeks I am active here again..and slowly I start to understand the whole thing..guess I am at 30%. 😄
We will see what the future brings.
Anyway, I wish you all the best.
It's all about patience, reading and engaging. Everything will come to its place in some time. Glad you're back and I wish you a very well headstart
i was thinking few weeks ago what is up with ivan as i remembered the contest. photogames and balkan group was probably the thing that made me stay for the first year.
That was definitely the thing that changed my perspective about this community for sure. I really liked our voice channels, voice post promotions and all the fun we had. That was really cool. Tried to reach him via Discord but he wasn't answering. It would be brutal if we get them back here and give that channel a new life for Hive again.
looks like bull run is coming, so who knows :D
I was thinking the same way. Partly, it was the reason I joined Steemit back then and I didn't even know it. Might be the same situation now, I hope so.
hello, @tonac, thanks for mention me. Congrats on your Power UP! !BEER 💪😎
View or trade
BEER.Hey @tonac, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @seckorama for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.Congratulations @tonac! You received a personal badge!
Participate in the next Power Up Day and try to power-up more HIVE to get a bigger Power-Bee.
May the Hive Power be with you!
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
Check out the last post from @hivebuzz:
That's my story too haha
I never did anything with the Steem I earned because I didn't know how
I am long way from that and still got a long way to go
Congratulations on the Power Up :D
Thank you! I'd like a lot more of those.
Your story in the crypto world is very similar to mine. I identified a lot and remember how happy I was too when the rewards in my posts started to be worth the effort!
I'm glad it's that way :)
Thank you for reading and I wish you many more of those feels
Such a great story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I felt with you and for you on every step of the journey :)
Congrats on the huge power-up. It really is a beginning of a new story, a bolder journey.
Maybe discord nights will return too, who knows.
Another meetup - in person - would be great too. Somehow we will circumvent the measures and meet and talk and have fun, I am certain!
Here's another !BEER
Thank you for your endless support mate!
I hope it will get back soon, both discord and meetups, would be beyond cool.