Like many of you, I have given a lot of thought to the question: Should I quit my job and do Steemit full-time?
Some Steemians have actually DONE IT! That makes me so happy. I love seeing people take risks in order to lead more fulfilling lives. I love it when people decide they've had enough of their shitty jobs and decide to do something FREAKING AWESOME instead. And I love Steemit. So there's really nothing not to love.
So... should I do it, too?
It's very tempting, especially for someone in my situation. I've been trying to crack the "how to become a working writer" egg for nearly five years now. And really throwing myself into it for the last two years.
I've taken some amazing writing workshops. I've written short stories and submitted them each to 20 different markets and got 20 nearly-identical rejections. I've written freelance articles on topics assigned to me by the buyer. I have some business clients who I write blog posts for, but that's not really the type of writing I want to do. Not like Steemit.
Steemit gives me the opportunity, each day, to write about things that are important and interesting to ME. Things that aren't crafted specifically to sell products or services. Things that express my own oddness and encourage other odd people to engage with me. Steemit enables me to be paid (and paid pretty well!) for my work. And it allows me to interface with all of these other amazing rogues, radicals, and revolutionaries. Plus, since I started posting on Steemit, my motivation to write has increased exponentially. And that's saying a lot, because I was already pretty motivated before I joined Steemit.
In short, full-time Steemit writing would be the PERFECT occupation for me. But I'm not ready to make that leap. Not yet.
For one thing, I just got to the point in my life where I'm doing the prudent thing. I feel like a lot of the folks who are quitting their shitty jobs in favor of Steemit have been working the same types of shitty jobs for decades, never taking risks, never truly acknowledging their dreams and aspirations or making a solid effort to see them realized. These are people who have been doing "the right thing", following society's road map to success, promising themselves that some day it would all pay off.
I'm sort of the opposite. I did all "the wrong things". I crumpled up the road map and threw it in the garbage can early on and I've been trying to follow my dreams since I was a teenager. This "quit the lame thing to do the awesome thing" tactic? Been there, done that. I quit high school to travel. I did travel for a while, but then realized that traveling costs money (surprise!) and I didn't have any. So I got a job. I quit that job to move to a more interesting city, and I quit almost every job I had after that to do something more interesting.
What I didn't do, and have never done, is figure out a good, workable plan for how to do what I really, truly, in my heart of hearts, want to do more than anything: I want to write, and I want to travel, and that's it.
Several times, when I had some extra money I would think, "oh sweet, now I can travel!" But that extra money would only buy me one short trip. It wasn't enough! I didn't want to go on one fleeting vacation. I wanted to travel incessantly. So I did something crazy, like sell everything I own and buy a travel trailer. (Done that twice.) But travel trailers require MONEY. You have to pay for gas, and repairs, and campground fees, and whatnot. And I had nothing saved up, and no reliable way to make money on the road/air/sea.
So a few years ago I determined that the only way to get myself to the goal of writing and traveling permanently was:
1. Become a working writer.
2. Save up enough money to last me (and my family, cause they're pretty special to me) the first year of traveling. I'm not going to go off half cocked again. When I start my travels--my REAL travels--I want the security of knowing that we can sustain ourselves for at least the foreseeable future.
3. Sell all my shit (again) and GO.
And I've been working toward those goals ever since. First I started a virtual assistance business (I'd been a stay-at-home, homeschool mom for seven years, and one income in the family wasn't giving us enough leeway to save anything.) I did my business for three years, but I discovered that it would take me making compromises I didn't want to make in order to get a steady, reliable, monthly income. Like hiring people and being their boss. (Ew.) So I kept a few clients, said goodbye to some others, and went out looking for a "real job". And I found one. As an e-commerce coordinator at a gun store. (Confession: I love guns.)
A month ago, I was working two jobs (the gun store and freelancing) and homeschooling my daughter two days a week (her dad does two days, as well), and I thought there was no possible way I could handle anything else on my plate, but at least I was saving money! And then Steemit came into my life, and I added a heaping two-hour-a-day helping of writing to that plate, and now I'm so confident and happy and motivated and productive and busy--I've never been this busy in my life. And exhausted! But it's a contented kind of exhaustion, and I'm saving even more money than I was before.
The other day I was standing in the gun store, polishing a sweet little derringer pistol, when it hit me: I AM A WORKING WRITER.
It was such an arresting thought that I almost dropped the derringer (don't worry, we don't keep the guns loaded at the gun store.) I mean, I'M DOING IT! Goal one has been accomplished. Things are coming together. My plan is working.
Here's the thing: the way my life is right now is GOOD for me. Working my ass off 13 hours a day is GOOD for me. Writing every day at a feverish pace because I promised myself I would post every day on Steemit and goddamn it, I'm going to keep that promise, is GOOD for me.
When it all gets to be too much (it will, eventually), and assuming that Steemit continues to grow and be awesome (I think it will) and that I continue to be successful as a Steemit author (I foresee nothing but increased success), then I will quit my job to Steem full time. Hopefully, by that time, I will have saved enough $ and BTC and STEEM to make it work.
Until then, I'm enjoying the journey.
I love you, Steemit!
Hi! My name is Leslie Starr O'Hara, but I go by Starr. I live in the mountains of North Carolina and I write fiction, satire, humor, and the odd anarchist think piece here on Steemit. Follow me if you're interested in stuff about sci-fi, writing, homeschooling, productivity, or just stuff that will make you laugh your britches off.
If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:
Toilet Fires, Marilyn Manson, and My Introduction to the Sweet, Sweet Taste of Satire
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Why I Gave Up On Minimalism
If you want to help me achieve that second goal, tip me $1.00!
I saw your latest post and went scrolling through your posts, then found this one. I can really relate to it. I would love to just write, photograph and travel! But something still holds me back. I did immigrate once though (check my first post if you're interested).
Now, your post was 9 months ago, so I wonder, how are things now? Did you quit your job?
I did quit my job at the gun store, but not to focus exclusively on Steemit! I found that working retail is just too much expenditure of time for not enough compensation in money! So I have returned to full-time freelancing, which includes writing, proofreading, blogging, and social media management. It's more money per hour spent, but not as steady or reliable.
Thanks for your reply! Sounds like a wise choice. Do you think you will do your year of traveling soon?
Around January, we had planned to leave the country within 12 months. But now it's looking like it might be longer. :/
Part of my plan is to fix up our house to rental-readiness, to provide part of our income while we are traveling. We have made progress, but so many of the repairs and improvements that need doing are either expensive or very labor intensive. We're still putting forth a grand effort to knock out the list, item by item, but I'm losing confidence that we'll be done by January. I'm actually thinking of doing a series here on Steemit about our property improvements. Maybe that can help pay for more property improvements!
Also, there is some extended family stuff that might keep me tethered down longer than planned. I just keep on believing that it will happen when the time is right.
Many of us are working writers and it's pretty good as it gets. Steemit is good additional side income for me and I think that will be the case for sometime to come. :) Good post btw!
Thanks, @firepower !
+1 and Following !
Really great post ! (sorry, sounds so 'Cliche' ) but it really IS ! Really liked everything you said and admire you for your sensibility, perspective and 'gumption'. I did want you to know that what really 'hooked' me was when you said " (Confession: I love guns.)" .... I scrolled back up to your pic and looked you in the eye for a moment ! "Yep ! Better watch THIS one boys, looks fairly dangerous to me, BEST keep her on OUR side !!!" LOL
(Hope that made you smile !)
Good Luck Dear Lady & I will (Try) to read all of your work!
Read More, Reason More ... JTS
Thanks! That did make me smile. :)
Any thoughts on writing articles regarding your experience in finding freelance work? Tips and gotchas? With the increasing number of individuals that are having to resort to employment as temporary workers, freelancers, or independent contractors, I believe you have an audience out there who would benefit from your writing.
Hmm. Interesting suggestion. I'll give it some thought. Thanks!
Over time your reputation and brand should grow here on Steemit. This is only a few months old, I can only imagine what those of that have gotten in early will experience when it's a few years aged. A site like this provides the platform to self-publish, but more importantly the power of the income a writer needs to be in control. I can't think of any other place, online or off that we get paid to write, but also pay the readers. It's totally unique. You got my follow with Marilyn Manson :)
I think of Steemit in its current state as a large, tangentially connected team of visionaries laying groundwork for the future. I'm excited to be here! Thank you for being here, too!
Upvote to support you!
Best regards, Jonas
Exciting prospects! I hope it works out for you. I don't know if it's helpful to you, but for finance planning stuff I've recently started using YNAB, it's been very helpful for me to start being able to plan more long term than I'm used to.
Also! I'm spamming all the writers I come across with this thing: Inky. Ink is a very clever markup for writing interactive prose, Inky is an editor for Ink. Inky and Ink are free to use.
Thanks! Will definitely check all this out.
Good luck and I think just be genuine and try to be what not only what the Steemit community would like but also our real world community as well. We all will recognize the quality in each others post and help each other grow on this platform :)
Cool post!