Photo taken by me @derangedvisions
WOW a lot has happened in 90 days
When I got on Steemit 90 days ago, I did not envision things taking this path for me. My Steemit journey thus far has been amazing.
My first post here was my introductionyourself post and it made 25 cents. Then my next 14 posts combined made a total of 10 cents. Most people would get discouraged at this point, but I reminded myself that through Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, I haven't made a penny from any of that even though I was basically doing the same thing.
Photo taken by me @derangedvisions
This was about the time that I started to learn that I was approaching Steemit totally wrong. I realized that I didn't know anyone on the platform, so how could anyone know who I was? I needed to branch out and become involved with the community here.
That was when I found the Minnow Support Project discord. I met some pretty cool people there and began to branch out. @crimsonclad directed me to the Military Veterans discord where I have met some awesome people.
I came across the @underground and the @mbc-meps program. During that time Undie and I have become friends and all of us in the Minnow Boot Camp are doing what we can to try and help out the new members of the Steemit Community by teaching them all sorts of topics from using tags properly to structuring your post using markdown and making it look the best as possible.
Photo taken by me @derangedvisions
I have had a few visits from the @curie fairy for my War-Torn film and for my various photography posts. My first @curie vote was monumental for me in wanting to continue with this platform. Everyone within the @curie project are working nonstop to find content on the platform that is deserving of recognition and rewards the authors very generously. You should definitely consider casting a vote for @curie as a witness so that the project can continue to reward authors on this platform.
I joined Steemit as a photographer and wanted to share my photography with as many people as possible, so I entered my stuff in a few of the photography contests. I came across @czechglobalhosts and his amazing daily contests that he runs and began to take part in the ones that I was able to. I was also taking note on all of the photo contests that I was seeing on the platform and trying to figure out how all of them were structured.
I joined the @cryptoempire and became friends with many of the members in there. @spiritualmax, @maverickinvictus, @foxyspirit, and the rest of the crew there are awesome.
Photo taken by me @derangedvisions
In the Military Veterans server, I have come to know @guiltyparties, @basicstoliving, @rakkasan84, @jackmiller, @wolfhart, @inthenow and some of the other veterans there. They are all a great group of people and help make my time on Steemit so awesome.
Last month I was asked to take part in the @photogames as one of the Photo Stars. @photogames is a photography contest/game that was created by @jarvie, @derekkind and @caseygrimley. Since I took part in the first one, I was invited back and have become friends with the other photographers in there like @alevaskye, @dmytrokorol, @intrepidphotos, @jpphotography, @fotostef, @itchyfeetdonica, @themonkeyzuelans, @bil.prag, @r00sj3, @soyrosa and others.
About a month and a half ago I started the process to get into The Alliance. This was one of the smartest decisions I made early on in my Steemit adventure. During the first week or so I was with them, I went through a rigorous "school program" where teachers pick apart your posts and show you where you can improve. This was huge for me because it gave me the tools to make my posts appear more professional, even though they were still being written by me. The Alliance family has been great. @enginewitty, @c0ff33a, @snook, and all the other people there are awesome.
Deranged Photography Contest
These past 2 weeks have been crazy for me. When I was observing some of the photography contests here on the platform, I noticed one common theme among them. There were a lot of people entering in the contests from all skill levels but it seemed like the same 10 professional photographers were winning them. So I decided that I wanted to create my own contest and make it an even playing field for everyone.
Photo taken by me @derangedvisions
One thing that I am really looking forward to with this platform is the service opportunities and helping people from all over the world that are less fortunate. I want to be able to provide some sort of a reward to everyone that participates in my contests, from paying out the winners of the three tiers of photographers, to upvoting all of the entries in the contest.
I have some amazing sponsors for the contest. @czechglobalhosts, @pfunk, @arcange, @guiltyparties, @ats-david and the rest of the @steemcleaners team have been instrumental in helping to make the contest happen. Without their help, the contest would not be possible.
Since the contest launched, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of amazing entries I have received. My goal is to become the largest photography contest on the platform and be able to reward people of all skill levels from all over the world. As the value of my vote goes up, the rewards will go back to the participants.
If you are interested in joining the Deranged Photography Contest discord and stay up to date with the themes and contest, you can join here:
Summary of growth
When I joined Steemit 90 days ago, I was given 0.5 Steem and a delegation of 14.5 from Steemit to be able to function. As I grew and learned more about the platform and how it operates, I became fascinated with the potential that it can provide people all over the world. I was telling my wife that I want to get to a point where my account is valued high enough that we can travel around the world and use funds from Steemit to build and repair orphanages in the poverty stricken areas, and then make posts showing everyone on the platform what they are helping to support.
Photo taken by me @derangedvisions
90 days after joining I have accumulated 936 Steem Power. I have delegated 100 SP out to support the Military Veteran community and I have been delegated 250 SP. I am in it for the long haul and these first 90 days are just my beginning here. I am looking forward to the future here on Steemit and doing what I can to help make the world better with it.
Hey @derangedvisions. Glad you are not losing hope. I believe your talent will go far in steemit. What you need is exposure and the subscribers and upvoters will follow in drones.
You make superb content and your posts has good intentions. I've actually recommended you to be whitelisted in Minnowbooster and its the perfect platform for you to get exposure. :)
Thank you. I don't know anything about minnowbooster, but I have seen it on other people's posts. I will have to look into it.
Promoting your post is just as important as making awesome articles. For your awesome articles to be appreciated it needs to be seen by a lot of people thats where MB comes in and helps you.
Since you are now whitelisted . You can now use their service to promote your post. You can do that by sending your SBD to Minnowbooster with the link to your post as the memo. MB will then upvote you at around 2.6x the amount that you send. So a 10 SBD sent nets you $26 worth of upvote and 100 SBD gets 260.
If you do the math on the rewards assuming the STEEM price doesnt go down a 100 SBD boost sent to MB If we do the math You will get 96 SBD Back and 26 STEEM POWER!! ( I've already factored out the curation rewards ). This will not always be the case but in terms of SBD + STEEM you get in rewards it almost always results in profit for you.
The good thing about high voted posts is that more people get to see your post as they are reflected on the trending section meaning more exposure and followers and readers in the long run.
You can read more about them at
steemit.com/@minnowbooster
Thanks for keeping me motivated. Hope to be nearly as successful as you are after my 90 days ;)
Keep up what you are doing and I am sure you will do great. I have seen your work and it is awesome. The big thing is branching out in the community and getting to know people so they know you.
:) Alright, will keep on working. But its hard to get the attention from people who are already connected in the community, because their posts are very busy. Did you started getting to know people who are on the same (reputation) level?
Are you active in Discord? That is an amazing tool to get to know people.
Not yet, seems I have to check it out. Thanks for the hint
This is exactly the post they should link at the bottom of the Steemit FAQ - after all the Jargon nobody understands links to real post where real people came here and worked out how to progress.
You have come a long way in a short time, and this post is a real inspiration to people starting out on Steemit - I spent far longer then this getting less then a dollar for my posts when I started out.
I still don't fully understand how this platform works, but from experience I learned very slowly that you need to give to receive. When I started out I created posts and then just expected people to find them - when nobody did I wondered why.
Eventually I worked out my post's were just a tiny part of a much bigger puzzle, and to bring in an audience you need to actively pursue them. Comment and share is key - the more you remind people about you through comments the more they will remember you.
The charitable side of Steemit is fascinating, and real differences can be made to people's lives.
#thealliance
Thanks @c0ff33a, it has really been a huge learning curve and a lot of time invested, but it has been an awesome ride so far.
Congratulations on your 90 day progress. More power to you! Steem on!
Thank you. Best of luck to you.
Sir I am inspired. Would it be possible to get the discord link for some of these channels that helped you grow especially the Alliance one with the school program.
I really want to learn these waves, and really connect with people on here.
Hopefully I might actually get to buy my first cam from my funds here.
BTW amazing photos as always
Most of the links expire after a certain amount of time and I don't have the ability to invite to most of the discords. If you check out @mbc-meps, you should find out how to join them in one of their posts. The Alliance has an application process that you have to go through, and you can find out how to do that on @thealliance page.
If you wanted to stay up to date with my contest and meet some of the people in that community as it grows, you can join here:
https://discord.gg/MpWstp2
Alright will Check them out now. Thank you very much
Thanks for the mention! You are doing a great job on Steemit! You bypassed me and I have been on Steemit for a year. Keep up the good work and keep doing what you are doing.
Thank for being there for me and all the other vets here.
Your growth in Steemit in just 90 days has been incredible. It was only necessary to have a bit of luck, but a lot of effort and study, I congratulate you for that. Thank you very much for creating a contest for new talents in photography, I will begin to participate in them.
Thank you. I am looking forward to seeing more of your photography as you grow here on the platform. You are doing amazing work.
Thank you so much for you support @derangedvisions. I'm a biologist, but photography is my passion.
This is very inspiring and I like your spirit
Thanks for stopping by and checking it out. Good luck.
Coolest Post!
Perfect example of really rocking it here on Steemit and having the right mindset!!
Thanks. As Joe Dirt would say, "Ya gotta keep keepin on."
As I'm just barely making it to 2 weeks on Steemit, also as a means to share my photography and art, this was very good for me to read. Thanks for sharing!
Since you are a photographer, here is a link to my discord channel for my photo contests:
https://discord.gg/MpWstp2
It will be a good way for you to meet other photographers and you can win some SBD while you are at it. Welcome to Steemit.
We're so honored to be mentioned in your post! Thank you for sharing the @photogames experience with us, and also we're so stocked participating on your #derangedphotography contests. Keep rocking it!
Thank you for participating in the contest. I am always looking forward to your entries. There are so many talented people here on Steemit and I am happy to do my part in showcasing and rewarding talent.
Thank you Wes for sharing all this knowledge!
Since I am just 36 steemit days old this is a treasure for me :)
I wish for all your plans to succeed and to get the chance to help people with your earnings!
I think you are doing everything just right to set yourself up for success on the platform. You have already begun making a name for yourself as a very talented photographer. Keep reaching out and commenting on people's blogs and interacting with them and you will have built up a nice following. Best of luck.
Thanks again!
Ha ha love your samurai banner!
lol, the little samurai guy matches the samurai tattoo I have.
(you hear an engine rev and horn honk)
MEEP! MEEP!
(the window on the humvee rolls down to reveal a warm smiling face)
"Hello! I'm @shadow3scalpel and with the help of my protege, @chairborne, we are actively assisting veterans, retirees and active servicemen and women here on Steemit. We feel it is our 'duty' to support each other. Any questions or comments you may have, simply respond to this comment, thank you!"
(the window rolls up and the engine roars as it drives to the next person on the list)
Comment by @killerwhale. This is a opt-in bot.
You are so awesome and I'm so happy you did not get discouraged when you first came here :D
You always bring joy and a FUN attitude to all you do and have ever since I met you on here!!
I'm SO happy you found your place so fast here!! Makes me so happy that you did and are not going anywhere anytime soon!
Well thank you @snook. Ya, I am here for the long haul, so you all are stuck with me. I am glad that I took your advice and started writing more. I may not do the 5 minute freewrites, but I am getting better at my story telling with my writing.
I'm just happy you started writing!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know ALL you have been through but I know how writing, even bad writing, for me, at the beginning on Steemit, helped me in ways I never knew it could.
So you did it YOUR WAY which is how you should always do something and look at you now!!! I'm so very proud of you and so happy to know you!
It feels good to read a post like this that gives us hope . It's also good to someone is out there trying to help those who need it.
Thanks. There are so many opportunities that can come from this platform and I am hoping that I can change people's lives with it.
Glad you prooved to be destined for great things. Remember meeting you as a drone operator and a great friend to Africa! It was clear from these humble beginnings you are the real deal and Steemit is precisely cut out for your kind of projects if it is to work for anything at all. Rooting for you all the way!
Thanks. I really appreciate your support. I have a lot of plans for my future here on the platform. It is going to be awesome.
Hey Wes, thank you for mentioning me! Inspiring post like always. Glad to have met you here, and I feel happy for you when you grow so fast and have achieved so much in only 3 months!
I resonate with a lot of your great experiences, like the @curie fairies, contests by @czechglobalhosts and @photogames, the many examples Steemit are powering people all over the world including the less fortunate ones...
Best luck to your future orphanage projects!
Stay kind and stay awesome! 👏
Thank you. It has been awesome being able to meet people from all over the place. There are so many opportunities that Steemit has to offer the world. I am hoping that more people realize this and do what they can to help others.
Congratulations on your work and journey so far! You are an amazing addition to this platform and there is still so much for you here to accomplish. Keep up the good job and reaching for those stars. Steemit and all of us are lucky to have you 💚💚💚
Thank you. I am glad to have met so many awesome people here and have the support of all of these great people. The community is what makes this platform so great and that is why I want to be able to give back to it.
Love your shots! :)
Great reading about your experience here thus far... Noble thoughts and intentions. I truly wish you the best. Might take a look at joining one of your contests too... ;)
Thanks. You should totally enter. It is a lot of fun.
90 days? Since you are a veteran you will know this. A 90 day wonder, but in your case there is no sarcasm at all. You truly are a wonder.
It has certainly been my pleasure to get to know you a little. I'll leave with a question. What do you think the % is of people on Steemit who have been guided by Crimsonclad? Me too.
Thank you!
Thanks, I really appreciate it. I am sure Crimsonclad has guided a huge majority of the people here on the platform. I don't think she ever sleeps.
Wow, what an impressive 3-month ride it has been! You have been doing fantastic here Wes. Keep up the great work man, all the best to you for the weeks, months and years to come here on Steemit! :)
Thank you. I appreciate your support and am looking forward to more of your pictures and seeing you progress in your skills as well. Plus when I visit the Czech Republic, we all need to go out for a drink.
I am glad you joined, you have the right mindset to create something that makes a difference here! Great post, very glad we were able to connect! Lots of luck in the next 90 days :D
Thanks. I am hoping the contest continues to grow and reach more people all over the world.
Well done mate and thanks for the mention ! Steemit (and the world) is a better place because of you. Best of luck for the next 90 days although I know you won't need it.
Thanks. It has been awesome following your photography and seeing all of the awesome places that you go. That northern lights photo is still an inspiration for me to work hard and be able to travel Finland to sleep in a glass igloo and watch the northern lights.
You could always build your own igloo when you get there to save money ;-)
That sounds like way too much work. Plus I would want a nice cozy bed to lay in while I look up at the sky.
I am honored to be called your friend. It is hard to tell if people are authentic when meeting online sometimes, but I believe when we are pulled towards a certain person, we become our true selves and see one another for who they are. I am happy to be able to support you and your wife on this platform, most deserving people. What you offer here may be more than you know, with just the impact of your presence.
Good job and congratulations with al your achievements and hard work. You have accomplished many things and your wife sees that :) She is an amazing person!
I look forward to seeing more from both of you. And I thank you for what you do, and for being one of the first people to join your discord channel. Grab th bull by the horns my friend!
Thanks. It has been great to get to know you and the other members of the Crypto Empire.
it's a great story.
it could encourage lot of new steemians.
i think your story might be helpful for me too.
thanks for it.
and thanks for the discord channel.
You're welcome.
You are doing amazingly well and thanks for sharing your steemit journey. Being able to travel sounds like a dream to me. We joined around the same time.
This is the third time I stumble upon mention of the alliance. I am curious but I like things happen wehen they are meant to.
It is 1st of may, beltane. Day to celebrate blooming and flourish so all the best.
Thank you. Traveling the world is all I want to do when I grow up.
If you have questions about the Alliance, you can just DM me on discord.
You May Day pictures are awesome!
Amazing write up and with only 8 weeks under my belt, I think I have done alright but if I compare my journey to yours it is nothing, lol. : ) Half of my problem is I don't fully understand everything going on... what is a good thing to do and what is not... (wallet wise, etc).
I am really looking forward to your photo comp... I think the tier level is a brilliant idea as it is difficult for us snap happy hobbyists to compete against professional photographers. In saying that though, I have a lot of respect for them and have/am learning a lot from them also! : ) So I'm thrilled to see how and what you do with this idea over the coming weeks!!
Thanks @jayclar30. Steemit is a huge learning curve and it takes a long time to understand how it functions. I still dont full grasp it, but I learn more every day. I am glad that you have entered in the photo contest. It should be a good place for you to meet like minded people also. I am hoping that people starting upvoting each other's entries more and commenting back and forth to each other so that they can all get to know each other and grow their circles.
Oh it is!! Yes, Photogames was one of the first places I found on here... so like you I started off in a similar way. I think getting involved with a little community is definitely the way to go! I love what you're doing here and I think you'll be very successful! I will certainly do my part to get things moving for you communication wise! : )
Just remember us little ones when you become famous! :) By the way.... all the photos are beyond beautiful. Great choice on the sepia tones.
I would never forget my buddies. We are a team here.
And you won some steem swag....
I still use the magnet and I have actually played cards with the Steem cards. I still remember how cool it was to get that package in the mail with the magnet. It was the first time I had won something cool. Thanks for your contests!
They are a fun way to get to know my readers and find new people to follow.
Congratulations @derangedvisions! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
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STOPGreat stuff! Congratulations on the 90 days! I see we joined Steemit the same time, I don't have so much successes but thanks to posts like Your here, I can see how important is to being active member of community not only an anonymous blogger. I was organizing some contest in the past but in the meantime, I start running few other projects which took my time, which by the way, I have still not enough to being involved into Steemit as much as I would like to.
Real life work, very young son, some traveling in the meantime are my priorities but just after that , is Steemit. Hope to evolve in a good way here, I always support great ideas and projects and I am happy to find Your side. Follow for sure, hoping to see more great stuff from Your side.
Have a good day!
you're welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
Your comment is an example of how to do Steemit the total wrong way. Asking for upvotes and follows will get you nowhere. Your comment is nothing but
made by @fireawaymarmot