"I can’t tell you how much time I have likely wasted trying to curate content on other platforms for an audience that emphatically was not listening."
Wow, as a fellow artist, I know exactly what you mean! Yes, there are the cheap bikini shots/eye candy still on Steemit, but there's stuff of real value. Even the things that you put a lot of time into that don't get noticed are worthwhile.
It's forcing us to not only put ourselves out there, but also to be reflective. Why are we doing this? What really drives me?
Personally, I'm using the videos and posts as content for my own website, so it's stuff I would be doing anyways. And the immediacy of responses is really encouraging. On your own blog, you have no idea if it means anything to anyone. At least on Steemit, you can get an idea of what works.
I think the big danger is falling into the world of wanting acceptance and recognition from people, but that's a common struggle for any artist.
I love that you "get" it, and thank for taking time for such a great comment. I love that there is an intrinsic challenge to the whole thing--I actually like feeling that I have to work hard to produce good content because it matters. And the feedback is really great here for sure.
The artist with integrity has a unique struggle for sure--needing the support of people, but always trying to avoid to capitulate to what is sometimes a shallow audience who may not appreciate good work. We need to be willing to do what we do, and wait to find the right people who will love what we do.