Hello, Hiveans! After a short break during the holidays, the Hive Community Spotlight series is back, and I couldn鈥檛 be more excited to restart this series. As announced in my main account, I'll now be using this account to publish the interviews.
The Spotlight is all about showcasing the incredible individuals who contribute to the Hive ecosystem in unique ways, and this edition is no exception. Today, we鈥檙e shining the spotlight on 
@dbooster| Section | Key Highlights |
|---|---|
| Self-Description | American photographer and translator in Japan, seeking beauty through photos and the perfect haiku. |
| Discovery of Hive | Found Hive (then Steemit) in 2017 via an interview with Dan Larimer; hooked by the platform鈥檚 potential. |
| Life in Japan | Inspired by a fascination with Japanese culture; finds living abroad invaluable for broadening perspectives. |
| Finance Interests | Enjoys both traditional markets and crypto; advises newcomers to start by consuming lots of information. |
| Hive Projects | Actively involved in PIMP, The Alliance, and BRO; values collaboration and mutual support. |
| Challenges & Motivation | Faces challenges in community engagement but stays consistent due to a love for writing. |
| Creative Pursuits | Haiku best reflects his personality, deeply tied to his 25 years of Zen Buddhism practice. |
| Music Preferences | Fond of 1980s New Wave and jazz, particularly Japanese jazz; recommends Eiji Kitamura鈥檚 clarinet music. |
| Desired Change | Advocates for more empathy to reduce corruption and foster better human connections. |
| Message to Hive | "Buy more Hive!" |
The description I put at the bottom of every post is probably as good as anything: David is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku.
Around early 2017 Jeff Berwick interviewed Dan Larimer. I have always thought Berwick was a little screwy, but for some reason that interview showed up on my YouTube recommendation list, and something about it made me click and watch. Both of them made Steemit seem pretty exciting, so I immediately tried to sign-up. At the time, unless you paid a certain amount of STEEM (which, being new to crypto, I had no idea how to do) you had to go on a wait list. Months went by, but around Sept I finally was accepted and received my email to signup. I was kind of disappointed that I missed the gold rush of that first year, but I did get in a little bit before the huge bull market that hit STEEM in early Jan 2018, driving STEEM up to almost $9 and SBD up to $22. Unfortunately I hadn't been here long enough to have built enough of a position to take advantage of that, but I did see enough benefits to be hooked.
Sticking around in the STEEM years was easy. We had a huge community and much more activity. I was active in several poetry and writing groups, the main one being The Writers Block, which was an offshoot of PAL. Sticking around since the hard fork has been more difficult, because so many people left, but there is enough interesting here to keep me around.
Wanting something different combined with a fascination of Japanese culture led me here. Being in a foreign country always is eyeopening. I've read enough accounts from expats in many different countries to understand that it hits most people the same way. If you are open minded enough, the exposure is priceless.
I don't recommend the Leo community anymore, nor have I written there in some time. I find all of finance interesting. Most people around here are more obsessed with crypto, but I find the traditional stock and bond markets just as interesting. Newcomers here should do what you should always do when you are new to anything: take some time to just inhale as much information as possible, be it reading posts or watching videos, or both.
I am actively involved with PIMP and have been with them since the beginning. I've been a part of The Alliance nearly since my start on Steemit/Hive 8 years ago. Both are run by 
I don't know if I have much of a secret to being motivated. I enjoy writing, making it not so hard to churn something out everyday.
Definitely haiku. I have studied and practiced Zen Buddhism for the past 25 years. Haiku exemplifies Zen in a way that nothing else does.
I have a soft spot for popular 1980s music. Probably mostly New Wave hits, which defined the sound of that era. But beyond that, I enjoy all music genres and styles. These days my favorite might be jazz, particularly Japanese jazz, but anything with a clarinet attracts me. Look up Eiji Kitamura for some great stuff.
Oh that's easy: more empathy. People are in general good, but fear in general and more specifically fear of survival which these days means not having enough money motivate people to do not so nice things. All the corruption we see in the world at large and on Hive too is caused by that at the root. One consequence of this fear is we look inwards instead of outwards and forget that other people are human too and have hopes and dreams just like we do. Bringing more empathy into the situation wouldn't solve all the problems of the world, but it would be a huge step.
Buy more Hive 馃槂
@dbooster, for taking the time to share your journey, experiences, and wisdom with the Hive Community Spotlight series. Your dedication to Hive, creative pursuits, and unique perspectives have truly inspired many in the community. It鈥檚 a privilege to highlight your contributions, and we鈥檙e grateful for your openness and thoughtful responses. Keep being an amazing part of the Hive ecosystem!PIMP:
The Alliance:
BRO and
Thank you all for joining us in this edition of the Hive Community Spotlight! Your continued support and engagement make this series meaningful and inspiring. We hope you enjoyed learning more about
Special thanks to:
For their valuable support. See you all in the next edition 馃
20% Payout goes to the interviewee
