What's up Hive!
Why am I boring you with my strange trade lady stories that probably don't make much sense to most of you? I often gets asked what I actually do especially other trades I work alongside of. Most can barely understand the title let alone the tasks. It's often hard to describe to the average person all around. After reading the book written by one of my Canadian trade sisters and her strange experiences that led her to scribble down in her notepad. It gave me inspiration, perhaps I could find my own delivery style of my own strange note worthy moments that lurk in the shadows of my brain. Read along to find out more behind my odd new project with multi faceted answers.
As a regular book reader, the idea of publishing my own intrigues me but on what. Hive has been my testing ground to play around different subjects and story style. To be honest, I just like to keep track of my life journey too because it's 2024 and I can and a blockchain exist for me to play with. What a time to be alive! Having been part of this since 2017 on the old platform and on my second personality, I'm surprised there isn't more content creators on here even if it's just the occasional social media and app users, not everyone here has to be hardcore daily content spitting machines although many are great at it and I hold nothing short of admiration for their dedication.
People's fears of the big bad crypto wolf are pretty irrational and they are holding themselves back from something I think is revolutionary especially if you live somewhere and earn enough to make this your full time job and get the coveted financial freedom every human desires. Working for oneself, making work a series of fun hobbies. how can you not! I still can't really find a social media and interactive project more worthy of being part in whatever way one wants to creatively contribute.
I hear one say I write essays for fun when I'm bored or I see ghosts and have enough apparition stories to write a book, for others it sounds like I'm typing and transcribing all of Granny's old hand written recipes where all the family and community can access them ... Why aren't y'all sharing on Hive, all of which would have a healthy enough market worth sharing for!! Somehow can't get them to take the plunge. Like a dum-dum, I keep trying...maybe someday my like minded friends will see the same internet gem I see based on similar interests in exploring self expression. The water is pretty warm here...Isn't it? Am I wrong? I can't even say it's a gem in the rough, it's already fine and fully faceted the way it is despite the much anticipated changes that will come in the future as the community continues to evolve and gain social footing along with developing a new crop of cool features one after another.
It's been great for what I want to use it for, record my thoughts into outer internet space. I also think it's a great way for the personal victories of pushing oneself outside of the box thinking, sharpening or learning English along with communication skills. A book doesn't write itself in a day but if we never start then we never get to the end result. Will it ever turn into such? Who knows but I'm testing my skills and have an easy to access online portfolio floating about out there for anyone to come across at any time. It's at the very least the beginning of a solid effort to be real honest. Even tho, I have just been dropping bits of information with no real goal for 5 years. It's still there nonetheless being built in it's own beautiful dysfunctional way.
What do I want to write about outside of my travel stories? Hum, conveniently, here it doesn't matter as long as it's not crossing too many boundaries. The only aspect is every action = reaction. Lol, it's probably not the most popular or coveted content on the blockchain and never will be along with probably down right weird but I do have a few friends that do like this stuff and I go drop of a link to start their work day with a chuckle. Because they are not on Hive, doesn't mean they can't benefit in some way. Like getting their first water cooler story to get warmed before getting to work anticipating what might form over the course of the day. One thing I have learned over the years, we are easily entertained strange creatures mingling and what's interesting to us is odd to probably the rest of the world. Maybe we just spend too much time there.
I'm fully aware some of my nuggets are gold while others are lumps of coals, I own them all tho. Yes I'm a big weirdo and I embrace it. It's ok to not always take ourselves too seriously in life. It can be a long road ahead. Although author rewards are nice like my travel posts and photography, that is my known brand or aspect. for me, it's always been more about the free voice and taking advantage of it, an under-valued social commodity in our modern times.
As I continued with my trade journey, I have been looking for a creative way to bring a small glimpse of it however I can. After retiring, she wrote her book. I have at least a decade to my career left on a good day and another 25 if I can't find a lucrative enough self employed project until I qualify for retirement without penalty. I really don't want to wait that long. I mean none of us do regardless of what we do. In the meantime, what better market for weird work stories than the actual office that would get it. One man's lump of coal is another's fools gold.
Over the course of my career, I have most likely interacted with over 20 000 different tradesmen of all crafts, good chance I meet many more and perhaps I can hit 2 birds with one stone, sell and advertise my trade related book at work where I got my stories in the first place, the very people who find this stuff entertaining. Seems like a common sense strategy on the most basic of levels. Probably hard to say no to this face full of tower grease in person anyway, I'll even try to smile a little as an added bonus.
Like my clever little idea might actually already have a hidden target audience and I can even autograph it with my controversial pink pen. The boys do like to support these little home grown endeavors that float within the brotherhood after hours. She seems like she did well on her book. Although I didn't completely copy her style just helped give me an idea on how to find my own style. Obviously a lot of information from work I can't share but some things are not outside of the bounds. How to balance the sleezy normal work experience that would tug at the tradesmen brain long enough while keeping it clean enough that it isn't too offensive to those outside of our twisted humored circle.
I have one more story to bore you with, I'll give it a break for a few before you find me spammy about it, also not my intent. with the work season fast approaching, now I have a handful of stories with different styles or topics with easy access to anyone with an internet signal, I can do a little market research and see what type of trade content they would be most likely entertained by and willing to dish a few dollars out to support a sister before I go pedal to the metal on writing them but to say I could potentially have a quarter of a book written already isn't a stretch, that's quite a bit of progress actually.
Even if it only ever stays on Hive, it's actually helping me get out of a posting funk and lack of interest in socializing. Not anything related to the platform or a reflection of user's friendliness, just I haven't felt all that people-y or interactive. during the new year, I made a statement to myself to write more often and actually go and socialize a little. A minimum of 3 comments per day and I have actually been consistent enough, stepping up for myself. I used to be so active under my last account, I would like to push myself to return that into a habit this year. I dunno, like the meme with the dude poking some mass with a stick...Do stuff. Anything...Just do stuff.
I found mostly sharing travel stories from mountaintops and cool photography, seemed like many were getting the impression that I just play around and have fun perpetually. I remember the first time I shared a work post, it was baffling to many that I actually did many things. Not just on hive but in my inner circle. It didn't sit right with me. No I'm not that spoiled, I just work hard and have done so from a young age and not afraid to play and keep my kid-like hearted nature, find ways to multiply the blessings and enjoyment based on limited budgets and looking around for deals under every rock by adding my own twist. Turning limited into unlimited applying a little brain power.
In a video I was listening to in the background while I was typing a post said, to Show up for your own hobbies as hard as you show up for work to your employer whenever you can and a self expressed income might materialize and grow, even if you have to keep going to work in the meantime. Simple wisdom but it hit deep nonetheless. This was some young early twenty something little lady. She's going places in life. She already learned what most adults probably never learn in an entire lifetime. She already knew the key to happiness and believed that all she had to do was try and try without expecting results, showing up for herself. This young lady has a poetry book now. Inspiring.
Her youtube revenue probably paid for part of it's publishing along with an already built target audience like a mastermind self-fulfilling prophecy. I always thought it would be cool if I could accomplish that with Hive over time. It's not an unrealistic goal either, I at the very least kept it in the back of my mind in the realm of possibilities. Over the years, we went to 7 cents to a solid 30 something today so growth is also unlimited in that aspect if one has the patience to wait and keep typing.
We all know how fast that dollar value accumulated over time can rise during the crypto pumps. Timing is everything. Might not be lambos yet for a while for most of us but chances are, it's going to slowly make it's way up in value over the long term as new prospects discover the platform nonetheless. Until our dream moment strikes doesn't mean it can't be life changing and have a meaningful impact even at modest prices one success story at a time, there already are many to chose from as it is. find a path to independence, whatever that means, we all have a different personal definition.
Obviously with all the consistent temp work we do, many of us have some weird little labor of love artzy side project that we will most likely never make enough money to live on. The joy of working the hectic seemingly impossible 2 weeks in one, it gets us additional time off to focus on these little treasures we can find in life to get our minds into a state of inner peace. Part of a strange but welcomed work life balance. We trade our weekends off for week or month long mini vacays/staycays. The standard 2 day week-end seems to pass us by too quickly. Solved that problem.
The last few years and all the information I have accumulated on my blog one write up at a time, I started looking for hobby writers and surprisingly, I came across quite a few, more than anticipated. Not necessarily trade related books, some are on antiques or fixing old cars or home built race cars but the theme remained. They had done it before, perfect people to start picking brains on the how to. surely I can learn from a few of their hard lessons and success stories.
Seems like for a small enough cost to hire someone to edit because I'm well aware with my French accent and mild dyslexia, there is quite a few flaws in my text and a place to print/publish can be done both locally, it can easily be done between 5K to 10k CAD and start selling and ordering in batches along with the option of getting amazon to print alongside for a broader market access. I would make a smaller cut naturally but I'm pretty sure they can print small amount as they go rather than a large unit order and further reach or a quick link to hand out. Realistically, there is no time limit on my little potential plan. I just keep writing my crazy thoughts for now and think of the rest later.
Speaking of pushing personal boundaries, I often rely on my photography to do the talking but that doesn't sharpen my writing skills. Now it forces me to make it stand on it's own. A new concept, learning a new talent, expanding my horizon. Being locked in the house at -40 for over a week was probably a good catalyst, just to do something a little productive. I haven't been getting out to do photography as much as I would like too, more personal mental hurdles I'll eventually work myself out of when the time is right. Obviously, winter isn't the best time to be over critical of myself in that regards but it doesn't mean I can't participate here on Hive, I just have to do it differently in the meantime. Time to test around, it's probably not a bad thing anyway.
Times, people and trends change fast in the world of social media and having multiple adaptable skills is probably an asset and consistently changing styles helps keep things fresh and interesting, never know what you'll get. With all the AI generated write ups these days, it's all starting to look the same from user to user. Robot content. Despite it's ease of production, it will never be able to replace human personality and thoughts. Another undervalued asset in this world.
These days are creating a culture of overspending and overconsumption and now it's become an addiction to consume for likes. Consumption seems to be the popular social media trend, creating a generation of financial black holes, this annoys me quite a bit. I can appreciate more and more the raw natural aspect of Hive as a refuge from the mainstream as they degenerate at a faster rate. Where our consumption is the content we all humanly produce. Feed our brain with the latest thought provoking piece, cool ancient monument around the world hopping from mountain top to mountain top taking a refreshing drink from all the rivers and lakes along the way or how to get down and dirty with a bountiful garden. It's our normal and we probably don't give it as much thought as we should as to how special it is to be able to take the time to experience the little things.
By now, I probably have a collection of potential future projects getting built bit by bit both in photography and writing where I could eventually develop a few more passive income streams so I don't have to work so hard as I get in my later years in life. One might not be enough but what if I combined several micro-projects over time covering a range of interests and products? This trade is hard on the body but I realistically don't want to go do something else to work for someone else yet again. As I age, I think more and more of these realities.
In the meantime I have a mundane job since my early 20's that is sustainable enough to figure out my hobbies, strengths and learn how to fully master and begin to harvest from them fully in a financially sustainable way at my own comfortable pace, even if it's just to help ease the pressure a little bit. I still do my best to make good decisions in life, you know pension plan, savings and whatever else, all the other non fun adulty things one must do.
If it never goes anywhere creative wise, well I had a solid workable plan to begin with to get me the basic necessities of life without too much worry for the future on a day to day basis while I tried. Sounds like a win-win strategy no matter the results. I'm still a firm believer that society overall needs to get more in touch with their creative selves even if it's just for fun rather than lucrative reasons. Self expression is important and becoming a lost art in a busy world full of white noise and easy content. I consider it like walking meditation. Doing something that shuts down the rest of the world while requiring some sort of focus for a mentally rejuvenating moment. It's hard to be all about the grind all the time but most of us get lost in it anyway like a zombie, that's how we lose ourselves, bit by bit.
Old lady, wisdom, the earlier in life one learns this lesson, the more slowly you can chip away at the serious things and it's less overwhelming later in life. Once you get to the mid life point and start asking yourself these bigger questions, you will be reassured by the base already built. Find a direction that will get you where you want to be both professionally and creatively and work on both. Many in my craft realize at my age the repercussions of playing around a little too much and too carelessly without developing a hobby they could cash on later in life. It's easy to get addicted to a lifestyle and next thing you know approaching retirement with nothing to show for a long career or the means and no other employable skill as the body isn't as able as it once was.
Alright, peace out! xox
