You seem to have ignored how Steem and Hive have operated all this time. You are not the first to get a big downvote. This was 3 years ago.

You ignore the work smooth and other witnesses have done. Without them there would be no Hive and you would not be able to earn at all. Most of them make a loss running their nodes. Smooth is not in the top 20 and so is not guaranteed rewards. Witnesses will be judged and can lose votes from their actions.

Would you have made all those $thousands on other posts on another platform? You talk about the cost of your paintings, but wouldn't you make them anyway?

I've lost count of how many people have 'rage quit', Meanwhile thousands benefit from this platform every day. Isn't that worth trying to keep going?

As I said, it's the wild west and bad shit will happen because it can. Good shit happens too.