Yesterday I posted an introduction post. It got about 20 views and made $1.30. I think that is pretty amazing. This might not seem to be a lot for more experienced Steemers but I had no expectations and if I think about all the original creative content I’ve pumped into Facebook for free for about 8 years! Even if I just got a few cents for all of those posts throughout the years…there’d be enough money to buy an occasional dress, meal or even go on a city trip within Europe every year (you can get them on sale for 300Euros).
I remember hearing that when Hollywood was founded over 100 years ago, there existed no copyright or royalties. That means that if you worked on a movie etc. you would get paid for that work only but never received a cent more. So a lot of those old Hollywood classics that are deeply ingrained in our cultural identity never benefitted the actors/creators past the original creation….until the advent of royalties.
I wonder if the beginning of the internet and social media in the last 30 years will later be seen this way as well. Even though it has tremendously improved the quality of our lives, it nearly destroyed artistic professions and most of us have been forced to adapt, go back to school, learn something “useful” and get a “real” job and continue our actual callings as hobbies….until now. Steemit might be the modern version of the introduction of those royalties over 100 years ago.
I’ve continued to create throughout these years. I couldn’t help it. Sometimes it takes weeks to record a song just perfectly and to make a video for it. Then I’d post it on youtube, which was blocked by facebook, so I’d post it on facebook….and was happy if it appeared in the newsfeeds of my friends at all…
I was happy if it made someone happy. This had become my reward.
I’d have fantasies about maybe in 100 years an internet archaeologist would find my projects online somewhere and realize they had value and that I was just living in the wrong time period...much like other artists that were poor and ignored during their lifetimes but celebrated after their deaths.
I never stopped believing in my talent and skills although this world didn’t seem to value them anymore.
So thank you Steemit! I’m going to go buy that cup of coffee in our cafeteria at work now that my first post paid for!
Here is my gift in return for the first cup of coffee.
A recording I made of "Ebben n'andro lontana" from the opera La Wally by Catalani (1892)
https://soundcloud.com/cocoherden/ebben-nandro-lontana
This is incredible. I’m so grateful!
<3 Corinna
