What just happened?
This is just a dream, I've been trying really hard to remember my dreams lately, fleeting moments of clarity, awestruck by the detail, disbelief. This time I've fallen deep into a dream, now, AM I DREAMING? Check watch, count fingers, flick light on off…
Steemit, I’m not dreaming. Which means that I really did just get paid $2500 for saying hello to you. I mean, I was really just dipping my toes in, thinking, “well, you know, if my post makes $50 then it’s going to be a very good day”. But $2500? Really? How is that possible? I feel filthy :)
I made a post, and watched as it climbed to $0.30, made a cup of tea, $60, slept for two hours before flying back to UK, $400, get flight, check at transfer gate, $1700, get home, $2800, tell mates, food, wine, goodies, “I’ll pay,” cheers, $4800. What just happened?
I thought we were supposed to be checking charts, riding blockchain bubbles; that’s supposed to be the new thing. Now you’re telling me I can read thought provoking articles, or that I can simply say hello and watch money flow into my account. This is unbelievable. I remained sceptical until this morning, when I converted 300 Steem Dollars into 0.4 Bitcoins, which I then proceeded to convert into $300 USD, which is now being processed by my real bank, on Wednesday I will use my real plastic card to go to the real ATM, but for now I'm convinced, this is real.
I feel so fortunate to be here early, whilst I can still watch the stream of new posts being conceived at the source of the river, soon this river will become a torrent, and finding the good posts will be like reading the matrix.
“There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.”
Hopi Elders
What next?
So I’ll wade a little deeper, I’d like to tell you how I got here, travelling and volunteering and avoiding the 9-5.
I studied Product Design, which taught me a step by step methodology for solving problems. Define the problem – research the problem – generate ideas – develop ideas – test ideas – iterate process. But I didn't want to spend my life designing nice pocket sized plastic problem solvers from an office somewhere, no, I want to solve the factory farming problems, the soil depletion problems, the fossil fuel problems; and I'm just not sure a pocket sized piece of plastic can do the job.
So I postponed the job hunt, and headed to Ecuador, where I found a small community offering food and a bed in exchange for 5 hours work. For the first time in my life I felt truly free, I was there because I wanted to be there, working because I wanted to, with no bills to pay.
With a new life baseline, I knew that I never really needed to work again, I would never be homeless.
I stayed at the farm for 9 months, and whilst I was there I built a tiny underground house, using bags full of earth. A tiny piece of the mountain that I could escape to if life got too much; a plan Z. A year later I was back in the UK, working 9-5, and staring out of the window at working wishing I was back outside filling bags full of earth. I got an email from the community, “We’re building a hall, somewhere to practice yoga and offer San Pedro ceremonies, come and help us!”
That’s how plan Z became plan A. I went back to Ecuador, and started putting my 3D modelling skills to use designing a huge spiralling fractal hall. It became an obsession, every element of the design had to grow logarithmically, every number had to be a multiple of 12. It was the most fulfilling and enjoyable experience of my life, creating something huge, alongside people who are there because they want to be, with no pressure of deadlines. We were free to create.
I'm able to do this because I am very careful with my money, all my clothes come from charity shops and thrift stores, I didn't buy a car until I was 27, I don’t buy new phones or fast food, and my life is a holiday so I don’t need them.
My Pledge
I pledge to continue living with the same financial ethics regardless of this newly found income stream. I plan to save this money until I can afford to buy land, and then I will create a project where people can come to have a similar experience to the one that changed my life, where we can work together practising small scale organic farming, eco building, and being nice to each other.
This is my dream, and with Steemits help, I feel like I’m 10 steps closer to making it a reality. But alas, I have some photos to post!
THANK YOU STEEMIT!
Edit: Heres a Wordpress blog about the project. anotherbaginthewall