The following is a story from Modwri, a Simbi member based in Tecumseh, MI. Modrwi joined Simbi for the opportunity to meet new people, establish friendships, and put her skills in writing and proofreading to good use.
I joined Simbi just a few weeks ago. It feels like only a few days, but my friend Zeke invited me and he described the network as a great way to get art without spending a dollar. I was sold. I signed up, and at first I was a bit lost, but it didn’t take long to find several lovely people. Tin asked for jokes and facts. People came to me with offers of their art and other services, and my first few days were filled with activity that has since slowed down to more manageable levels.
I have mostly been on the side of the site dealing with its credits, because that’s what I understand. There are a few other sites that don’t use real money for services, and they have their own currency, but none offered anything else but art and some graphic design. On Simbi, I have the opportunity to offer my writing expertise, share my love of bad jokes and random facts, and I can even exchange my skills for someone else’s. I have begun doing exchanges too, lately, and the experience has only been positive.
One skill exchange I have took part of netted me some beautiful artistic rendition of one of my characters, and I was given a chance to help someone with their writing and learning good habits to keep creative and productive. I immediately went to show off to my friends in my excitement once the deal was completed. We agreed to do the same thing again next time she needed help with her writing. As you can see, exchange-based deals (those without using credits) can be quite rewarding as well.
For another exchange, I created a character for someone based on their profile, and in exchange, they helped to proofread two of my fictional characters. Also rewarding, I bragged to my friends, and they demanded to know where these deals were happening.
I’ve invited several of my friends to this site, and though some lost interest, three of them have remained and eagerly seek out new deals and new connections, and even began to invite other friends with a surprising veracity.
More and more, I understand why others are eager to use this site. Friendships have formed as I have met and completed deals with new people. I look forward to making more deals, and by extension, more friends. Maybe I can PUN-ish someone into helping me edit my writing, or I perhaps I can share interesting facts about koalas for some Circus Peanut candies sent by mail, or even get more art just by sharing how I’ve come to love writing so much.
I’ve gathered quite a bit of Simbi wealth, but most of it is in the form of friendships and connections made through working with others who want the same thing: a safe place to share their skills.
So, to any members who haven’t experienced the full benefits of Simbi: keep reaching out. Contact people about the silly things and don’t be afraid to make (seemingly) uneven deals. Make friends, and you’ll find the true value in this site, and you’ll suddenly crave to make more deals to the point where you, like me, scour the services and requests for something multiple times a week.
Simbiotic Stories are real anecdotes told by you and other Simbi community members. Tell us about your Simbi deals and experiences with other members. If your story is published, we’ll credit your account with 150 simbi. Submit your entries by starting a conversation with us via this link.
