Before this thread dies I suppose I should share my dream.
I want to be a freelance Illustrator/concept artist/work for a major videogame company under concept art and design.
It's not for the cheddar, or for the position. It's something I want to reach, someone I want to become. I want my work to inspire people, to tell stories and make people feel and think. I want them to sit on the edge of their seats as they scroll down to the next panel, or to the next image. I want to be an artist of legends, and art nerds everywhere will aspire to be like me one day.
I want to make a difference, and not even that really, I want to make SOMETHING. Characters, worlds, personalities, ideas, machines, animals, I want to CREATE.
I want to reach the skill level of my favorites artists, whom to my sadness no longer updates,
Randis (NSFW). Be like him? No, but to reach his greatness! I'm going to achieve this if it kills me.
But unlike many people out there I wouldn't seclude myself to just professional work. I would do stuff at whim, maybe just for the hell of it. Spice up an RP or a DnD session, blow people's minds!
Also one day once I have acquired this skill I'd like to return to Gaia or some silly site such as it and make their heads explode simply by looking at my work.
It's going to be a long booty road, and it's going to take a shitton of work, but It's something I'm willing make sacrifices for, and I'm going to get there, not matter what it takes.
One day, I'll be the greatest.