I wonder if other artists ever reach some point in life where they basically accept the likelihood of dying in poverty and obscurity, never able to earn a decent living doing what they do best –– assuming they have talent. Of course there are those who have sipped so long at the cistern of the self-esteem movement that they've become drunk with an overinflated sense of their own abilities. I don't think it's healthy to go through life without a little self-reflection and self-assessment, especially when it comes to how one plans on presenting one's abilities to a market that won't be as kind as their kindergarten teacher. When I was younger, I thought I could do anything that I put my mind to doing, art-wise, though I knew many things would present a challenge and might be quite time-consuming to achieve. I've since accepted certain limitations to what I can achieve –– not because I necessarily lack the talent, but because I lack the training. Some things simply require proper training to be done correctly, and being self-taught can only take you so far. I'm happy with what I've learned on my own, but I would really like to get some classical training. It could only help –– certainly wouldn't hurt. Sure, there are probably plenty of computer programs that I could learn that would make me far more marketable in certain industries, but I have no desire to be a 'technician'. I know that means I'll have to forego the good jobs that can be had with those skills, but I'd rather be a good artist than a good computer-geek. I'm not demeaning CG skills – I'm just expressing a personal preference for what I'd like to accomplish, not to mention that my learning-curve for CG programs is quite steep. Meanwhile, for the welfare of my wife and children, I'm doing one of those self-assessments about where my skills are and how much longer I can pursue art as a means of living. I'm not sure my career and the present economy can share an oxygen tank much longer. Something's got to give.