While I make no claim to their greatness, I can readily identify with any number of renown artists who's art was for art's sake, and to whom process and technique were everything. I can generally be goaded into matting and framing some things, and have a rudimentary background in archival preservation and restoration, so I'm not lost on the concept...I suppose there's some type of psychological pathology behind it, but unless I'm doing something as a commission or with a clearly articulated end state (i.e. Christmas gift) I view most of my efforts as experimental and prototypical experiments with media, technique, style, etc. I'm a pack rat, but do tend to view the overwhelming majority of my stuff as reference for later reference...most of which is never actually used.
I suppose that part of my twisted attitude reinforces that this is the luxury of a hobby and not the necessity of livelihood.
Republicanprofessor and myself have been talking about the possibility of starting a thread (or something) which could serve as a sort of "Freeper Art Gallery." There are a lot of talented and creative freepers, some of them professional. Perhaps you could be persuaded to exhibit there, if it comes to pass? IIRC, you do illuminations?