@johnblackwood1 :-
Heh.
Y'know, from what I can understand it appears that what I do is
called "ricing". It's a term I only became aware of last year, as it happens.
Now in my mid-60s, I've had a passion for graphic design ever since my mid-teens. I incorporated a portfolio of poster-style advertising in my final-year 'A'-levels at school when I was 17....from which I walked away with a 'B+' grade. The only reason I didn't get an 'A' grade was entirely due to being crap at History of Classical Art (my worst subject in the course).
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For me, it's always been a hobby. Around 2003-4, I actually shelled out the asking price for a copy of Adobe's CS2 suite. I became quite adept with it, and also taught myself to use the G.I.M.P at the same time.....both raster graphics editors, and both at the "top of their class", so to speak. I became so good with both of 'em, I can do the one thing many aspiring artists seem to have the greatest of difficulty with.....I can switch back-and-forth between Photoshop and the G.I.M.P, often mid-project, and carry on without missing a beat.
Sure, the workflow is somewhat different, but they both basically do the same things in very much the same way, when it comes down to it. Each has its strengths, and both can do certain things the other can't....so I still use CS2 alongside the G.I.M.P to this day, running it under a period, 'date-sympathetic' build of WINE that I have set-up just FOR this.
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To me - as stated above - it's only ever been a "hobby". I enjoy it, find it very relaxing, and will use it to help me unwind if I get fed-up with things during the course of my day.
I've always built my own desktops, right from scratch, and enjoy the whole process of designing a suitable layout, followed by the 101 little things that truly make it the way I want it, and how I am used to doing stuff on the desktop. It's not everybody's cup of tea, not by a LONG chalk......so don't feel you have to apologise for anything. You don't.....and there's nowt wrong at all with what you've posted. I've seen far worse than that, believe me!
Mike.