Quite a journey indeed, to ponder these thoughts of the creative life. And hard to get a grip on, I am sure. Though sounds like you are on your way. Not an easy thing to do, I applaud you for it.

The idea of commissions is interesting, and an unfortunate part of the necessity of life to have to make a living. Let's hope as you say, Steemit continues in the direction to make this a complete possibility.

Your ideas about collaboration are great. I love the collaboration-al end of creativity. More than one creative mind working together is one of the amazingly enjoyable parts of life. It has the potential to go anywhere it desires. Which is why I get the butterflies you discuss (I like that), when combining writing and photography here on Steemit...it can go wherever it wants. And so often does. (Why ELSE would I stay up until 5 AM without leaving the chair, all excited about what's going on on the screen. Very special indeed). The true joys of life.
With your skill set and friends all over the world, that collaboration seems like it would be so possible, and a real creatively exciting and fun realm to enter into.

Thanks for sharing this part of your artistic journey on here. Steemit is so much like all of life, a changing, morphing ecosystem in itself. Which is exciting, and sometimes a bit...not scary, but something excitingly close to it. Onward we go into the Steem cloud of the unknown. I wish you well in this journey, though I'm quite sure you are going to do just grand, once you take the leap.