A question about practice-work balance and schedule

[Doolio]

Well, that does sound reasonable:)

I mean, when I look at it, the other voice of my dilemma might just be a subconscious "you're not doing anything" kind of thing, even though I am rationally aware that practice and investing in skills that would eventually pay off actually is a pretty solid "doing something". I guess it's just some kind of irrational pressure while dealing with some kind of unconventional delayed gratification, instead of being a "proper 9-5 citizen" or something:)

Well, I can't literally JUST sit and practice, but I can go by with VERY small number of freelancing hours per month, which could be completely disregarded as a factor whatsoever. So, yeah, I guess I can completely devote myself to studying.

And then, since you have the time, do a TARGETED portfolio. Different from Brad Rigney, you can research where you want to work, and start building a portfolio for them. Every time you have 10 new pieces, email them. Eventually they will reply :)

Ah, this is a sound advice, thanks:) I mean, it's completely logical when you look at it, but I have never thought about it, as odd as it may sound. I was thinking about a genre or niche portfolio, like, "stylized high fantasy" or "realistic sf", that kind of thing. But targeted portfolio, with a specific company(s) in mind, that does seem like a way to go:)