practicality

So, this is kind of... seeking mentorship? Advice? Feedback? I'm not even entirely sure what. Basically doing styles work for Dreamwidth has rekindled my enjoyment of doing design work, which kind of got buried under university for a number of years there. And I've been having a hell of a time finding any kind of job, and know already I don't mind working to spec (a few of my DW designs have been like that, actually) or working with other people's code. I also know I'm good at fluid design and CSS.

The problem is that I have no sense of how 'good' my work is. I mean, I've been doing this for over a decade, but most of the old stuff is dreadfully mired in fandom trends popular in the mid-2000s. I'm also not a graphic designer - I will spare you all the second-hand embarassment of my drawing attempts at the moment, but suffice to say original art past simple vector designs are right out. And, well, I also have no idea how to start this.

Help?