Thoughts on Cake Decorating

A few days ago I checked a book out from the library on how to make these extravagant, beautiful, most AMAZING cakes I have ever seen. I got all excited and started thinking about how and when I could make a cake like the ones in the book.
But now I am wondering...is it really worth it? Is it really worth all my time and effort making a beautiful masterpiece only to have it ripped apart and devoured, literally? Perhaps if I owed my own cake business and got paid A LOT to make a stunning artistic cake, maybe. But for my purposes, I simply cannot invest the time, money and effort in creating such elaborate cakes. It's not that I'm lowering my cake decorating standards--I am trying to increase my skills and I strive for perfection on every cake I make--I am just putting things into perspective for myself.
Those of you who know me know I am competitive, a perfectionist, and always looking for a new challenge when it comes to art. So when I see a cake like this (which won a cake competition, BTW) I don't have to feel unaccomplished or inadequate. I can admire it's beauty without comparing my cakes to it because I do not expect the same quality of work from myself. It just can't be done at this point in my life. That's all for now!