That's true, my parents weren't harsh, they were just concerned and wanted me to have a "stable" future. Although I must admit, there is not a big industry for art here in South Africa. That being said, I think the internet has made illustration a lot more viable for people like me that are stuck in countries without a lot of art opportunities.

And I ended up doing a teaching degree, so technically I can teach high-school kids art, but I never really practiced it, so I am not to confident in that ability. :P It did however teach me a lot of the principals of art, which is great. And yeah, Graphic design is related, and of course the software crosses over which is great.

But again, awesome post, and please keep it up, would love to see more. ^^