Every hobby will cost you a few dollars to do and a songwriting hobby can end up costing many dollars, depending how far you want to take it. When you step out into trying to make a showing in the real world of competitive songwriting, the cost can escalate substantially. I've spent many thousands of dollars trying for the brass ring, and even though I've recovered some thousands of dollars, I can't claim I'm in the black money wise, but success is not always achieved in money. Satisfaction in knowing something you wrote touched somebody emotionally and may have even changed their lives, is success that money can not buy. You can convey in a three minute song a message to a person that a three hour speech can not convey. That is the power of a song. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, never sell yourself short. Take those pictures, write those songs, write poetry, you never know whom you will touch in a real way. I will keep on trying as long as I can, not for money, but because I love creating something out of nothing, through inspiration that comes from every day life, and all inspiration comes from God. Keep doing what you love and love what you are doing. God bless.