I make images to please my eye and to make me happy because you can't please everyone so why bother trying?  

I always try to incorporate something I want to learn. For a long time it was lighting and then reflection and an assortment of other things.  But the goal is always to make something pretty for me :)

At times I don't do any post work because I want to work on learning techniques in Poser, and at other times I do a little bit of post work to add ambiance or something that I can't or haven't learn yet, to achieve in Poser.

But I never stress myself out about an image.  The inspiration is either there or it isn't.   When I'm feeling creative an image forms in my mind and all I have to do is go about getting it from inside my head onto the computer.  Basically any image that I make is a reproduction of what I see in my mind. Granted perhaps not as polished, but all of the elements, placement, and colour etc is there.

If I don't see an image in my mind, there is no way I can create an image because there is nothing there  for me to draw from.

I also try not to box myself into a particular style. I like to try all kinds of themes.

Create for yourself and not for what you hope others will want to see.
 

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi