This is such a great topic, @Carlianne! I can see how you would tend to lose sight of your purpose when you look at art as a job. I think that's one reason Will, Jake and Lee sometimes talk about the pros and cons of having a non-art related day job. But I also realize that you are in a particular season of life right now, with small children. And hey, don't forget the pandemic!
When I think about why I make art, some of the following come to mind, not necessarily in this order:
It comes naturally and it's not like, say, picking up the violin and expecting to suddenly play the Sibelius Concerto. I've put in my 10,000 drawing hours, studied art, and while I feel like a relative beginner, it's still a go-to for me. And when I walk down the street, I people watch. I see color in the shadows.
On the other hand, It's a constant challenge with infinite room for growth. So many possibilities! And I love looking at other people's work!
If you do it well, it moves people. You can tell stories with it. If done well, my work can become part of a child's life, like it was for me a child. I love the idea of that link, of passing on the gift.
And finally, about 7 years ago I realized I really needed something that depended primarily on my own initiative. I needed something of my own. I hadn't drawn regularly in years, so it was a gradual process that finally came into focus with illustration, and then slowly developing a style. But it was important to re-start the journey, not as a precocious kid this time, but as a mature person with a personal POV.
I do hope to make enough money to live on at this some day, but I realize that at my age it's a long shot. That's okay, because of the paragraph above. But I'm going to try!
It probably wouldn't hurt to keep a journal! Or do we do better thinking in pictures? A very personal, no-holds-barred sketchbook, maybe?