I have been painting on & off for a very time, almost 20 years in fact with a break of 4 years at one. In the past, there were no internet and any form of guide/reference is close to zero. No one else in my group of friends shared nor appreciated this hobby so it was really passion that brought me this far.
CMON is in fact my biggest motivation and source of reference. Scores started out with 5-6, then moved on to 6-7 and finally broke the 8 barrier only last 2 years or so. With the constant increase in the level of painting I find it rather hard to keep up nowadays. However, don't get too discouraged by the scores but infact study what others have done and try to acheive what others have. However, don't try to do stuffs like insane SENNM, complicated freehands or OSL but get the basics right or you will be killing your passion really soon.
If you find yourself stuck at a certain point, eg. couldn't get that blending to be seamless, couldn't get that skintone to look right, stop painting for a few days. Surf the net for inspiration then pick up your brushes again. Pauses in between painting cycles gives you some time to look back at what you have done, what could be improved & to recharge. Lastly, keep painting!