it s pretty clear that songwriting is not a money maker and that there is no fame or fortune waiting on any of us here.

My suggestion is to write from your "core" (whatever that is) and enjoy it. At the end of this life you wont have fame or fortune but you will have something that reflects what your life is and was.
If you write from your core, your chances of being widely recognized is less than an earth-ending-asteroid hitting tommorrow, but it is the best shot you have at presenting "you" to yourself and anyone else who cares to take a look. That's worth taking a shot at.

Morning reflections from Marty