While there is always more to learn as an artist for anyone, I think what you did is quite strong. If you're talking album covers or whatever, you want a design that's eye catching. This is very strong in that regard in my opinion. This has a graphic design quality wherein details like shadows are often eliminated anyway in favor of shapes and flat colors. It's a different language, but it can be very evocative as a symbol or something that piques people's interest.
When and if you do something that will require type, I would recommend, if you're going that way, that you design your type into it on a separate layer so you know how it will sit. If you're just doing pictures that are more illustrative with no type, then it's what you see is what you get.
Anyway, I quite like this and think you're onto something very cool.
"Not a bit is wasted and the best is yet to come. . ." -- remembered from a dream