I'm sorry if you found my answer unhelpful. We all started somewhere. I had been hand drawing maps (badly) for years until I discovered this site. Over the last few years my talent and my confidence has increased immensely. I think you have to ask your self just what kind of map you want to make (I should add that your original map is very interesting and not at all terrible) It's just a matter of starting with some questions about what you are trying to accomplish with your map. Remember that at it's base all a map is is a way to convey information. If you want an "artistic" style map I again suggest you check out the tutorial section. One great way to get some immediate feedback is to post you maps in the relevant forum section and ask for feedback. I think you'll find that were a helpful and friendly bunch and that pretty soon you'll find your skills and your confidence in your work growing.