Dude, you're 22. What is this "getting too late to set myself up for failure and go down the wrong path" stuff? Just do what you really want to do. It sounds from your posting like you don't really know what that is, so hang out for a while and experiment.

You don't seem to think you're that good at art, in which case, why should anyone hire you to do art, especially in media where quality of art is very important (film or games)? If you decide that you really care about working in either of those media, you are going to have to work hard to build your skills up to the point where you have no question that you are good.

First off, there's no such thing as a "permanent-real-job" any more, and certainly not in either the film or game industries.

Second, there's no such thing as "too late" when it comes to your life (unless you are dead). Always remember that YOU hold the reins and what YOU decide to pursue, is what you can be successful at.

It sounds to me like you are the perfect candidate for an internship or two. You can't decide because you haven't gotten a taste of what the "real world" is like. So, go forth and find yourself an internship in something. If you don't like what you see, try something else.

Just be sure to stand up for your own rights. Interns are not slaves, contrary to popular belief. As an intern, you should get one of two things: paid for doing grunt work OR allowed to do work that is suited to your interests and personal advancement if you are not being paid.

What some of the above folks have said, I agree with.

There are no permanent jobs in design. Even if you got a staff position in an advertising firm it might be seasonal or include lay-offs when there weren't as many clients in the fold.

I'll tell you something, when I was your age I took some video editing and design courses and knew that the way to break in at the time was to work as a logger. This is very tedious work. I didn't have the patience, so I didn't apply. While I can't teach you patience, life might.

The more steady jobs include more tedious work -- and very few artists work regularly or "full time."

Your advantage is learning those 3-D programs and incorporating them into your employable skills.

Everything that you learn has a use. I have gotten involved in editng -- finally -- by both supervising post-production and planning edits as a producer. But I haven't been paid for it yet.

Here's a link to an online clip

www.comicbookradioshow.com/dvd1....html

And as to why I joined this tribe?
I've written both RPG scenarios and parts of game manualls, and have at times developed game stories for video games. Not the contacts though, I have submitted some in the right places.

Meanwhile, writing and self-publishing comics books

www.bestfriendsproductions.com/hib

and working on freelance production...

www.bestfriendsproductions.com/ra...htm

www.bestfriendsproductions.com/ev...nds

So draw - talk to people, learn technology - and then apply what you've learned to ever morphing possibilties.

-Rachel

Well, I'm a designer (systems design, plus gameplay and creature AI scripting). I'm currently going to school off and on for Computer Science but have never really needed a degree because I have industry experience. A general CS degree is good in my opinion because if you ever want to leave games and do something else, it'll get you farther than something games-specific.

I have no idea what would help on the art / visual design side of things though.

www.josienutter.com/

You got a lot of time, do not stress. Hell, I'm turning 44 next month, and I'm just now getting into Game Tool Programming for fun AND profit. I don't know if 'it's never too late', but I can attest, in 20 years it still won't be too late for you. Explore all of it!