Motivation or the lack thereof

I wrote about this on Facebook the other day, so I'll expand on it further here on this lately neglected blog.

I'm an artist, on top of working 40 hours a week at Half Price Books. I create art prodigiously -- I have over 100 paintings sitting in my basement that I've made over the last couple years. I usually have anywhere between 20-30 pieces in various stages of completion at any given time. I catalog each painting by having it photographed, archiving the information in various places, uploading the image to three different websites, and keeping track of where each piece ends up once it's out of my possession. I can tell you a story about every painting I've done.
And not only do I create, but I fill my mind with art through various ways: visiting art museums and galleries, reading voraciously (blogs, magazines, books, articles), making connections and having good conversations with other artists. I have a lot of artistic input and output, to say the least.

And yet, lately, I feel like I'm in a rut creatively. Do I make because I have something to communicate, or am I just repeating colors and patterns because it's habit? Am I still asking myself questions about what I'm doing? Am I pushing myself beyond the familiar or is it just comfortable catharsis? What do I do with all this knowledge I've gained? How can I share it, encourage and help others with what I know? Does anyone care what I have to say, is it helpful or am I just blabbing into the ether?
These are some of the things that I've been thinking about recently.

As a Christian, I am called to pursue excellence in my endeavors. I can't be satisfied with the status quo, with being merely competent. I strive to do my best, because God says I'm working for Him and not others' approval or accolades. It may seem silly to you if you don't believe in God and the Bible, but for me, it's freeing yet a weighty responsibility. I believe God has given me artistic skills and passions that I've worked to hone over the years. If I don't question and critique my work, pushing myself intellectually, I feel like I'm not doing justice to what God has blessed me with. Art calls to me, and when I create I feel God's pleasure.

I guess I haven't been feeling a lack of motivation so much as a bit of discouragement. Part of me wants accolades and praise from others. It's discouraging to apply to gallery after gallery and get nothing. To show my work and not sell anything. To set up showings that fall through. To put in a full day at work, then come home and have barely any energy (or none, depending on the day) to devote to my true passion.
I know you have to put in time and sweat to become successful, but it's just hard to see if I'm going anywhere right now.