British Pastime

I am now well and truly entrenched in the great British pastime of complaining about the weather, in particular the weekend weather.
Saturday was fine but tied up with club exhibition which went well.
Sunday raining again so I will sit and write some rubbish and maybe get some feedback.
Being a serious but not fanatical photographer I find the space under my bed filling up with black boxes full of 16 x 20 mounted photographs, I still have the first mono photograph I ever developed in a darkroom way back in 19 whenever, What do we do with these gems of creativity which are destined to languish forever in the stoor infested world under the bed ?
I have submitted my first ever photographs to exhibition / salon ( still waiting for results )
This is one outlet and a good indication of where you are photographically speaking
I have never submitted for distinctions either blah de blah RPS or whatever PAGB, I have considered this route to a photographic pat on the back but will these honours make me a better photographer ?
I will still wander around the same hills with the same people taking the same photographs
Or does applying for blah de blah RPS or whatever PAGB and get a knock back focus your attention to do better and take better photographs or is it really that important ?
I suppose it all depends on what you want from your hobby, pleasure from what you are doing and producing or a drive to be BETTER, BETTER, BETTER or somewhere in between where you just want to be the best you can be without being fanatical.
Which doesn't answer the question about what we do with all the 16 x 20s under the bed
What do you think ? Any ideas will be considered


   Regards R.