Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

For years I've been talking about trying to branch out into other areas with my work--surface design, illustration, package design, etc.  My work is pretty graphic, and I think would translate well to a commercial application. People always say to me,  'I could see your work on a t-shirt...or a perfume bottle...or wallpaper, etc., etc.'  But the question has always been how, and also, when? When can I find the time to focus on this and also do my other work?  And how do I go about it? And then I heard about Lilla Rogers Studios's Global Talent Search-a contest where the winner receives a year of representation by Lilla Rogers.   I've been following Lilla's studio and her artists for quite some time, and am a huge fan of the style of work she represents, and the uniqueness of all of her artists.  So I signed up, got sketching, and am about to submit my very first illustration for consideration!  This was quite a step outside my comfort zone; I'm so confident and comfortable (maybe too comfortable?)  in my style and what I do in my work that trying to do something within someone else's parameters and still maintain my own voice left me a wee bit unsteady.  But in the end, I'm really happy with what I came up with, and feel good about submitting it.  Will I win? Probably not.  Will I make it to the second round? I have no idea.  Did I learn a lot? Definitely, and maybe this is my first step towards another avenue for my work.  Above are some pics of my rough sketch; I'll post the finished product after the submission deadline.  Wish me luck!