I think if you need a program just for hobby purposes, you'd be better off getting Paint Shop Pro, far cheaper and just about as capable. Mind you, I love Photoshop. I use both Pshop and PSP. But unless you're dead serious about graphics, why spend the large amount of money Pshop costs when PSP is a fraction of that. Well, unil Corel raises the price. PSP also uses the same filters and plugins Pshop does. Yes. Pshop has features PSP doesn't, but as a hobbyist you're highly unlikely to ever need those features.

Talent is God's gift to you. Using it is your gift to God.