One factor you're not accounting for is Maya's cost put(s) it firmly out of range for hobbyists. Considering the tools required for digital art (a Wacom, iPad

One factor you're not accounting for is Maya's cost put(s) it firmly out of range for hobbyists. Considering the tools required for digital art (a Wacom, iPad Pro, or even a cheaper Huion etc) the art program is probably the cheapest purchase you're going to make, and they're all perpetual licenses (sans Adobe CC)