Taking web design more seriously?

I am contemplating it. I put together several forums and compiled a few blogs. I am pretty good at HTML coding, but have never coded a site from scratch. Wondering if i can. I can put together the basics for a site design but i usually use a template.

Thinking i might take it step by step and learn to compile a blog from scratch using my own html. Even if i use a pre-exsisting code to copy of to start with. For now i will only be able to do free sites as i can not afford to produce web pages.

My fathers business has a web page and he has hinted that he will let me code that.

I would love to be able to get paid for my services someday.

Check out: www.kejaphotography.blogspot.com for a blog i have set up. I used a template for the design but soon enough i hope to be able to code my own design for the site.