Your words are profound and speak to me well; Thank you for those!
Gamemaker is one of those engines where if you know universal languages well (unlike me), you'll have quite an easy time picking it up. It's basically just those but simplified so that beginners can learn how to use it; Easy to learn, hard to master. If you want to just make something really fast, without having to worry about advanced engines and languages, Gamemaker is probably the best option. So I'd recommend it!
I had a very hard time with it at first, because I refused to go through the basic tutorials. I didn't want to "start small" like everyone else was saying; I wanted to start making a full-on RPG on day 1, as a complete noob. So I tried. And I struggled. I took a break, then came back. Learned a little more, and things got easier! (that rewarding feeling of solving a problem all on your own, without a Youtube tutorial!)
Tbh, if I wasn't focusing on game development, I'd probably be doing something similar to your work; Making pixel art assets, or freelance art in general. I want to hone my skills, so those options are still very much on the table!
Have you made any games? I'd love to see some with your graphics!