In addition to learning to sew, learn what job opportunities there may be for you once you do. Practice, practice, and practice some more! Make things for yourself, family and friends to get honest feedback. Challenge yourself by trying new fabrics, tools and techniques. Know that you can only make quality garments using quality tools, processes, and materials. Force yourself to work through, repair, and solve problems, and pay attention to the details. Know that designing is engineering, and that a successful garment needs to work in addition to being attractive. Educating yourself is great, but it can be painfully slow... you will need some formal schooling to accelerate the pace of your learning, if you are serious about making sewing a career. Follow the sewing blogs for free inspiration and ideas. If your skills are up to it, start doing some custom sewing, and see how your clients like your work. Word of mouth can spread like wildfire. That can be a great launching pad for other career opportunities, and a great way to start building a portfolio for yourself.