I recently submitted my first app to the Pebble smartwatch app store. This is the first time I've made something that other people can use and download. I've made a lot of smaller projects before, but nothing that was polished enough that I felt others should use it.
About a year ago I made a goal to make larger projects, projects that people would actually want to use. I've made a lot of "toy projects", small projects that I used to teach me a technology. I wanted to get away from this habit, I want to make things that I'm proud of and I want to use. Clicking the button to submit my app was a weird feeling. I was putting my work out there for everyone to read and criticize.
It's empowering creating something for other's to use. It feels like you've contributed to other's lives.