I've been playing around with making games for a really long time, but my first serious attempt at making something was maybe 8 years ago. I picked an engine that didn't work out very well and bit off way more than I could chew, so the project just dragged on for several years until I got too fed up with it to continue. I did learn a lot, but it was a disappointing end.
The first game I actually finished and released to the public was for a game jam, which was a valuable experience in learning how to scope and finish a project, even if the end product wasn't worth much. I've now released five games and am slowly taking on bigger and more complex projects. My goal is just to make things that I can be proud of and that hopefully other people enjoy playing.