Image Transfer Art and experimental approaches: How long does it take until you have a fully satisfying result?

In the beginning, I must have wasted tons of film and paper, but once I got to understand the "nature-of-the-beast" and began to get reliable results, my actual printing time became negligible. Now most of the time is spent in re-working, distressing, or cropping, sizing and or re-composing at enlargement time. I do have to divorce myself from the thought of the cost of the film though. Especially the 8x10" film sheets. They cost about $7 to $8 a sheet. So a mistake can be costly. But if you allow that to be in the back of your mind, you'll be running scared. This is not conducive to a free sense of artistic expression and it can hamper your style. So I have to forget about the cost of materials, and plunge ahead, hopeful that I'll make it up in the sale. (such luck I can only hope for!)