Noel,
To me it has always been about sharing my talent with others. Way back in my elementary and high school days, I use to draw/sketch for people ( classmates,friends,teachers) for free and didn't mind giving them away. As long as they appreciate what I drew then I'm happy. So I guess my attitude about parting with my works stem from that.
What I love most about model making is the building. Like youl said, you put your heart into it and then some.Improving your skills, raising the bar a notch higher with every kit you make until you produce something that others will gasp at. But still, satisfaction is denied because you know every mistake and mishap that occured in the building process so you build another hoping to get everything right this time around. And sometimes it happens. To me, this is what modelling is. It is about the building and not finish product itself. It is a journey that detrmines how you arrive at and perceive your destination.
Most people treat model making a hobby, to me it's an artform.
Rico