I've actually found my artwork to be of great benefit to me, and it helps that it's my main obsession as well. My boss loves it, he knows the more work he piles on my desk and the more challenging the work is, the happier I am.
Outside of graphic design, my other artistic obsession is painting people. It's really helped me to understand people more. When you properly take the time to accurately draw a person's face, get their pose right, you're studying every bend and twist and wrinkle. It's helping me to understand those subtle little things that I usually miss in someone's expression.