It seems to me that the wow-effect is important first of all for the master himself. To see and feel that your new work is pleasing to yourself more than the previous one is the best reward.
Try to put next to your first project and the one that ended yesterday. WOW !!!
But in order to make the subsequent work better than the previous one, you need to see and admit your mistakes, but not to sprinkle your head with ashes, and in order to prevent them from later. And constructive criticism of professionals is very helpful in this.
PS. And more ... I think that sometimes even a very experienced master can discover something new, looking at the work of a beginner
PPS. I consider myself a newcomer, because for the first time in my life I learned about the veg tan leather and a swivel knife in November 2017.