How to handle a period of self employment in interviews and on resume?

I've been working as a Digital Illustrator to make due for myself for the past two years, but it pays terribly for long hours. I made just about minimum wage for the year, while pulling 12 hour days every day.

Putting Digital Illustrator on my resume seems to confuse job search sites like Monster. I've gotten questions and misunderstandings about it from the very few interviews that I do manage to land.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how they would handle it on a resume and in interviews?

I gave this an honest shot but I have to face the facts that it is not a long term viable career and am pursuing other fields.

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