I've been in your shoes... worked my ass off for 8 years in a little print shop in a small town. But you know what, I made $23.50 an hour. But I was worth it to the company. Main reason, was I could produce. And Fast. Miracles are my specialty. The owners were definitely lacking in the "How to Run a Business" department, and was my main gripe and frustration. There just wasn't enough hours in the day to get things done.
Finally I went to them and said, "If you expect me to get things done, but don't want to pay the overtime, put me on salary, and I'll shut up and make sure the work gets done." (Hence the $23.50) I didn't start out there, but when I came on board, I was already proficient at everything they had in the shop and then some. I was productive from day one and earned my keep, and their trust.
But you know what... it took me 10 years of working in the trenches and working s***ty page monkey, go'fer jobs before I actually learned anything and had the confidence to walk in any employer's office and demand what I'm worth today. I now get $80 per hour, and I can't beat the clients off with a stick. But it takes years of hard work and putting your head down and sticking to a clear plan/goal of what you want out of life and a career. Right now you have a job... not a career. And let me tell you, there are very few "Designers" who actually make any real money. It's a thankless job that oftentimes requires them to do things that are outside of their job description. And believe me, I know exactly what you are talking about when you say you can't be creative after just finishing up a bunch of analytical work. It's nearly impossible at times to have any clarity and inspiration to move clipart around the page so it looks nice. But that's the job.
You've not been in the industry long enough to be this overwhelmed with your duties. If you feel that you are, then you've not cut your teeth enough. I'd seriously suggest working at a newspaper. YOU WILL GET FAST. The work sucks, it's all clipart, but you learn to become a master craftsman with your limited toolbox. I've worked every side of the graphics industry, and the signage side is definitely an odd duck. But it's the one that I think I like the best, and have started my own business within the field, although primarily focusing on High End Design.
As for your submissions, well, I'd not hire you. Not for $10 an hour. It's not the use of clipart or whatever it is... it's your layout execution, and time spent. I'm as ADHD as they come, but I can knock out stuff like that in a fraction of the time if called to do so. You see, I learned a few tricks long ago... incidently at one of my newspaper jobs... then all of a sudden design and layout just clicked. You need to learn the difference between a "Production Artist" and a "Graphic Designer". Graphic Designers get to charge $80 to $250 an hour. Take all week or month on a single project and then turn around and bill the client for $5000 for a red dot on a white page.
A Production Artist comes armed with a toolbox of tricks and tips to get to the output stage as fast a possible with minimal fuss. You know where to look for clipart, stock photos, how to edit and manipulate files, and crappy artwork. Taking someone's crap Publisher file and still getting it to film or output. How to use fonts effectively to convey your message, especially when given no clear direction or artwork guidelines. You knock it out and move on to the next project. Sometimes copying and pasting from a previous job.
Not everything you work on is going to be a portfolio piece, nor should it be given the time constraints to get the job out. The skill comes in from experience. Eventually you'll "get it" design wise and you can make all your stuff look exceptionally well, even though you only put a half an hour into it. It will come, if you really want to be in this field, and you study. Read design magazines, the best is Before & After. It's design college in a book.
But if you are entertaining the notion of going out on your own and to start your own whatever in design... don't. If you think you are overwhelmed now, just wait... it gets worse and you never get paid. READ THE BOOK "E-MYTH" BEFORE YOU EVEN GET THE INKLING OF AN IDEA OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP!!! (Technical and Artistic People should shy away from going into business for themselves.... know where the term "Starving Artist" comes from?) My business almost flopped this year, and I'm damn good at what I do. However, I suck at running a business. I was forced to bring in a partner who knew business inside and out. I was overwhelmed with wearing all the hats, and no time to be creative or actually design anything... once again, it was like my previous employ. However, I had no one else to blame but myself.
If you get nothing else out of my blob of gray type, buy those two books. It will make a world of difference in your perspective. In design as well as business.
(Oh, and move to a real metropolitan area where wages are slightly higher) Out here we have a burger joint called In & Out Burger. You may have heard of it... well they all make $15 an hour there, no matter what large or small town they are in. Technically you can live in an area that doesn't have that high of a cost of living, and still make OK money flipping burgers.
It's better to make more money doing remedial labor sometimes than to be unhappy in a field of your choice/desire.
Good Luck!
You've been on here from 11am until recently and spread all over in between about this one thread. I see that as not only NOT doing your job, but robbing your boss of time he's paying you to do company things. While on the clock, you could be filing, ripping or doing some of those things he wants you to do. 
