You are going about this in the right way. Gnome desktop is probably better supported than many others, personally I use Kubuntu as the personalisation options are myriad, like peeling an onion, there are layers of customisations available.

With Kubuntu or KDE and the plasma desktop the ease of switching from one desktop or activities to another with various applications running isolated from each other enhances my productivity enormously. On the odd occasion I have to fire up Windows (usually to support another user) I find it frustrating that I cannot have multiple switchable desktops and it really cramps my style now.

Basic gnome now incorporates multiple desktops too.

Kubuntu has the Kdenlive video editor which is usually adequate for my needs, and as others have said, Gimp has more options than you can poke a stick at........

Audacity is a great audio editor, and openoffice is just about as good as Office in Windows. All free, you must accept that with no cost there is a steep learning curve and there are the occasional glitches. But you cannot compare commercial products such as MS Office and the full range of Adobe products costing thousands of pounds with an open-source offering.

The other issue is of course time. Every minute spent learning a new application enough to become proficient is a minute you will never get back again. Are you prepared to use your precious time in this way? Only you can answer that. But I would add that if you are a young person with a new family, this may not be the best way to spend your precious time.

All the best to you Tony.