Southern Exposure

Yes, it was indeed a compliment.
I suggest you write what you do best, adding in rhyming and / or metered works occasionally. Some of the rhymes can be internal in an otherwise unrhymed piece. I guess what I'm saying is step into the shallow end of the pool first, and gradually develop rhyme and meter as you improve what you do well. In time, the two will meld into something I'm sure will prove spectacular.
I started oppositely - rhyming and metering, learning later to appreciate the qualities and factors of free verse. But that's my own mind's ear; you will contribute in your way.
Alcuin