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I'm kind of known for my old school cartography and my style of mapping, but honestly, that's not where the impact comes from - The REAL trick for a map isn't the style and good looks.
The real trick is making something awesome that will feel exciting to explore or have the action in. Think of a set piece, and build the map up around that set piece. The rest is just dressing.
Remember to work in three dimensions - give them levels to move on instead of just running around on a flat surface. Steps, platforms, ledges, gaps, crevasses, and so on. Make it fun, make it something you can portray on a map fairly easily, and run with it!
Regarding sharing practice maps and sharing IP - you can probably guess my response here as I've been sharing my maps publicly (400+ maps now?) for 6 years now. The more you put your work out there, the more feedback you get. Also, it motivated me to get better at my craft and to be able to see the differences as the years went by.
It's been my opinion that the best way to differentiate yourself is to show your skills.