Yeah, there's not an obvious place for a thread like this...
As Daywolf already said, crafting in EQ is very much a matter of personal preference and generally not essential to your character's progress. Sounds like you have a mid-level dwarf cleric, so if you were to really go for it, it would be
Blacksmithing that you would want to take above 200. To be successful, you're going to need a couple wheelbarrows of plat and a couple friends to help with some recipes (brewing and enchanting come to mind).
Personally, if I had one major criticism of crafting in EQ, it's that it isn't something that you can do to help with your adventuring. Particularly with your first/main character, the gear that you find while you're out leveling and raising coin will tend to be noticeably better than anything you can make for yourself. (Baking your own food may be an exception.) Daywolf is right: "if you have the money to raise crafting, you have the money to just buy armor" - particularly on a server with a mature economy.
So it comes down to how you want to play and what you enjoy. I love the satisfaction that comes from crafting. My paladin had a smithing skill of 25 when she was adventure level 3. I'll craft as I go, even though it can be frustrating, unrewarding and waste of plat; I'm dumb like that. If you don't already know about it, things like the
Coldain Prayer Shawl quests might help you see crafting in a more favorable light.