...on how to format your own art when posting it on this site.

Because when you go down to the source, it seems that rule34 needs to know where it's coming from. So they won't accept your image/video if it doesn't have a source.

And I wouldn't think that I'd have to publish my art work somewhere else to get a url to bring it here. (Especially considering I already have a account on this site)

*Just asking, if I should ever even post my art...

The source doesn't seem to always be necessary. I've seen posts with no source before.

Source is so can lead back to the artist, or should be used for that. Having a source means can also clear up any confusion that might come from a pic.

You don't have to have a source, but if lack both a source and the artist tag might get in trouble sooner or later. Since not giving the creator any credit and looks you're just posting whatever from wherever.

I used to just put the source as "here" before I moved everything. You could also put the url of the post on this website as the source after it's posted.

I’ve seen some posts get tagged as “self_upload”

That sounds like the best idea. Perhaps sign the art with your artist name, not necessarily the same as your user name here, and then use that name for "Artist" and under "Source" put "original creator upload".

Try to mark your art in some way that will make it difficult for someone else to steal and claim as their own. That could be giving all your figures a particular tattoo, scar, or birthmark, or something subtle but unique about their eyes that isn't obvious to the casual observer. Or you could do something really clever like pen & ink caricature artist Al Hirschfeld did: He worked his daughter's name, "Nina", into each drawing as many times as possible, disguising it in hair, folds of cloth, or anywhere else he could.

I'd link an example or two of Hirschfeld's work but I'm computer-challenged at the moment and working from a backup with very limited web browsing capabilities.

Listen to me in my opinion, they gonna ask for the source anyway whenever and however, but if you posted your art somewhere you will be alright. The source come here and they find it else where I'm not speaking the truth i know what's about to happen.