They really are. Fractals are all over the place; I can say from having worked with them a lot, and I've implemented them into so many different pieces. They're nothing if not versatile.
And that's really neat. Making brushes is something that I've wanted to delve into for a while here, but haven't really had the time to. xD Hopefully, as school lets out, I'll have more time.
And, if you're interested, I've been working on some rather cloudy/blurry fractals that I'd be more than happy to donate to said brushes, it sounds like something they would fit well into.