Thanks for starting this thread Shambles. I have a feeling it will ask more questions than it will answer, at least as far as my reply is concerned.

In answer to your post:

Depends on how your define success.

Are you a working, full time musician, song-writer, able to support yourself through your artistic, creative and marketing endeavors? If the answer is yes, then I suppose you are successful, if we define success as monetary reward, and recognition and approval from others.

Conversely, if you've given your heart and soul to music (and the music business), have more natural talent and ability than Rev. Gary Davis, Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Chet Atkins combined yet cannot support your family, does this make you a failure?...and any less creative?

Do we need validation (others acceptance and approval) to know that what we are doing, playing, writing, recording, etc.......is good? Or do we have enough self confidence, taste, and ability to know within ourselves that we ''have it?''

I suppose somewhere along the way, we all need that validation or positive reinforcement from others (the key being those, who's opinions we respect) to encourage and inspire us, to continue onward with our creative processes.....especially when we are young and still finding our way.

I find for me personally, that I am most creative when all the boundaries are removed, including validation from others, and I have nothing to guide me except an idea; my talents; and an inate sense of taste, which I can only hope will be good rather than poor.

When I want to experience a complete sense of zero gravity musically, the vehicle I choose is, jazz and piano is the weapon of choice. The thing that I find so ironic about jazz, is that there are so many fundamentals involved to master, and once mastered, you then realize you don't have to rely on these fundamentals.....you just have to have a semblance on how far away from home you are, so that eventually, you might want to find your way back. Then, again you just might want to stay ''out there.'' It doesn't really matter, from a sheer creative point of view. It only matters if you rely on what others are going to think -- buy -- accept.

When I want to go somewhere melodically and with structure, I'll choose finger-picking and blues, and the weapon of choice is a 6 string acoustic guitar.

I think we can be much more creative when we don't have to earn a living from it and the commercial pressures we'd have to deal with, or for maintaining celebrity and fame where the axiom ''you're only as good as your last album (or gig) '' seems to apply.