if you do it for a living Jim, you take praise anywhere you can find it sycophantic or otherwise. Like the character in Dickens - you have 'know your own worth'. And you're grateful for any praise -without necessarily believing the assessment. theres plenty of self appointed experts with penetrating analysis, with proof positive and abusive harrangues testifying that you're an asshole.

The question is , do you let these 'experts' deflect you from the course you have chosen. No you bloody don't - though they do manage to damage and hurt and discourage many of your fellow artists. young Sanjay Brain (18 years old) tells me he has become the target of much resentful criticism at his college, since being selected for the semi finals of the young BBC folk musician of the year.

No one ever bothered kicking a dead dog. Don't kill the creative urge particularly in the young - its just too easy to find a justification for it.