Very true words, Mark.

I have always been one of the 'What do I need to do to get better?' kind of guys, too. I didn't really ever need much in the way of encouragement, the music itself always drove me, and it was easy to spot what my strengths were. A lot harder to spot your own weaknesses, though!

I've always learned more from having something ripped than having kudos for it.

Overall, I find continually taping yourself, and taking the time to LISTEN to it, critically, is probably the best feedback. In the end, whether it's what everyone else expects or not, musically, what I'm playing is a deliberate decision. But while you are playing, you never quite get the chance to be pure critic. But later, it's usually easy to spot whether your vision worked or not. But there have been many times I've ripped myself on the spot, only to listen to playback and go 'Well, wasn't quite what I thought was coming, but it actually worked!' and cut myself a bit more slack next time!

But no-one ever got better from continually being told how great they were... It's the brickbats that do the most good, not the kudos.