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I hear you about ‘I like the song’ type of criticism. I think this is peculiar to western, and to an even greater degree Canadian, society. When I talk to people from other cultures such as Iran or Israel, for example, they’re much less inhibited to tell you what they really think, and to provide specific criticisms. In fact, in many places it’s considered impolite to be ‘too polite’ because it’s taken to mean that you either don’t care enough to put in the thought to come up with a criticism or you don’t trust that person enough for them not to be offended.

I see no conflict between honesty and integrity that way.

Also, 4 hours of sleep is very, very bad for you. No joke. Get more rest.

It’s a blessing and a curse, because you come across some ideas are too good to ignore. Like winning the lottery, you’re compelled to take responsibility of your ideas.

You’re alluding to the performers who get the credit. Funny enough, the performers are also blessed and cursed. They can turn shit scripts into gold, so it takes a lot more for them to start improving the craft – the feedback is always positive, and the shit gets sold.

People tell you to write more because you often make palatable essays and critiques. Unfortunately, they can’t pinpoint what it is that makes your writing so compelling. I say you should find a group of essay writers to work with. I’ve been doing a song-writer’s retreat for the past week, and by working with aspiring and successful songwriters (all good!), I’ve been getting much better feedback. These guys KNOW the craft. They don’t just say, “I like the song” They say, “I like the rhythm, and the phrasing”. They say, “The song gets disorganised near the end”. They say, “The chorus works because it’s an mental break from the image-heavy verses.”

I’ve got to go to sleep, now. The retreat’s still going on, and I’ve been getting only 4 hrs of sleep each night.