I've been complemented

It's a trap! Check her web browsing history for recent visits to jewelry vendors, cat breeders, and places that sell draperies.

I jest, of course. You know you've arrived when even your most honest critic wants it on the wall.

It sounds like you and your wife complement each other well. And you should be very pleased with her compliment.

Hey at least you have your Valentine's present idea!

Congratulations! I would write down what she said, and look at that note on the gloomy days. And don't forget, smile and thank her for being honest, and that you really, really appreciate her comment. (Maybe she will come with more positive comments!)

But, check that browsing history.... :-)

Perfect time to tell her you need a new camera!

Praise from those who love us is wonderful, it's one of the things I like the best, but it is not how we can measure our work. The Nobel Prize Winner Georg von Bekesy wrote something about this that I think applies to any creative endeavor. He said that a scientist needs good enemies, that your friends will tell you your work is wonderful, but good enemies, honest ones, will find the flaws in what you have done, tell you, berate you, and thus help you improve. Bekesy added that the trouble with enemies is that they sometimes become friends. "That is how," he wrote in the preface to his book Experiments in Hearing, "this author lost his three best enemies."

Enjoy your wife's praise.

One of the things we've most enjoyed about photography is moving our own photos around on our own walls. We've developed an easy framing technique using inexpensive frames from the big craft chains, and we're able to swap stuff out regularly. Go with the spouse's praise, it helps immeasurably with your confidence. And, if you want a bigger stage, Hector's advice works.

Fred G: You beat me to it!