Validation doesn’t come from outside; that’s a notion best dispelled quickly.
So, so very true. I had to work hard to get to a point where the validation for my work came mostly from my work, and not from what showed up in my mailbox on a given day. And I’m still not always there–it takes constant reminding. But it’s true–you (okay, I–dangerous to generalize as a writer) either learn to make the reward for the work the writing itself, or wind up being depressed more often than not.
Because even if one does manage to “succeed” (whatever that means–I’m not sure I know), one doesn’t succeed every single day. There’s not enough external validation in the entire universe to keep one going, if that’s what one is looking for. It has to come from within, not without.