My skill level

Nothing feels better than the praise of peer review.  And nothing feels more hollow than  encouragement from people who don't work in the industry.  I recently met a lighting designer who is very talented.   He is my same age but has accomplished so much more... he has even taught.  I feel like a really shitty lighting designer when I hang around with him.  And everyone I tell this too tells me that I am great and all that... but none of those people are in the industry so they don't know how easy it is.