Taking my photographic and literary work on sexuality as a whole, the majority of the compliments I receive are along the lines of "you're hot". I have no problem with this - a compliment is a compliment, no matter how superficial. And especially considering how vain I am, it boosts my self-confidence knowing that some people find me attractive. Although, it would be a lot more effective if those compliments were coming from people I'd actually be interested in dating, i.e., pretty girls, instead of mostly gay men, crossdressers, and transwomen. Nevertheless, a compliment is still a compliment.
Now, I do sometimes get compliments that are a bit deeper than that, and these are the ones that really keep me going. As a sexual organism, it might be enough for me to know that I'm attractive, but as an artist, it means a lot to me that there are people out there, even if they aren't many, that 'get' my art. And when I say that, I mean that they can appreciate what makes my art unique, and they can get more out of the meaning I put into it than a simple, "this guy is hot". I pour a lot of my thoughts and emotions into my work, and while on a superficial level it often is about crafting an attractive image, there is also often more to it beyond that, and it means something to me that other people are getting that.
And as far as my writing goes, I have gotten compliments on that, too. Although, I don't really feel like I get as much feedback as I'd like. Of course, I'm happy for people to agree with the things I say, and I understand I have a way with words that tends to leave an issue pretty thoroughly examined, but I'd be more confident if there were more people telling me I'm right, or, barring that, explaining why they think I'm wrong.
