possible break from reviewing

Edited later Saturday 4 February

I'm seriously considering ceasing to write reviews here. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly I feel it's getting in the way of my own profile as an artist. Secondly I'm pissed off dealing with fragile egos it's tiring having positive comments misunderstood.

The first is the most important. I love sharing my enthusiasm for the things that excite me. Cynically speaking there's also no doubt that reviewing events I love is good for my profile. But I ever only review things I care about.

In fact I go to a lot of events I never review. I also get offers of free or reduced tickets to review events, though I've never taken one up because I have no interest in what's been offered.

But the fact of these offers is key to the problem. I'm becoming seen as a writer or journalist rather than an artist with my own broad-based practice. I don't want to be a journalist, I don't have the skills to be a journalist, and I would like to devote more time, space and energy to promoting my own work and projects.

Continuing to review - though it might be an important document of the scenes I'm involved with - is becoming the obstacle to that.

It is at least 75% that selfish and simple. I don't want to be mistaken for a journalist. I have my own work to devote my energy to.

There is also the fact that over the last two years I've come up against friends and others misunderstanding  reviews written out of love and enthusiasm a lot of defensive reactions. I can't censor myself to avoid offence. I think it's more respectful to be constructively critical than either slag people off or be a supine cheerleader.

I probably will write more reviews, but they may be fewer. And the possibility of quitting altogether is there now. Though if I'm honest I think it's a fucking shame.