There's a part of me that wishes I'd never said one single solitary word on any subject publicly. Then I could have been the tortured poet, and there's so much mileage in that. But it's too late to stop now.
The thing I do, really, is a communication with audiences more than any achievement through records.
The best thing you've got going for you is individuality.
People want to hear about the extremes of human nature. They want things that are larger than their own lives, and more romantic, and not necessarily of their own experiences.
It's fun to sing sad songs. And it's fun to listen to sad songs. Enjoyable. Satisfying. Something.
It's amazing what some people read into songs.
When you stand up acoustic in front of an audience, you really are a man without any clothes on. And that can be fun - it depends how much of an exhibitionist you are, I suppose. I quite enjoy it.