Getting noticed in writing (see picture below)

When I was an art-student I had to write several essays and two dissertations. Like many students, before and since, I craved some feed-back, or at least an indication that my efforts were being noticed and appreciated. At some point I told the tale below, in one of my essays, and for the first and only time in my writing career at that college a tutor made a warm remark, but I forget their exact words: probably along the lines of " I liked your story about...."