Today I Was Rejected

Today I got my very first rejection email. This past Friday I emailed my an artwork submission to a company I thought might be a good fit for my work.

I researched, I created, I photographed, I laid everything out all nice and pretty. It felt good to send it on Friday–it meant I was doing something to achieve my biggest goal of the year, which is to get at least one licensing deal.

I had this brief thought that I’d hear back quickly if they didn’t want it, so when I opened my work email this morning and saw the email, I knew.

I did feel a moment of sadness and/or disappointment, and there were a few times I had to talk myself out of getting into a “you’re just not good enough” spiral of agony, but mostly I dealt with it really well.

I also took the time to notice how I felt about things over the course of the day, and gave myself a pretty good grade for how I was handling the rejection.

I didn’t get out of control with negative thoughts, for one. The question “What if I can’t make a living as an artist?” flashed across my mind at one point and I felt a grip of fear, but then I just let. it. go. This is the one career/direction that feels entirely right to me, and there is nothing else, at all, that I want.

I did some intentional positive thinking. I often reflect back to Elizabeth Gilbert’s podcast, the episode where she talks to Michael Ian Black (it’s number 203), and he says something along the lines of, “It’s not talent that matters, it’s persistence.” That’s really, really stuck with me. I makes me remind myself that it’s the putting myself out there and continuing to try that really creates a success story.

I didn’t get all crazy defensive. Remember on American Idol how they showed all the really awful performers? And after they had their dreams slammed down in front of millions of people they’d be interviewed on their way out? And they’d tell the cameras that they were robbed and that Simon Cowell was a piece of trash, all while their mom or grandpa was in the back screaming about how their baby was the best singer in the world? I didn’t do that. My art wasn’t the right fit for the company at this time. It’s just a thing that happened. No need to start putting down other people.

I did already decide my next steps. Earlier this year I created a whole list of places I thought might be a good fit for my work, and I already picked the next ones I’ll submit to! This time I’m creating a line of pointillism trees + leaves to be used on cards (I’ll probably use some of the ones I’ve already created like this and this, as well), and I’m ready to get started.

I didn’t take it personally. There’s a thing I think you have to do to survive in the art world (not just visual art, but all of the arts/any creative outside the box endeavor), and it’s called separating your Self and your worth from your art. I am not my art. My art comes through me, and I love it and and I love sharing it. Just because these particular pieces of artwork weren’t selected doesn’t mean anything about me.

I did use the experience to think about what I can do differently next time, and to try to figure out how I can get better and make sure my artwork and the company are a good fit.

And that’s that. I really do feel okay, or even good about!

Okay, your turn, tell me about a time you were rejected and, BONUS! tell me a time a time when it all turned out fine.

XO