As a jewelry artist I face rejection regularly.
For my career I apply to shows, exhibitions, galleries, magazines, books....they all have a fee to apply ranging from $15 - $50 dollars, sometimes I email them them photos, sometimes I send them actual jewelry pieces. Then they look.............and then I wait.
I wait with the mind frame that, "It would be great......I would be so excited......I feel like this is going to happen.....I'm going to get in, accepted, loved, adored......This is the right place for me....It would be great....my family would be so proud of me.....I would be so proud of me......I'm going to get accepted.......but if it doesn't happen I'll still be proud of me.....things will still be great......really they will...." All of these thoughts swirl inside my mind each time I send off an application for something.
And sometimes they do say Yes....which is such a high....so fun......so exciting......so lifts me up and continues to propel me higher.
You can see some of my proudest Yes moments here on my new media page.
But sometimes they say no.......you're not ready......it's not the right fit.....its so pretty but not right for us......try again next year......best of luck.....it's not you it's us....well okay they don't say that one, I say that one.
Hearing No......feels devastating.....like a punch in the stomach.....like a big doubt snowball thrown my way......No matter how many times I tell myself you need to have a thicker skin, it's not a big deal, it's all a part of learning and growing, you will try again and get in, you're amazing and talented and great things will come your way.....no matter how many of these mantras I tell myself....rejection still sucks. It really really sucks.
But everyone who has ever had a passion will understand..........The rejection isn't enough to stop me. I try something else, I try again.....I rise each time I fall.
Here is one of my favourite things to do when I hear No.....
I play this song really loud and sing along. "A Better Son or Daughter" by Rilo Kiley.
I would love to know what other people do when they hear a No and need to be uplifted.
Please feel free to share with me in my comments section or on my facebook page.
