two things I do when I get rejected
day 8/31: dealing with rejection as an artist
When did your work last get rejected? Turned down? Not accepted, admitted, or approved?
(Video at the bottom, so scroll if you want to watch and not read!)
Following our chat about intentional messy failure yesterday, let’s look at dealing with rejection like a champ.
I focus on two things when faced with rejection, which we creatives face A LOT.
It’s day 8 of the august challenge, 31 days of tips, tasks, and resources to help creatives!!
Let’s thrive off rejection!
Go ahead and feel sorry for yourself for a sec, and then laser focus on 2 things:
Reframe. What if every disappointment and frustration could be seen as an opportunity for growth? Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, famously said,
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
How can you harness your emotions of frustration and disappointment to push you to try harder, teach resilience, open your eyes to new possibilities, and drive innovation? I love The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. She talks about the concept of “gain disguised as loss” as a powerful tool for artists. Simply ask: “How can this loss serve me? Where does it point my work?” The answers can be surprising and liberating. For instance, a rejection might push you to refine your skills or explore new directions. Reframing loss as gain means viewing failure as a stepping stone to growth and creativity. Instead of seeing setbacks as negative, consider them opportunities for learning and improvement.
Repurpose. If you didn’t get the grant or the show you worked so hard to prepare for…
how can you immediately repurpose that effort?
No hard work should go to waste. Consider transforming the proposal into part of your manifesto on your website. Maybe you could organise a group show featuring the work you created. Who else can you reach out to with this material? Reflect on the skills you developed during the process and explore how they can be applied to other projects.
Transform setbacks into stepping stones. Reframe and repurpose.
Tomorrow I want to tell you about identity based habits and why I walk up escalators, okay byeeee!!
ps. If you want every task this month in your inbox make sure you’re signed up below 👇🏻
And who am I? That’s one secret you’ll never know, xoxo.. just kidding.
I'm Phoebe, I’m passionate about helping individuals and communities integrate art and creativity sustainably into their li
ves because I KNOW the positive impacts can be world-changing and powerful. With a Fine Art degree and over 8 years of experience in the art world I've been watching this world from all sides. Outside of my 9-5, I coach artists to find purpose, balance, connection, and excitement in their practice and lives. A challenge like this is as much for me as anyone else, as I continue to refine my own multidisciplinary creative practice.