Skip to main content

Rejection Reflection



The warning was well received.  My friend and fellow artist, Lisa, encouraged me to submit my artwork for a juried show.  This would be my first attempt at such an endeavor.  Little did she realize she was doing me a huge favor.  She warned me that my work could get rejected and then she explained why.  This didn’t click for me at the time, but it proved to be so helpful when I opened the email from the studio about my submission.  It was a nicely worded rejection notice.  I read it over once, and then a second time, carefully analyzing the wording, trying to read between the lines to find some clue that somehow stamped a grade on my work.  Pass?  Fail?  Then I remembered Lisa’s words.  She warned me that sometimes a style of work doesn’t fit the theme or the look of a show.  

Did it take away the sting?  Well, not initially.  I did have a pity party for a few moments.  Then I realized no one else was at the party so it had to end pretty quickly.  The words used in the email were professionally and delicately crafted.  (We artist types might be wired in ultra-sensitive ways, so I think they were mindful of that!).  But I paused because I had to remember something other than Lisa’s words of caution.  I had to remember where I came from.  My art, that is.  It’s a gift.  A gift that I have been privileged to display through the work I have been creating.  The world will judge it, and that is ok.  When you put yourself out there, that’s going to naturally happen.  I can’t control what others think of my work.  What I can control is to focus on the point of my work, which is to give God the glory for it.  I am confident it will come according to how He wants it to happen.  I have great freedom in resting in that and I also can rejoice in that as well.  I rejoice in my heart and with others who fill up my tank when they say, well done!  I think the Lord says that, too. 

His lord said unto him, well done, good and faithful servant…Matthew 25:21

Comments

  1. Hi there Re,

    I feel with you on this...and I have to say been through many of them as of the rejections letters. To look lighthearted on this it's the nature of the game. It's not a measure of our work and it usually is just a handful of people that see the work and judge it for the event or show so they can not be the judge and jury for everything you do...and not everyone will like all of our works. So allow it to flow and keep making your art because you know how it feel when you do and another opportunity will come up and this will lessen in the hurting department.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What does your "cookbook" look like?

My Betty Crocker cookbook is a wreck. It was given to me as a bridal shower gift in 1979, and I have treasured it ever since. Over forty years later, it remains a prized possession. It has been my cooking guidebook, truly important when you’ve grown up feasting on a mainly southern Italian diet, (no complaints here) which included a lot of pasta and meatballs. Yes, our meals had variety, but gravy was simmering at my house just about every other day. The traditional, and now collectable Betty Crocker cookbook became my best friend in the kitchen. Today, it has all the signs of being used and maybe a little abused. The pages are weathered, written on, and stained. The covers are loose, no longer held in place by the familiar spiral binding. The only thing keeping it together is an oversized, stretchy band. I’ve collected other cookbooks over the years, but this one has been my go-to manual. In it, I discovered new recipes, tried making things I had never heard of, and was thrilled

The practice of listening.

"It takes time and practice to learn to listen. And it takes a caring heart. A fourth-grade teacher once asked her class, "What is listening?" After a few moments of silence, one little girl raised her hand. "Listening," she said, "is wanting to hear." Lord, make us a people who want to hear." Janet Dunn, Desiring God. I love learning and I admit that I am somewhat of a self-help junkie. A friend once said to me, "You have to start reading something fun!" It didn't sound interesting, but she was right. This same friend is a great listener. When I sounded off about trouble in my heart about my relationship with my mom, she offered kind and loving advice. What was that advice? That I needed to seek the help of a counselor. Inside, I rolled my eyes. Really? Again? I've gone this route before, aren't I done? But I went forward with her advice.  I connected with a counselor, a caring soul, a beautiful listener. With her by my s

Baby steps to Big Girl Dreams

My heart was racing.  I had a tug inside of me to make a call to the local community college to inquire about teaching a continuing education class.  I had always had a desire to teach, and the bubbly stir inside of me kept pushing me to act.  My only problem was that  the conversation in my head made me want to run and hide.  But the stir was so very strong.  I had to do something.  And then I remembered a teaching I had just heard by Joyce Meyer.  She spoke about fear and how it can grip your life.   Her solution was simple.  She said, "Whatever you need to do, do it afraid."   A light blub moment !   Her words interrupted that internal conversation, and pushed me to make a choice and shift my thinking.  I marched to the phone....afraid....and made the call to the college.  I asked if they were in need of instructors and before I knew it,  one thing led to another.  By the end of the call, I had an interview lined up and a request to submit a curriculum for a new class