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Rejection Reflection

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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
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  1. LauraSeptember 16, 2012 at 9:49 AM

    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.

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