The Sting Of Rejection
I must admit that from my perch, the most revered injury in showbiz, is not the agony of defeat, or the woe of failure. The most respected and time-honored pain in this industry, are the battle scars of rejection. The more wounds you have, the more war-stories you get to tell, “I was THAT close to getting a major record deal!”
More often then not I hear more stories of rejection then I do of success. It seems as though the rejection stories have more drama and pathos in them so they’re the ones that get expressed with the most urgency.
It’s common knowledge that rejection is a regular occurrence in our business, but that’s the risk you take when you hang a “for sale” sign on your talent—you risk no one wanting to buy it. The payoff, however, is worth the risk. The payoff is the possibility that the world could benefit from the results of your creativity. That’s a pretty good payoff if you ask me!
I believe that the secret to accepting the sting of rejection with grace and dignity is, “DON’T ACCEPT IT WITH GRACE AND DIGNITY!” React honestly, and let your emotions run free! If your reaction is sadness, go ahead and be sad, if your reaction is anger, go ahead and get mad, and if your reaction is apathy, be apathetic for a day or two. Who knows, your reaction to rejection may be joy and gratitude: “I’m SO glad that I didn’t get that gig!”
So, I think that the crucial thing to remember is that whenever your songs, your appearance, or your talent is rejected, don’t allow the experience to halt or stall the momentum of your career. React to the rejection honestly and completely, then “let it go” and keep moving forward. Because the challenge is not the rejection itself, it’s your reaction to it.
Peace,
Michael
Tags: Motivation, Rejection
June 27th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Early on, when the rejections were more numerous, I came to realize that each rejection was a reaction to my offering of creativity, and that the process of offering it, of putting it out there, meant that I was doing precisely what a creative person is called to do–reach out with creativity. Whether the answer was yes or no, I had done what I was supposed to do. I saved every rejection, and I saw each one as a personal love letter from the universe that said, “You are doing what you are supposed to do as a creative artist.” Gradually the acceptances outweighed the rejections and my career took off. I have been doing it now for many years, and I was able to stick with it in the tough early years by viewing rejection as part of the process. My best wishes to everyone putting creativity out into the universe.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:57 am
hey…
thanks…
September 4th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Aint that the truth! But what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger right! And still we trudge onwards and (hopefully) upwards.
peace,
taw
September 17th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Christi…
Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together….