What do you do when you put a lot of work (I mean a LOT of work) into a piece of art, but then receive a rejection letter after you submit it to a contest, publisher, gallery, or record company?
As artists, we tend to put a lot of heart into the work that we do, and it can sometimes be incredibly disheartening when we receive negative feedback for all our efforts.
About a month back, I submitted a short story I'd written to an online magazine for consideration. And just a few days ago I received word from the magazine that they decided to not publish my story. This wasn’t the first time I’d received a rejection letter from a publisher. I actually already have a couple just sitting pretty in my email inbox.
For this particular rejection, though, I didn’t feel as disheartened by the news. Was it because I was somewhat desensitized by the fact that I’d received rejection letters before? Maybe… However, the more I thought back to my past rejections, the more I realized that I tried my hardest not to be affected by rejections.
There are all these stories from published and successful authors that rejection letters were actually a badge of honor. They were proof that you did the work, that you were courageous enough to get your stuff out there, that you allowed yourself to be vulnerable enough to receive the feedback or criticism from others.
So if you find yourself in my position, and your work’s been rejected recently, take heart.
Be proud of yourself.
You did what most people could only dream of doing: putting themselves out there.
After all, how many of your friends or acquaintances do you often hear say, “Someday I’ll write that book. Someday I’ll start my restaurant. Someday I’ll create my magnum opus.”
So be proud of yourself for taking that first step to turning that someday a reality.
Above all, please, please, please…!
1. DON’T STOP CREATING YOUR ART
I previously talked about how artists actually take on the role of healers in our world. I still believe that to be true. That’s why I want to encourage all you artists that no matter what you’re going through, you have a unique voice and experience that will surely resonate with someone out there.
The world is a little less fruitful, a little less beautiful without your art, or your voice. Don’t hide away when you run into difficult challenges.
We tend to think that our work isn’t good enough just because there’s probably a million other people out there with similar ideas and styles. How could we ever stand out, right?
Well, the thing is, even though there are 8 billion people on the planet right now, each of us has a very unique perspective, personality, and history. Not a single one of us has experienced the same things from the same point of view.
You have a story that’s unique to you. And the world becomes more colorful when you begin to tell it.
So just because you find a lot of other artists out there with similar ideas, don’t shy away from expressing your truth and your story.
Another thing I want to share is…
2. THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN
I realize that I just said that you had your own unique voice and story. But at the same time I also want you to realize and swallow this bitter pill: there is nothing new under the sun.
What do I mean by that?
Well, when you think about books, movies, and all sorts of stories, there’s really nothing new and novel about all the stories that are coming out right now. At least, there’s nearly nothing new when it comes to the themes and ideas that they’re trying to explore.
This is why you’ll find people always say, “Oh! It’s just a copy of so-and-so. Oh! It’s just a ripoff of this other thing.” And they’d be partially true in saying that, because there really are no “new” stories to tell.
Joseph Campbell conceptualized what is now called, The Hero’s Journey, which is basically a blueprint of everything single story ever created. All the beats, scenes, build-ups, challenges, trials, literally everything! He studies ancient myth across the world and found similar patterns and structures in the stories they told, and came to the conclusion that all myth followed a certain pattern.
When you think about some of your movies today, many of them actually follow the structure of The Hero’s Journey. Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings follow this particular structure. So do Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. The Lion King, Gladiator, Men in Black, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rocky, you name it! Nearly every single story ever written has elements of the Hero’s Journey.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
You see so many artists and creatives chase after this illusive thing called uniqueness. What makes their work unique? What makes their work special? The truth is, if you’ve been on this earth long enough, and have consumed hundreds of stories from different mediums, you’ll find that there are no new stories anymore.
There are only new ways of telling the same story.
Let me repeat that: there are no new stories, but there are new ways of telling the same story.
This is where you’ll find stories that throw in references to the stories that came before them. This is why easter eggs are so enjoyable. In the area of Literature, my college professors referred to this as an “allusion”.
An allusion can be seen as some kind of a cultural wink at the audience. A kind of… “If you know, you know,” type of wink, inserted into a story to specifically speak to the people in the audience who will recognize those nods to other stories.
So if the main challenge you’re struggling with when it comes to your art is that you don’t believe you’re story’s unique enough, stop worrying about it.
It becomes unique enough if you tell it the way that you want to tell it, including all of your own personal weirdness and quirkiness. Don’t shy away from showing your truth, of embodying your voice. That’s how you get an already tried-and-tested story into the realm of something new.
3. FIND THE SILVER LINING
Another thing I can suggest you do, if you really can’t help but feel disheartened, is to look at the silver lining. Despite all the doom and gloom of the situation, there’s surely something positive that you can look point to, or look forward to.
In my case, it was written within the rejection letter for my short story. The editors said that while they didn’t feel as though it would fit in their publication, they hoped that I would be able to find a home for my story.
And maybe, that’s the thing right there: finding the right place and the right time.
Surely, there’s a home out there where my story belongs. I probably just haven’t found it yet.
Be optimistic. Find something you’re grateful for, despite the setback. Maybe, even though your work was rejected, you still have a loving partner that loves and supports you no matter what. I would call that a win, despite everything.
There was this psychologist called Viktor Frankl, who was a survivor of the holocaust. He wrote a book and memoir entitled, Man’s Search for Meaning, and in that book, he talked about how he’d observed how it was the prisoners who had given up hope, who had given in to despair… they were the ones who were far less likely to survive.
In his case, on the other hand, he always looked forward to, and dreamed of getting out of that camp alive, together with his wife. Despite the fact that the men and women were separated, and he hardly ever saw her, he kept that hope alive in him, and he was able to pull through.
You can pull through too.
Don’t give up. Keep making your art.
Eventually, you’ll find a home for it. And speaking of homes, there’s one last point I want to drive home, and that’s to…
4. STOP SEEKING OTHER PEOPLE’S APPROVAL
To be perfectly honest, those of us who are living in this day and age are incredibly blessed. We have the tools and the means to reach an audience of thousands, literally in the palm of our hands.
This is the best time to be an artist.
Even the gatekeepers, if you’ve noticed, are slowly disappearing. Artists are popping up, one after another, on social media like spring flowers. Because now, you don’t really need an editor, a curator, a producer to tell you whether your work is or isn’t good.
If you find your work resonates with other people, then you already know that it’s working somehow. You just have to keep improving.
Even in the publishing industry, there is no more gatekeeping. There are many successful indie authors that self-publish their work, without the help of any of the major publishing houses.
The truth is, if I wanted to, I could just turn to self-publishing if I really wanted to get my short stories out there. But that isn’t my goal for my short fiction. For the novel I’m writing, yes, that’s definitely a route I want to take. But for short stories, I believe they would fit very well in a nice anthology, together with other authors in the same genre.
So even if your work has been rejected recently, keep your chin up. Maybe they’re not your audience. Maybe they’re not your scene. So instead of locking yourself up in your room, go out and keep making good art. I promise you, the world will be better for it.
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