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Hello, practice people!
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Yes. We're still talking about rejection. In our last newsletter, we wrote about why it is worth pursuing your ideas and ambitions in spite of your fears.
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But, what do you do when rejection actually happens? If you're putting yourself out there, you're going to be rejected at some point. Its inevitable. Lucky for you we've got plenty of advice. We've experienced lots of rejection this year—and to be honest, it is making us better artists.
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We spent the entire spring applying for residencies and grants. For 3 months we worked on the applications almost every day. We asked for feedback from everyone we knew. We had countless meetings with our editor (thanks, Anna!). We were ambitious, driven, and confident.
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Fast forward to this summer—we've had rejection after rejection. Here's what we've learned so far:
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Rejection doesn't mean you're bad.
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When you get rejected, your first thought is probably that your work wasn't good enough or that you aren't good enough. That just isn't true. People with great work get rejected all the time. Think about someone in your field—Someone you look up to, who is totally awesome. That person has been rejected too. Probably a lot.
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Maybe it's not a good match.
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You can have a great idea that doesn't quite align with someone else's vision. Perhaps it isn't the right opportunity. Maybe it is a good match, but this isn't the right time. We want to collaborate with people and organizations that are a good fit for us. When someone says "no", they're doing you a favor.
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It's not you, it's them.
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Let's be real. The people who make decisions are just people...and people have prejudice. Some people will deliberately deny you opportunities based on your racial identity, your cultural background, your gender identity, or your political views.
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When this happens, let yourself feel your rage and disappointment. Talk about your experiences honestly. Then, transform your anger into motivation and action. Don't let that rejection stop you! When someone rejects you out of prejudice, it reflects badly on them, not you.
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What to do when you're rejected:
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1. Ask for feedback
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If someone offers you feedback it's usually because they want to support your growth (trust us, haters rarely give real feedback). Hearing someone else's perspective can help you decide what to do differently next time.
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Receiving feedback or critique can feel vulnerable, so plan something calming and low-key for yourself after the meeting.
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2. Celebrate your efforts
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This advice is so important that we're saying it twice. Celebrate being rejected! Yes, we're serious! Celebrating will soften the blow of rejection and reward your courage for trying. Celebrate that you challenged yourself. Celebrate that you're still here and you'll keep making your art anyway.
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NEW! How to Keep Creating the CLASS!
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This fall we are teaching a class based on our award-winning workbook How to Keep Creating.
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This 8-week class at Oklahoma Contemporary covers everything you need to build a creative practice that fits YOU.
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Tired of practicing alone? This new class will connect you to a community of brilliant, weird, funny, insightful artists who support each other through the highs and lows of creative practice.
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Class begins Saturday, October 4th.
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Experiencing rejection—even when its malicious—has absolutely made our creative practices stronger and more resilient. The only way to get better at handling rejection is to live through it. Since getting over our fears, we're comfortable taking bigger risks! Less fear makes more room for creativity!
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We'll be back in 2 weeks.
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Until then, keep practicing!
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If you want more Practice Practice right now, visit the store to pick up our workbook!
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