"Unfortunately, on this occasion..."

Rejection sucks. Here's how I deal with it.

One of the recent rejection emails I received

It’s has been an interesting few months. I’ve got more rejections that ever - and for someone who struggles with rejection sensitivity this can be super tough.

I have to remind myself that it means I’ve put myself forward to more opportunities to get my work seen, and it will eventually pay off.

I have to remind myself to prepare for rejection, because it’s an inevitable part of artistic life.

I have to remind myself that although it sucks, it is not the end of the world (even if it feels like it at the time).

I have to remind myself that my work is valuable even if this particular juror / funding giver / curator didn’t connect with it.

I have to remind myself to keep going regardless, and make work that I’m proud of.

As Holly Whitaker writes in her recent post on

Recovering

, we say we value authenticity but only when it’s prettied-up, I’ve-figured-it-all-out and I’m on the other side of it sort of authenticity (which, coincidentally, one of the difficult…