How to Handle Rejection
A look into an illustrator's positive mindset.
In general, I’m a cup “half full” kinda gal.
More often then not, I see negative situations as a learning experience. However, I am human. Sometimes there are huge, life events that are just really hard to deal with for anyone. In regards to rejection from an exciting job opportunity, bad news about a dream gig, or hearing really harsh feedback about my work, I’ve learned to see the positive side.
I believe, rejection and negative feedback is a stepping stone to something else. Let’s say I’m at a coffee shop and I spill hot coffee on my shirt. Ugh! I head to the bathroom. On the way, I start chatting to the gal in line in front of me. She asks me if I’ve tried the cake there because it’s so good. I haven’t. I decide to stay and try it. At the counter I randomly meet the owner. They’ve been looking for an artist to paint a mural in the coffee shop. I tell him I’m an artist. We chat. Stay in touch. I get hired to do the mural. Thank goodness I spilled coffee on myself that day! What if I had gotten mad and left? What if I was so grumpy I didn’t chat with anyone? What if I didn’t try the cake because I was so worried about the negative thing that just happened to me?
This isn’t a real story. It’s just a metaphor, but it’s how I handle my positive mindset. The coffee shop represents opportunities. You have to be “in the room where it happens” to get the gigs in the first place! You have to be ready to share your work. Take a chance. Order a coffee. Stay awhile. But you must know, sometimes you don’t get the job you want. Sometimes you don’t hear that your work is the best there ever was. Sometimes you just don’t hear a response from an inquiry AT ALL! Or sometimes the job that presents itself to you is not what you expected. It’s kinda part of the process and inevitable. When this happens, you have a choice to stay or to leave.
In the Arts Industry you deal with something called rejection ALL THE TIME. You deal with critique. Judgement of a body of work that is often very personal to you. Getting a response that is harsh or negative can really hurt and send you stumbling (sometimes for days). Perhaps the work shouldn’t be so personal, but when your very job depends on your own personal style, brand, and authenticity then…yeah…it’s hard to not make it personal.
When that rejection comes or you receive a polite, “Thank you, BUT we’d like to go in different direction”, it’s like coffee spilling on you. It burns. You really have to decide if you’re going to let it break you or lead you to something else – something delicious right around the corner.
My first taste of a real critique was in art school. Now this is a REAL story. A young Brenda bounded into the Art Department at Colorado State University, art supplies in hand, ready to become a REAL artist. The intro art classes at CSU already seemed like so much fun. Drawing 101. I love drawing. Beginning Painting. Who doesn’t like getting messy? Then came my first class critique. The whole class starring at my work and commenting. It became real, real quick.
Why did you make those creative choices? Can you stand by your decisions? Was it haphazard or was it intentional? Did you achieve what you wanted? How could it be better?
Subjective interrogation from my teacher and my peers was a bit of a nightmare. In that moment, I realized my biggest lesson was not about the process at all! The PROCESS was personal and fine tuned to my unique interests and growing skill-set. As I worked, the teacher would walk by, amuse at my approach or technique, ask questions, and then quickly move on to another student. The CRITIQUE was when everyone leaned in and looked closer. The CRITIQUE was where I grew a thick skin! Not everyone was going to like my work. I needed to toughen up if I wanted to grow confidence in my vision and skills. I dug my heals in because I wasn’t about to leave. Turns out critiques are the best way to define your work and to see how serious you really are. Are you going to leave? Are you going to cry? Are you going to stand by your work? Are you going to take advice and grow? Are you going to keep moving forward despite a negative response? Will you let this break you or will you brush yourself off?
Once I was in the real world with a real graphic design job, I found that my critiques had been invaluable. In fact, the first graphic design job I ever interviewed for, I didn’t get. She told me sharply that I wasn’t a good fit. However, she informed me that there was another position opening in another department and that I might be better suited for it. So, I applied to that job and I DID get it. As time passed, if someone didn’t hire me or if a client had a thousand changes to the point where my original design was unrecognizable, I didn’t take it personal. More importantly, I certainly didn’t fall apart. I was able to roll with the punches. For me, being a graphic designer meant being a tool for someone else to utilize. I was a chameleon. A visual synthesizer of my client’s ideas. Communication was vital and flexibility critical. Everything delivered with a smile.
Pivoting and becoming an illustrator has been slightly different. It feels more vulnerable some how. My drawings and illustrations are foraged from the most creative spaces of my brain. The spaces where original ideas are generated and where my heart dreams it’s wildest dreams. It’s like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It’s very exciting and almost mysterious to create the art, but feels kinda dangerous to share it too. What if someone doesn’t understand these images that feel so personal to me and more often then not took hours to make? What if someone rejects my style? What if someone turns down my ideas? Not my client’s ideas… MY ideas?
This is where having a supportive community helps! People to turn you around and say, “have you tasted the cake yet?” Maybe they’ve been in your shoes. Maybe they’ve achieved something YOU are after. Listen to what they have to say because… you could stop making art. You could leave at any time. You could turn down any future opportunity of success. You could avoid feeling rejection, but you also turn down trying the cake. Which makes me wonder…what does cake represent for me? What does it represent for you? And is it worth the struggle?
Cake for me is the process of making art. The act of illustrating children’s books. It’s illustrating for home decor. It’s drawing books covers, editorial art, and surface design. It makes me feel alive. It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s something I want to explore. I’ll keep growing my portfolio and showing the work I want to get – despite the inevitable experience of rejection. Who knows who I’ll meet along the way! Who knows the opportunities that will pop up while I’m enjoying the process of making art and putting one foot in front of the other.
My advice for anyone dealing with rejection right now:
BELIEVE that every rejection is a learning opportunity. Every “spilled coffee” a path to something new. Chin up. Dust yourself off. Know what your goals are. Know why it’s worth it. Chat with your community. Seek advice. Stand by your work. Learn. Grow. And go chase that “cake” – Do what makes you happy! You never know what it might lead to. You never know who pinned your portfolio and is waiting for the perfect gig to call you up. Maybe your very next inquiry will be returned with a “We love your work! We’d like to chat more about this amazing project you’re working on.”
Oh, and while you’re at it, get yourself more coffee or tea because we are going to be here a while!
Recent artwork focusing on hand lettering:
“We are the music makers. We are the dreamers of dreams.” - Willy Wonka
Each month, members of the IlloGuild answer a question together. We all live around the world, have unique styles, and approaches to creativity. So, make sure to follow IlloGuild to hear a variety of other illustrator perspectives!
This months question: How do you handle rejection and keep a positive attitude?
Loved this Brenda, made me feel warm inside <3