My work was rejected again today by a major International competition; Hooray!

"The Day Has Come" ©Ruth Armitage, Mixed Media on Paper 30x22

“The Day Has Come” ©Ruth Armitage, Mixed Media on Paper 30×22

Why do I say Hooray? Well, first of all, I still love the paintings. I still feel confident about the work, regardless of the fact that one person did not think it stacked up to the competition in this particular show. I’m still pleasing the most important person: myself.

Secondly, I’m happy that I took the risk of being rejected and put my work out there for competition. I think you must have a certain number of failures in order to find success. So really, this particular failure is just putting me one step closer to success. I can now analyze the works that were chosen for the show, think about why my paintings weren’t chosen and learn.

“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” – Andre Gide

Thirdly, I am able to see the big picture. I have had quite a few sales and acceptances this year, and this rejection puts me at about a 50% success rate. I think that is pretty good. Of course I’d rather be announcing that my work got in, but you can’t expect to get into every show. I’m only sharing this ‘rejection’ to keep it real.

Artists do face a certain amount of rejection and discouragement if they are actively showing. In this day and age of ‘sharing’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. there can be a real danger of projecting the image of perfection. If I only share the good news, perhaps you would think that I only receive good news! Not true…

Finally, I’m more motivated than ever to get into the studio and make the next, better painting.

If you’ve faced a rejection lately, what has helped you overcome it?

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