In literature, as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.

–Andre’ Maurois

How do other artists deal with rejection? I tend to cocoon… after getting a ‘declined’ notice this past week, I found myself wanting a nice little mini-vacation. It could also have had something to do with the head-cold that I was incubating, but I’m pretty sure if I had had an acceptance notice, I would have been right there in the studio continuing my ‘roll’.

In talking to other artists, they often see the same painting rejected from one show and accepted into another. I’m currently considering whether to re-submit the images that were declined, and if so, into which shows.

It is always difficult to reconcile a rejection from a juried competition with the fact that I still like the painting that I submitted. This weekend found me cocooning in a long novel:

I couldn’t put it down, all 600+ pages of it 🙂 I loved the historical bent, which “lavishly evokes the land and lore of Scotland, quickening both with realistic characters and a feisty, likable heroine.” It was recommended by my massage therapist, Odette. Now I am battling the impulse to order all of the 5 other books in the series…. If I do, I may never paint again!

I always seem to battle the impulse to fall into a book vs. the desire to actually accomplish something! Luckily, I don’t have a large book budget.