Dealing with Rejection (Over and Over Again)

Rejection, silence, but showing up anyway

Let’s talk about something that’s not so fun, but very real: rejection.

Today I want to talk about rejection in my art career, something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

Building an art career from scratch is already challenging enough. It takes years to figure out what you want, how to earn a stable income, and how to stay confident when you constantly feel like you're not "there" yet. There’s that nagging voice: you’re not good enough, you’re not ready. And then come the rejections and sometimes a lot of them.

I’ll be honest, I’m not where I want to be yet. I don’t feel comfortable saying, “Yes, I’m doing really well,” especially not financially. That adds pressure to make things work. So when rejections come, they hit a little harder.

Last year, I applied to many, many art calls. If you’re not familiar, an art call is usually when a company is looking for new artwork or design for a specific need. You submit your work based on their theme or brief, and then they choose winners or select a few artists to work with.

Some of my designs that were not selected for the art calls

I don’t even remember how many I applied to but I only won one. That win earned me $300 and a lot of joy, honestly. But what about the others? Some I poured hours into and never heard back. Still, the effort helped me build my portfolio, and I’ve since been able to pitch some of those designs to other companies. So, it wasn’t wasted.

My one art call win: this design chosen for laser engraving.

I also started pitching to companies last year by reaching out to ask if they’d like to work with me as a freelance illustrator or license my designs. If you’ve ever pitched your work, you know how hard it can be. And ironically, sometimes a rejection feels good because at least it means someone responded.

Most of the time, though? Silence. Crickets.

I pitched to over 100 companies last year. Out of those, one licensing deal happened. I also worked with one more company as a freelancer. That’s just two out of over a hundred. A few others replied and asked me to follow up later so there’s hope there too.

Early this year, I hit a wall. Licensing felt slow, and I wasn’t sure what to focus on next. So, I tried applying for remote part-time or creative jobs. Again, lots of applications, and again rejections. Some of those companies weren’t even offering remote roles, but I applied anyway, hoping they’d love my work enough to make it happen. They didn’t.

Around the same time, I started thinking seriously about getting represented by an art licensing agency. I’ve reached out to several agencies. Some rejected me. Others didn’t reply. But I haven’t given up. Not yet!

Sharing all this isn’t easy. But I think it’s important. Because even though rejection stings, I believe it’s leading somewhere.

Whenever I hesitate to apply or pitch, I ask myself: What’s the worst that could happen? The answer is usually... rejection. Which isn’t so bad when you think about it because if we don’t try, we’re already rejected.

Trying again and again is the only way we find out what could work. And maybe, just maybe, the next “yes” is just around the corner.

Thanks for reading and letting me share this with you. If you’re dealing with rejections of your own know that you’re not alone. Keep going. I’m cheering you on!