If you know me, then you know that I write poetry. Within the past six months, I've been taking my poetry seriously and trying to get pieces published in various anthologies, on digital sites, etc. It has been a journey. I receive a lot more rejections than acceptances, which I talk about every time I post about a new poem coming out. So, whenever I do get a congratulatory email about a poem, it truly is a victory lap because of all of the rejections that I had to go through to get that one acceptance.
Often times, when I get a rejection, my first feeling is sadness at the fact that someone didn't love my project the way that I loved my project. I work hard on my poems, but I'm assuming that other poets do, too. Because art is subjective, it really just depends on how a piece resonates with the person reading it. Also, a lot of times each digital site or anthology has a specific theme or kind of poem that they publish. Other times, it's that I'm too close to a project and can't see the flaws in it because the piece is "my baby" and I worked on it and loved it. That's why, recently, I've started looking at my poems every once in a while and tweaking them, and I often ask a select few about their opinions and maybe things within the work that I'm missing.
After feeling sad, and "mourning" that loss (if you will) I tend to pick myself up, tell myself that my piece may not have been a good fit for that poetry magazine, but maybe someone else will pick it up. So, I look for other places to submit the poetry and I take another look at my piece. I have to regroup and pull myself together.
The last poem that I got published in January, I believe I had been trying to get that published for at least 4 months. It went through a lot of changes and versions and updates. Then, I finally got accepted for publication. It was such a happy moment because I really loved that poem and wanted it to have its day in the sun. I got just that when I persevered through all of the rejections that I received.
As discouraging as this process can be, getting a "yes" is enough to propel me forward and to encourage me to proceed despite the next string of rejections I may encounter.
I also realize that my creativity and love for my poetry ebbs and flows. There are times that I notice my writings are "trash" (not good). I realize that I'm not producing my best content. In those moments, I have to be brutally honest, take a step back, and look to where the problem lies. Right now, for example, I am taking a break from my poetry Instagram page because I was unhappy with the content I was producing there. This hiatus has been useful for me and my creative process, as I don't feel as much pressure to constantly produce content, good or bad, for that page. So, I can focus more on writing quality and not quantity.
So, you may not be a poet, but I'm sure you have something in your life that you love and there may be times that you get some form of a "rejection letter" in that area of your life.
Rejection is a part of life.
No matter who you are or where you are within life, you will experience rejection. It's just something that we have to go through. Understanding that will help you approach and deal with the topic with grace. It will also help you to keep a cool and positive head about it so that you maintain your composure and positivity in the midst of it all.
Just remember that everyone may not love what you're putting out, but someone will. Keep going with whatever you love. Keep track of your growth. The only way to grow in something is to work at it and practice.
You've got this!
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