Rejection for Artists: Transforming "No" Into Growth

Rejection is an inevitable companion on every artist's journey. From gallery submissions to grant applications, the word "no" echoes through studios worldwide. But what if rejection wasn't the enemy?

May 27, 2025

Come to Grips with Rejection: The Collection Approach

Writer Kim Liao revolutionized how artists think about rejection by setting a goal of 100 rejections per year. In one year, she achieved 43 rejections alongside 5 acceptances—and called it her "best record yet."

Liao discovered that "if you work that hard to get so many rejections, you're sure to get a few acceptances, too." This mindset shift transforms rejection from a verdict on your worth into a metric of your courage and effort.

Research from Art & Fear supports this approach: ceramics students graded on quantity produced higher quality work than those focused on perfection, because they practiced more and learned from mistakes. As artist Deanna Wood puts it, "In a weird way, 100 rejection letters are a good thing, because it means that I'm putting my work out there for people to see."

Patience and Perseverance: The Long Game

Patience allows artists to "stay focused on your goals and continue working through difficulties" and is "the key to viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than as failures."

Historical masters exemplify this principle. Even at age 60, Michelangelo "spent some time each day, as he had in his youth, working with hammer and chisel. He displayed the same zeal as he had had as a younger artist."

Success isn't about talent alone: "It's not the most talented who succeed. It is those who refuse to give up." Building patience means:

Setting 3-10 year goals for perspective
Practicing consistently regardless of external validation
Understanding that "the biggest lesson for me in my artistic journey has been patience, and learning to be kind to myself"

It's Not Rejection, It's a Difference of Opinion

The truth is that "rejection is frequently the result of an opinion of one or more individuals" and "art is subjective." What doesn't resonate with one curator may captivate another.

Consider the numbers: when running residencies, "our emerging artists award would get between 70 to 150 applications and we could only accept six people. We were sending a lot of rejections... it was just a lot of people applied for a program with very few spots."

Remember that "not every opinion matters" and learning to "create a bit of distance between you and your art can help you handle critiques more effectively."

Practical Strategies for Moving Forward

Build Emotional Resilience: Acknowledge that "vulnerability is not weakness" and "the only way to get seen is to risk artistic rejection." Create support networks with fellow artists who understand the journey.

Learn and Adapt: When facing rejection, "contact the organization and ask them for jurors' notes or feedback" to improve future applications.

Maintain Perspective: Remember that "disappointments often are" the best thing for you in the long run, and "every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better."

Inspiration from the Masters

Even Claude Monet "dealt with tremendous resistance to his work during the early years of his working life" before revolutionizing art with Impressionism. J.K. Rowling famously said, "I pinned my 1st rejection letter to my kitchen wall because it gave me something in common with all my fave writers!"

Your Next Steps

The key is to "keep creating, submitting your work, and pursuing opportunities. Set your sights on the goals you want to achieve, and remind yourself that setbacks are temporary obstacles that you can overcome."

Start today: track your submissions, celebrate your courage to be vulnerable, and remember that every rejection brings valuable lessons. As one artist wisely noted, "You have value and so does your art. Rejection is part of the artist's job. You will get there, look how far you've come."

Your artistic journey is unique, and every rejection brings you closer to finding the right opportunities, audiences, and collaborators who will celebrate your vision.

Sources:

Liao, Kim. "Why You Should Aim for 100 Rejections a Year." LitHub, 2016.
Ballard, Dr. "Coping with Rejection: 7 Effective Strategies for Artists." 2024.
Glenn, Ebony. "How to Handle Failure and Rejection as an Illustrator." 2025.
Martin, Belinda. "How to overcome rejection as an artist." 2023.
Phillips, Renee. "How To Handle Rejection As An Artist."
Plus 15+ additional expert sources on artist resilience and career development.

Judy Baca at MoLAA