Helpful Things To Say To An Artist Who Just Received A Rejection Email

And how rejection letters should arrive with glittery pink hearts

What to say

• That sucks. I believe in you!

• That must feel so disheartening. Can I give you a hug and pour you a glass of wine?

• I’m sorry, I know you worked so hard on that submission.

• I love your work and the selection panel must need new glasses!

• The exhibition will be terrible without you but let’s go and drink all their champagne anyway!

And what NOT to say

• Rejection is an opportunity to learn and grow.

  Vomit emoji

• Use this rejection as motivation to prove them wrong.

  They don’t care either way

• Don’t give up! Your dedication will pay off one day.

  The myth of the meritocracy (eye-roll emoji)

• Every ‘no’ brings you closer to a ‘yes’.

  No, it doesn’t (double eye-roll emoji)

• Coping with rejection builds resilience.

  I don’t want to be resilient, I want to be successful!
  

decline (v)

From Latin declinare "to lower; avoid, deviate; bend from, inflect”

Woman Declined: JC 2021

Yes, my work was rejected. To be precise, this time it was a “Declined” message against an application on the submission platform Submittable. They made me log in to find out—how rude!

I want to receive a rejection email that’s like a love note with glittery pink hearts cascading down it and a message that says something like,

We know we broke your heart but it’s not you, it’s us. We’re just not in the right place for your fabulous self-portraits but we know someone out there will love them. Please keep making!

I will sulk around the house for a few days then pick myself up and start again.

Until next time.

JC