Artists: Turn Rejection into Success in the Land of No
As she wiped away the tears, the artist told me her story.
The Working Artist advises artists to embrace rejection, often called the "Land of No," as an essential part of achieving success. This philosophy, shared by The Working Artist founder Crista Cloutier and her coach Kate Schutt, posits that "Yes lives in the Land of No," meaning that overcoming the fear of failure is crucial for reaching creative goals. Artists are encouraged to respond to setbacks with gratitude, curiosity, and faith, rather than letting rejection define their talent, to pave the way for future opportunities.
She’d applied for a project that was a perfect match for her work.
She had all the right qualifications. She was certain that she’d get it. She even started to make plans for moving forward.
But then she wasn’t chosen! It left her stunned, questioning herself and her talent.
It took all of two seconds for “no” to turn into shame, to wrong, to not good enough.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
But here’s another story.
One day, I knocked on a neighbor’s door just as he was opening a bottle of expensive champagne.
“Come in and join me!” he cried out, obviously excited. “I’m celebrating! I’ve just received another rejection letter for my novel!”
This man understands the lesson that my own coach, Kate Schutt recently shared with me; “Yes” lives in the “Land of No.”
In other words, you’ve got to get past your ego and fears of failure if you want to get to where you want to go. If you want someone to say “Yes,” you cannot be afraid of “No.”
I know that it hurts when doors close, when you’re rejected. But it’s your choice as to how to respond. And how you respond determines how the universe plays its next card.
So choose gratitude and curiosity and faith. And keep doing the work.
Do it better, do it bigger. Do it with champagne!
And above all, don’t be afraid to play in the Land of No. Because this is where Yes will find you.
Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)