How Creatives Can Bounce Back and Keep Growing with Rejection Immunity
- Adilla
- Sep 3
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 29
Rejection is hard. Especially for creatives, when rejection feels personal, as with every art they create, they put a piece of themselves in it. So, the idea of someone rejecting their creative outcome feels like a rejection to them. If you feel this way, it’s time to shift your perspective.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways for Creative Teams and Managers
Why Rejection Is Inevitable in Creative Work
Rejection is part of the creative journey as art is subjective to an individual's taste. Unfortunately, there is no universal standard or requirements on what is well-received in the art space, but that is what makes it unique. Creative rejection is inevitable, yet it leads you to improve your work more.
For example, Beatrix Potter, a name you may or may not recognise, is behind the children’s classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Publishers rejected her work because it wasn’t big enough (to make a profit from), and Beatrix Potter insisted that it was for children and needed to be small.
With no publishers seeing her shared vision, she printed the book herself, self-publishing it with her personal savings. It became popular, and within the year the book was published, Frederick Warne and Co., who initially rejected the book, signed Beatrix Potter. Thus, publishing their version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and have since sold more than 45 million copies.
Not only was this experienced by Beatrix Potter, but Stephen King, Agatha Christie, and many other known authors have experienced bouncing back from rejection. Rejection isn’t a sign of failure; rather, it can be a sign to redirect your goal or improve your creative work. Whichever it is, it is a chance to pivot your attention.
How to Accept Feedback Calmly?
Whenever you handling feedback, do you ever feel like a part of you shatters from the feeling of your creative work not being accepted fully? While we understand that it is an uncomfortable feeling, there are ways to better accept feedback without affecting your mental wellness.
Ask Reflective Questions
As you receive your feedback, prepare these questions in your mind or in a note somewhere for your reference:
What insights did this experience offer me?
How can I approach things differently in the future?
What strengths did I gain from this setback?
You are less likely to take the feedback to heart when you ask yourself these questions when accepting feedback.
Separate Self-Worth from Outcome
Practising self-compassion and understanding that rejection does not define your intrinsic value. When you are kind to yourself and acknowledge that rejection is a continuous journey as an artist, your self-worth remains intact. Each rejection is merely a stepping stone in a broader journey. By cultivating a deep sense of self-compassion, you empower yourself to rise above the sting of disappointment, refusing to internalise it as evidence of your inadequacy.
Direct Your Focus on Action
Focus on your actions and how you can improve. The feedback you receive can help identify areas for growth and encourage you to develop new skills you may not have considered before. Additionally, you can set new goals that challenge your current abilities and potentially ignite your passion and drive for creativity.
Giving and Accepting Feedback as a Creative Professional
In the creative industry, feedback sessions are common, especially when there are layers of approval that creatives have to go through. For project managers searching for how to give feedback to creatives without accidentally hurting them, there are a few factors they need to keep in mind.
Before the Feedback Session
Project Managers
Gather examples and context to support your feedback so your creatives have an action item to focus on. When scheduling the session, it is best to do it early, so the details are fresh, and inform your creatives of your expectations before blocking their time.
Creative Teams
Keep an open mind and a calm mind before stepping into the session. If your mind feels resistance or tension, accepting feedback will be difficult.
During the Feedback Session
Project Managers
Let them know of their achievements and what their strengths were to set the tone for the rest of the session. With the details you have prepared to give feedback, start with “I” statements like “I saw this colour/shape/element,” focus on an actionable change, and avoid giving personal opinion.
Creative Teams
Take note of these changes and let them know if it is within your capacity or capabilities. If there are misunderstandings, defend your thought process calmly and state why you have created the design as it is. Finding a middle ground that works with both your creative idea and your leader’s thoughts is an ideal direction.
After the Feedback Session
Project Managers
Summarise the session and note down the agreed action items. Schedule follow-ups to monitor progress and give the support your creative teams need. Additionally, foster an environment where feedback is practised and valued. In a way, it helps your creative teams be desensitised to it.
Creative Teams
Once you know what changes are needed, implement them into your workflow. If there are non-achievable actions, let your leaders know of this so the task can be directed to what is suitable.
3 Ways To Build Rejection Immunity
Rejection immunity, or building the resilience to rejection, is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, which strengthens you for future challenges. By building this resilience, you would better receive feedback when it comes to you.
Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Whether from just rejection or challenges that come your way, see them as opportunities for growth or a chance to learn something new. By changing your perspective from seeing them as personal failures to an occasion for knowledge.
Lean on Your Network
Your support system will be able to help build that immunity for you, too. By sharing your experience with them, they can offer both encouragement and a different perspective to help you better reflect on your experience.
Celebrate Small Wins
Taking the time to recognise your progress and celebrate even the small steps can help maintain your positive momentum, making it less likely for you to dwell on the negative feelings that arise from critical feedback.
Key Takeaways for Creative Teams and Managers
Rejection as redirection is a path to personal growth and better mental wellness.
When resilience for creatives is built up, they can improve their artwork, productivity and focus on a creative growth mindset rather than their failures.
Something as simple as shifting your perspective can do wonders for your thought patterns towards a more positive and supportive mind.
As feedback is part of the creative journey, building this immunity can help you in your career in the long run, preventing issues like reactive emotions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can rejection guide creative growth?
Rejection guides creative growth through the feedback that they receive. Not only does it redirect their attention towards improving, but it also builds ‘thick skin’ when encountering comments. While not all feedback is good, you will still be able to refine your artistic outcome.
What does “rejection as redirection” mean for creatives?
When it comes to creatives, the idea of “rejection as redirection” is an opportunity for them to try something new or change the way they perform their creative work. For example, trying different art styles like Western cartoons to Japanese animation style, or trying out stories that reflect their culture, or experimenting with creating for other cultures. It can mean many things for creatives, depending on the ‘rejection’ they receive.
How do creative professionals bounce back from rejection?
Creative professionals bounce back from rejection by embracing the journey of a creative. They have learnt that rejection is a normal part of their work. They will seek more detailed feedback to understand the rejection better and improve their work.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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