A Pep Talk Regarding Rejection

On Patreon, I’ve been sharing pep talks around every month or two for a while, and February’s is all about dealing with rejection. Here’s the introduction.

I just got off of a call with a friend who's also a debut author, and who– like me– is also on the spectrum. As we talked about our work in mysticism, art, and community support, we also discussed the challenges we face navigating our unique space in the world and society– how we present so much of ourselves, but also only part of ourselves, how that's received, what kinds of fears come up from it. 

My friend brought up her fear of rejection, specifically in terms of pitching new books and projects. "What if they say no, you know?" And I think it's a really common question. What if you spend all your time on something that means a lot to you, only to have it turned down? 

This is one of the questions I used to work on constantly with counseling and coaching clients. As someone living with rejection sensitivity dysphoria, I am all too aware of how deeply rejection can hurt. It can be debilitating! I get it, and after talking with my friend this morning, I thought my go-to anecdote might be of use to some other folks because every time I reflect on it, it makes me a little bit bolder. 

If you're struggling with a fear of rejection, this one's for you. 

My work in professional writing began because I got rejected for a job I didn't care about. 

It was a management position at a cafe and bookstore, and I was overly trained and extremely experienced in both retail and high-end coffee. On top of that, I'd never not gotten a job I'd interviewed for in my life. But I didn't want to work in coffee anymore, and I definitely didn't want to work in retail. I just desperately needed something to get me out of the house as I navigated the fresh grief of my mother's death. It was something I knew I could do, but it sounded like such an annoying job. So when I found out that some guy had gotten it after I went through three rounds of interviews, why did I feel so sad? 

Want to read more?

Gain access to all the other pep talks I’ve shared along with behind-the-scenes posts, personal entries, freebies like digital art downloads and journaling guides, as well as recordings and surprises (last month, I gave away a tarot reading!) by joining me on Patreon at any paid level and get access to all of the above plus every piece of tattoo flash I create as it comes out.