Eden Maxwell: Make Rejection Work for Your Creative Life

If you know your purpose and the value of your process, then nothing will deter you from your mission, your dharma.—Eden Maxwell

No matter what your art form or field of expression: visual arts, performing arts, or writing—one thing is for certain: you will encounter rejection. When you do, what is the most healthy and useful way to respond? Eden Maxwell, author of “An Artist Empowered: Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist—Now” offers these suggestions:

1. Know why you are an artist.
2. Know your purpose and the value of your process.
3. View rejection as a mirror that reveals truth about your dedication.
4. Confront yourself and this moment of awareness.
5. Use rejection as a moment of awareness, not a pool in which to drown.
6. Stay focused on results, but unattached to the results of your efforts.
7. A daily spiritual practice helps you keep life, art, and rejection in perspective.

Eden expands here on these seven suggestions.

Riehlife: Eden, talk about your approach to rejection in the arts. How does this relate to your spiritual practice?

Eden Maxwell: As a writer and a painter, I have been on the receiving end of both acceptance and rejection and each has its own set of issues.

Why am I an artist?

It all comes back full circle to the core question: Why are you an artist?

If you know your purpose and the value of your process, then nothing will deter you from your mission, your dharma.

Riehlife: What is the true purpose of rejection, in your view?

Eden: Rejection, as it turns out, isn’t the bane most artists believe it is. Rejection is a mirror that reveals truth about your dedication; you are compelled to confront your own self and that is a moment of awareness.

Riehlife: How can the creative person learn from rejection?

Eden: If you are to learn from rejection, use the experience as a moment of reflection, not a pool in which to drown.

Should my art be rejected, I understand that if they could see it, could appreciate it, then they would. Also, a rejection from an anonymous party is no cause for faltering. I have seen great art ignored, and mediocre embraced.

Riehlife: How can the artist balance the need to have goals and yet to hold these goals lightly?

Eden: Having goals is good; wanting to share your unique gift is good; making art is good.

Keeping these desires in mind, I also realize that getting attached to any outcome is a self-made prison. Releasing your attachment to an outcome frees you to see other opportunities.

I strive to have no attachment in how a particular outcome manifests. I work; I create; I have faith in fulfilling my dharma; and my evolving strength tells me the Universe is handling the details.

So, no matter what is happening, I focus on the true goal, and the goal is this: understanding.