A few years ago, I went to a friend’s art exhibition at Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art. There were a lot of great pieces, and I don’t mean to be shady, but my favourite part of the show was the wall of rejection letters received by all of the exhibiting artists. Lined up side by side, top to bottom, was letter after letter explaining in various ways how the artists weren’t good enough, weren’t ready, weren’t on time, or just weren’t 'right’ proudly on display at their MOCA exhibition.
Aside from embodying BDE in a big way, it serves as a very blunt reminder that even for established artists, rejection is just part of the job. Since then, my main source of writerly shame has shifted from having pitches or pieces be rejected to the actual quantity of rejections. It is shameful to me that I have so few rejections, not because I have acceptances that balance them out (I don’t), but that it means I’m clearly not putting myself out there and submitting enough.
I hope you’ll join me in putting things out into the world this year. Or maybe share this little newsletter with the world? In December, we can compare our rejection letters.
I’m reading
Jessica Valenti takes a closer look at the gap between who does and does not get cancelled. Incredible Black Canadian women you should know. The Proud Boys are (finally) officially terrorists. The wildest charge for illegal walkie talkies (oh, and another coup). I dare you to look at the replies to Rihanna’s tweet about the protests in India. Why NZ foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta is the perfect diplomat.
The (incidentally) Canadian good stuff
Humour Resources from CBC Comedy is legitimately very funny, and especially so for those of us who work in corporate environments seeking a little slice of smile pie to have between the meetings that frame our drab, jargon-filled existence.
If you try any of Sophie Buddle’s heckler put-downs in a corporate zoom call where someone is talking over you, please let me know how that goes down.
Happy Friday, my friend. I hope you have a lovely weekend and don’t let the haters get you down.
Yours in rejected and dejected solidarity,
Trish