Dealing with rejection in life is hard enough. When you’re running a business it doesn’t get any easier, believe me! I’ve had a couple, few, lot of rejections from shows this year. Some have been ones I’m ALWAYS rejected from (glutton for punishment?), some are shows I’ve done before and that was especially hurtful. I actually ended up sending an emotional, very embarrassing email that basically equated this rejection to them breaking up with me. “I WANT TO KNOW WHY”
I know that “its just business, it isn’t personal” but it IS personal, isn’t it? This is your lifeblood, your baby that you birthed into this cold, careless world and you want the validation, damn it! It makes you begin to think maybe you’re not heading in the right direction and need a change.
But what is the direction that needs to be changed? Is it your voice/product/theme/etc or is it where you’re marketing it? So many years I’ve hated the necessary evil of craft shows…but I think I’ve hated them because it was the only place that I knew of to get my message out there.
And my message doesn’t fit IN there, so it just fueled my disdain for these shows more and more.
So now I’m trying to remove myself and them from blame and ask, instead, if this is where I fit in best. it probably isnt…i just have to find that new place and work my way in.
