Random Sketches: Poetry About Dealing with Rejection

This hub was originally a word short, image dominated hub written as Random Sketches. It was promptly unpublished by the moderators at HubPages. My rewrite changes the subject of this hub to my reaction to being unpublished. I think I got a better hub out of it. If you are reading this, the moderators agree.

This morning I saw my submission. It was rejected.

I should have yelled

I should have screamed

Surprise, surprise, I was not in the least bit dejected

I was not angry.

I was not sulky.

In the back of my mind: “Of course this was expected.

And my idea is sound,

views they did abound.

This rejection is no different from any client’s

“Just resubmit please. Okay?”

The client did not walk away.

I am grateful that you are willing to be reliant

on images that I invoke.

Word or sketch, it’s no joke.

When you are rejected, do not be defiant.

You have two choices only:

Revise and resubmit.

or

Walk away quietly when bit.

Which is right for you? I cannot say.

I just know it is more fun to stay.

This commentary is for those of you starting out in the “creative industries”.

One of the biggest mistakes in my life (and job hunting) is taking rejection as a permanent situation. I am sorry to say that it has taken several decades for me to understand this. When you submit a design, poem, article or anything to anyone requesting your services: What you submit must have value to the client. When your work is rejected, you either revise your work to fit the their needs or shop your work around to other people who fit your work better. What you do depends on you and the promises you make. (Yes, integrity is vital. Always keep your word or people will dismiss you before you have a chance to present your work.)

Always remember, your vision is not being compromised by rejection or by revision. It’s just your ego that will take a beating. Trust me, you will get over that.

There is a phrase in the poem that I have seen and used a lot over the past twelve years. Architects and contractors should recognize the phrase "Revise and Resubmit". When a building is being constructed the contractor will submit shop drawings for specific items such as doors, windows, light fixtures etc, to the architect for review. The architect has a rubber ink stamp that has at least three choices: "Approve", "Reject", or "Revise and Resubmit". The last phrase is used the most.

I guess I am showing my age. The rubber stamp is being replaced by electronic stamps.