Yesterday while checking my email I got yet another rejection letter from yet another festival. Although my film Black Irish has had some very exciting successes, it doesn't make the Rejections easier to deal with. It got me thinking about what it all means, about ways in which to deal with the constant rejection we all face in this business, and deal with it well. I find that every time I get a rejection notice from a festival, or don't book an acting job I thought for sure I would book, I reflect on what I'm doing, how I'm doing it, where I can improve and my basic overall place in this business. And although that is a very normal reaction, it can easily turn into self pity and wound licking.
I'm beginning to believe that rejection is the natural way to cut the fat out of any business. There are a lot of people in this town that are trying to claw their way to the top. And maybe 70% turn their tails and get "real" jobs at the first sign of rejection. It sucks to say, but there are quite a few people who get off the bus thinking their the next "Tom Cruise" without having the foggiest idea of how much time, effort, work, blood and sweat go into making your way as an artist of any kind. Each rejection should be a call to action, a time for self reflection and the hardening of your will to get where you're going.
Remember something: If you get what you want easily, you won't cherish it because it'll mean nothing.
I leave you with a few inspirational quotes:
"There's nothing like a rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself"
-James Lee Burke
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always get where I'm going."
-James Dean
"Some actors couldn't figure out how to deal with the constant rejection. They couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel."
-Harrison Ford
