🍋🌳 THOUGHTS ON REJECTION & PERSISTENCE 💛
Having had a few years to reflect, I've come to realise that hindsight is a superpower... ✨
In my music career, and in life generally, I've faced a fair bit of rejection. Some of it I got over pretty quickly. Some of it stayed with me. And some of it, I now realise, helped shape the person I am today.
🍋🌳 THOUGHTS ON REJECTION & PERSISTENCE 💛
Having had a few years to reflect, I've come to realise that hindsight is a superpower... ✨
In my music career, and in life generally, I've faced a fair bit of rejection. Some of it I got over pretty quickly. Some of it stayed with me. And some of it, I now realise, helped shape the person I am today.
As a young woman playing in a band, I remember receiving a rejection letter from a record label that simply said:
"Your music is f$%king awful." Charming. 😂
And then there was the time I came off stage and someone told me: "Your music doesn't have balls."
My friend Danny recently reminded me that my response was:
"That's OK, I've got ovaries." 😂🥚
I have absolutely no recollection of saying that, but I'm rather pleased I had the balls to say it! 🤣
Then there were the unsuccessful job interviews, the doors that never opened, and the decades of rejection from arts organisations and funding bodies like Creative New Zealand and NZ On Air. But here's the thing…
Looking at where I am right now, I can genuinely say I'm grateful for every single rejection. Because all those prickly pear roads led to today. 🛤️💛
And where I find myself today is actually a pretty sweet spot. I've started to think of rejection as a kind of protection. 🛡️
Sometimes that door slamming in your face is the very thing that forces you to take another road. One you hadn't considered. One you didn't even know existed. And quite possibly, the one you were meant to be on all along.
As I'm about to embark on a bit of a reinvention of sorts (more on that soon! 👀🎶), I'm realising that there's absolutely no way I could do what I'm doing now without all those knockbacks, detours, disappointments and hard-won lessons.
I sometimes think of a creative career as a lemon tree planted on a steep, windy slope. 🍋🌳
It takes time to put down roots in difficult conditions. The wind can be relentless, the soil unforgiving, and there are seasons when it seems nothing is growing at all.
But beneath the surface, those roots are getting stronger. 🌱 And eventually, despite everything, the tree bears fruit. 🍋
Perhaps that's what rejection teaches us. Not just how to survive the storms, but how to grow because of them.
And I reckon, with everything I've learnt along the way, I can weather a few more creative storms yet. 🌧️☀️
So, if you're facing rejection right now, whether it's in music, work, art or life, don't be too quick to assume it's the end of the road. It might just be the beginning of a much more interesting one.
Keep going. Keep growing. And remember hindsight shows you how to enjoy the ride... 💪🍋💛
Jan x
#Rejection #Persistence #CreativeLife #Resilience #Reinvention #KeepGoing #NZMusic