Early on, my plans of art and the design world were almost thwarted. Looking back, I can see many opportunities throughout my life that I had to allow rejection to shake my confidence and send me in another direction.

My first bout with this client-induced distress came when I was 10 years old. As a small child I had grown up in a family of crafters. My parents build very nice wooden children’s furniture: table and chair sets, rocking chairs, step-stools and desks. My mom eventually began painting on the pieces, the latest children’s characters, teddy bears, tractors or trains; she had  a large repretoire of designs.

Being a busy child I wanted to help and soon a natural knack for drawing and painting was discovered. Before long, I had surpassed my mom in the ability of personalizing the furniture in our home shop. However, when we were "on the road" at trade shows and craft fairs, it was my mom that did the majority of the work, dealing with customers and meeting their needs. Customers were able to select a piece of furniture and my mom would paint the child’s name or names on there while they waited.

In the fall, my mom had a severe case of bronchitis. It became clear that she would not be physically able to attend the upcoming Craft Show we had booked a year in advance. Needing the money, my grandmother suggested that I could take the show that weekend and she would be willing to help me deal with the clients and I would be able to handle the painting needs.

As I said, I was 10 years old.

The prospect of handling my first show was exhilarating. I was so excited and nervous. Anxious about my age, my grandmother helped me set up an area in the back of the booth where I couldn’t be seen. All day long I busily personalized the pieces, selling my work quickly as my grandmother handled the customers who never saw the young girl that was actually doing the painting.

Then it happened. A customer came back to pick up a $5 wall-hanging coat rack she had purchased. I still remember it clearly. The piece had a fluffy white lamb painted on it, and I had painted the name "Ashley" for her granddaughter. My grandmother turned to me, as during a slow moment I had walked to her side to watch the people browsing the auditorium.

She asked, "Jen, did you finish that coat rack?"

"Yes!" I replied and hurried over to where it sat, the paint finally dry.

I handed it to the customer, hopeful. She looked at me sharply, "YOU painted the name on there?"

"Yes ma’am!" I replied, proudly.

She looked at it closely, shook her head and said, "The letters are crooked and it doesn’t fill the space properly, I want my money back."

I was stunned, hurt and angry all at the same time. Having grown up in the shows, I knew better than to express my emotion. My grandmother curtly told her that I had been very successful this weekend, so her measley $5 wouldn’t matter and that someday I would be a successful artist, regardless of how I had been treated.

When the lady walked away with her $5 in hand, I sobbed to my grandmother, "I’ll never paint again, I quit."

My grandmother, being the wise woman she was, explained to me, that if I quit painting and doing what I loved, then I had let that woman beat me. I learned the tough lesson of dealing with clients: You can’t always please everyone and sometimes, they will be downright mean."

I often think back on that lady and her $5, hoping that if I’m ever in a similiar situation I will graciously be an encouragement, not a road block to someone else’s dream. I thank God for my grandma, who didn’t let me quit and was an encouragment helping me see that it wasn’t MY problem if someone didn’t like my work and I wouldn’t ever let that stop me.

So today, even if it’s hard, I will continue my art, continue designing and continue my dream in the face of rejection or disappointment, knowing that while I may not please everybody, I am talented, I am gifted and I am in the right field, the field of my passion.

To suffix this story, I will mention that after that show, I no longer hid in the back when I tag-teamed with my mom. I looked the customer right in the eye. Soon, the customers lined up to watch me work. Our booth would have tons of people in it wanting to see the ‘little girl’ that did the painting. It was my first niche! I was the youngest business person there.

At a show nearly a year later, I had my first request for an autograph on my work. What a thrill that was. The lady who did that, far made up for the mean grouch at the first show. I had come full circle.

I hope this story is an encouragement to you as your work is rejected by clients, companys or even your boss. Don’t sweat it. Don’t quit! You will succeed. You have the talent.

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