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6.25.2010

The Sweet Smell of Rejection

It’s Friday and that means taking a day off from cold-calling potential customers and offering my awesome freelance writing services. Most business types and decision makers don’t want to be bothered on Friday, so today’s the day I look back on a week of swallowing my pride and exposing my professional soul to the movers and shakers of Indianapolis. At least that’s what it feels like.

It’s tough to check your pride at the door and spend your mornings getting flatly rejected by dozens of strangers. A variety of thoughts run through your head as you face “no” after “no” after “no.” Things like, “Why don’t they want my services, don’t they know I’m trying to make their lives easier? They won’t even hear me out.” (You’ll also think a few other thoughts that are just too childish to put in print.)

As a professional writer I’ve been rejected hundreds, if not thousands of times. From editors, producers, bosses, potential and current clients, secretaries and receptionists. I’ve even been rejected by company interns.

Nobody likes being hung up on, having a call sent to voicemail, or being escorted out of the building by security, but it happens. (Hopefully not the last example.) The key is not to dwell on it. It isn’t personal. In fact, I’m starting to like rejection.

Getting rejected stinks on ice and it can sting like a family of scorpions living inside your colon. So why do I embrace it? For starters, there’s not much else you can do. There’s no point to getting frustrated, angry or stabby. That won’t get you anywhere. Especially in the business world where everyone you talk to is a potential client. You never know where the next job might come from, so there’s no sense in burning bridges before you’ve had a chance to cross.

I hate to sound like a high school guidance counselor, but rejection does make you stronger. It forces you to learn from your mistakes, to tweak your approach and to spend more time networking.

I like things to be a little over the top, so when I get rejected I want it to be all the way. For me,it’s actually tougher when someone politely declines my services. I want them to be a jerk about it. It makes it easier to move on from it. And I like a lot of rejection. The more time you hear someone say no, the closer you are to hearing a yes. It’s the law of probability. Plus, the greater the rejection, the better it feels when you have success.

Freelancing isn’t for people with thin skin. If you can’t take rejection from a potential client, you’ll never be able to handle it when an actual client shoots down the first 10 ideas you throw at them. Especially when they’re all brilliant. Always remember that it’s the client’s project and they have the final call. It’s my job to give a client what they want, not what I think is best. I learned that lesson through rejection.

Would you like to reject my ideas? Join the party, it’s easy to do. Just hire me first. You can reach me through my website at www.writenowindy.com, or via email ChrisVan@writenowindy.com. Oh, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter - @WriteNowIndy.

6.21.2010

Inspiration at IMA



Kudos to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, for helping to create the best experience I’ve ever had at a museum anywhere in the world.

For anyone’s who’s never had a chance to visit IMA, now is the time to go. My wife and I spent Father’s Day 2010 checking out the newest exhibit called 100 Acres, at the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park.

My wife and I don’t have kids ourselves yet, but we spent the day with my brother-in law and his two boys. We started our adventure inside, hoping to avoid most of the midday heat. From the moment we walked in the staff was friendly and accommodating, taking the time to explain the layout of the building and pointing us in the direction of a few exhibits they knew would pique the interest of a 7 year-old and a teenager. Boy were they right.

We started on the top floor, intrigued by a recent installation made up of thousands of feet of steel track. Approaching the massive structure triggered a large white ball that began a winding journey on what seemed like some sort of demented carnival ride. We followed the ball as it led us between rooms, darting in and out of holes cut into the wall. We watched our ball spiral and corkscrew it’s way along what seemed like thousands of feet of track, helped along by gravity and a few mechanical devices.

We spent the next few hours exploring everything from Contemporary art to Asian and African artifacts. Even our usually hyperactive 7 year-old nephew was kept engaged as we made our way through the exhibits. And his teenage brother forgot about the cellphone normally found glued to his hands. The permanent exhibits alone would have made for a fantastic day, but the main attraction was still waiting for us outside.

It was a picture perfect Sunday as we headed outside to explore some of the most beautiful and picturesque landscape Indianapolis has to offer, even if it was a little hot. The grounds of the museum are exquisitely maintained, featuring hundreds of species of colorful plants. We weaved in and out of woodlands, mingling with the thousands of other guests taking in the wonderful day.

100 Acres features eight unique public art installations, offering something for every member of the family. My nephews joined other kids and museum staff in the woods, playing games in the shadows of two 35 foot metal rings suspended high in the air, supported by massive trees. We got a chance to shoot hoops on the craziest basketball court I’d ever seen, and later we watched as dozens of children turned a giant fiberglass skeleton into a playground, all part of a piece called Funky Bones.



My personal favorite was a full size boat, called Eden II, anchored out in the middle of a lake. The artists use a variety of multimedia techniques to give you a voyeur’s view of what’s happening on the ship. A very creative and cool way to engage your senses.



We spent at least 5 hours exploring some of what IMA has to offer, but I assure you we barely scratched the surface. I’m told Sunday’s attendance hit an estimated 10,000 people, more than doubling the expectations of IMA staff. The crowds were so big that some folks were turned away due to lack of parking. For those who were, don’t be discouraged. 100 Acres will be open year round for the next 364 days. And there’s ample bicycle parking for guests looking to avoid the hassle of traffic.

So thanks again to all of the artists and museum staff involved. It was an absolutely fantastic experience. I plan on heading back as soon as possible. That could even be later today.