Rejection

This summer, I pitched my idea for a second jewelry book to a publisher. I sent my proposal and a few jewelry samples. Got a rejection last week. The editor was really professional and told me that they're not acquiring basic jewelry books right now because the market is saturated and they want something more distinctive. That's a pretty good reason, actually.

I was disappointed: I had already envisioned a gorgeous book with my byline in an adorable font on the cover. Thick paper with photos of my gemstone jewelry on the pages. Sigh. But, even though I was bummed, I felt like I got a reprieve. I was having a hard time getting into the flow of designing (burnout from making so many earrings for our special issue? higher stakes with a second book? the unknown of working with a new publisher?). The thought of coming up with 40 new designs was intimidating.

If you never get rejected, it means you haven't aimed high enough. (This is another one of those platitudes that's true.) I'm not sure right now whether a second jewelry book is in the works — I need to spend some time thinking about the process of writing the book, and not just about the excitement of its publication. On a related note, check out Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment. One of my favorite points: that we find satisfaction not in the attainment of goals, but in the striving. So, aim high.