Quilt Con 2016–Not Chosen

I received the email that many other folks in the quilting world  received yesterday …

Dear Kim,
Thank you for entering your quilt to QuiltCon 2016.  There were many outstanding quilts submitted and

Technorati Tags: quilt con,quiltcon,quilt shows,rejection,juried quilt show

unfortunately we couldn’t accept them all.  We regret to inform you that your quilt, Fen Koan (1228), was not chosen by our panel of jurors to be included in the show. We received more than 1,800 quilt submissions and the jurors had to make many difficult decisions.
Thank you again for your submission.

It arrived three times.

You will not be seeing ‘Fen Koan’ at Quilt Con 2016

or the ‘Amazing Technicolor Dream Heart’

Or a ‘Study in Glitz.’
And I’m 100% okay with it.  Of course I’m a bit bummed.  But one thing I’ve learned about rejection not being chosen is that it makes being chosen that much better!  If everything we create always gets accepted it starts to feel like the ‘norm’.  My quilts have been rejected not chosen for shows more times than I can count … or even remember.  But the ones that have been accepted – those I remember.  And with that memory, I can recall the feeling of joy and pride that went along with it.
Will I stop submitting quilts to shows because of not being chosen this year?  Of course not! 
Most of my readers know I have three young girls.  The older two are in competitive gymnastics  This was there first season in level 3 and it’s also the first season that everyone who participated did not get a medal for just being there.  The first meet that this happened was devastating to them.  There were tears and sadness.  But did they give up?  Not in the least.  They worked even harder and ended up medaling at the STATE competition.  And that pride and joy that went with those medals because they EARNED them was so much better than the smile they have when everyone gets a participation medal.
As I went back to read over my initial thoughts about this situation I realized I needed to change the word ‘rejection’ to ‘not chosen’.  I’m not being rejected … my quilts were just not what the jurors were looking for to put in that particular show.  It’s not that they are bad quilts, or uninteresting … it’s that they didn’t fit the aesthetic they want for the show.  Now I just have to find a show they will fit in to and see what happens!
Do not give up after not being chosen or not winning.  Keep trying.  Keep sewing.  Keep entering.  When you are chosen I guarantee it’s going to feel amazing!