I'm Happy I got Rejected.

One of the photos I entered in the competition. I recently entered a few photos into a local juried competition. It was my first time doing so. At first, I didn’t think much about my participation, but I’d be lying if I said I didn't feel the anticipation start to grow as the announcement date for the winners approached. Then the winners were announced. I scrolled through the list of winners and honorable mentions. It suddenly became apparent that I wasn’t on that list. The feeling of rejection set in.I'm happy I got rejected. I have this strong feeling of accomplishment despite not placing in a juried photo competition. One of the things they don't tell you about rejection is how you get this sudden urge to do better next time. I'm sure I would have felt that same push had I gotten accepted. There also would have been a small rush of pride knowing that I had achieved something. I think this is a good thing though. I think it will spur me on to head back out and work on my craft.