Rejection isn’t just a painful inevitability in the creative process—it’s an essential ingredient for growth. For those willing to persist, rejection can spark innovation, sharpen ideas, and lead to breakthroughs far greater than the original concept.

In recent stories about creativity, I explored the themes of courage (“The Courage to Create: Why Taking Risks is Key to Creativity”) and dedication (“Why Most Ideas Suck at First (And That’s Okay)”). This time, we tackle a related and inevitable outcome of the creative process: rejection.

Creativity is inherently vulnerable. It requires putting your ideas—your vision—out into the world, fully aware that someone may dismiss or dismantle them. This fear of rejection often stops people before they even begin. But rejection isn’t the end of creativity. In fact, it’s often the gateway to something better.

I’ve felt this myself throughout my career. I’ve written thousands of TV and radio commercials, countless print ads, and campaigns spanning every medium imaginable. Yet only a fraction made it past the rigorous agency and client approval process. But that’s the nature of professional creativity. It should never be confused with art. Art is a highly personal endeavor over which you have nearly complete control. But in the commercial sphere, it’s a collaborative process at best or an appeasement exercise at worst. Convincing people to bet on an idea that fell out of your head is tough. And the more innovative the idea, the harder it is to sell.

But here’s the thing: rejection isn’t a stopping point. It’s a challenge. A moment to regroup, refine, and push forward. The key is to learn how to take a punch and keep going.

Why Rejection Feels Personal

Rejection stings because creativity feels personal. Whether you’re pitching an idea in a corporate boardroom, publishing a novel, or performing on stage, you’re exposing yourself to judgment. It’s not just the work that’s being assessed—it’s you.

This is why persistence is so critical. Rejection isn’t necessarily a reflection of your talent or the quality of your idea. Often, it’s about timing, audience, or the courage to see the potential in something unpolished.

Talking about taking a punch, Sylvester Stallone pitched his script for Rocky over 1,500 times, facing repeated rejection. Studios wanted the script but didn’t want him in the lead role. Stallone, broke and barely surviving, refused to sell unless he could star. That persistence paid off when the movie became a massive hit, winning three Academy Awards and solidifying Stallone as a Hollywood icon.

Rejection often tests your belief in your idea. For J.K. Rowling, rejection wasn’t just professional—it was personal. Her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was rejected by 12 publishers, who said it wasn’t marketable. Crushed but undeterred, she kept refining her story and finally found success with British publishing house, Bloomsbury, thanks to the enthusiasm of the publisher’s eight-year-old daughter. Rowling’s perseverance not only changed her life but also reshaped modern publishing.

Everyone with a big idea must be prepared to get knocked down. Take Mariya Gabriel, a Bulgarian member of the European Commission who spearheaded the EU’s Creative Europe initiative. Her initial push for funding projects across the arts and creative industries faced resistance from several member states. Critics argued that the initiative lacked a clear economic impact. Gabriel persisted, citing the cultural sector’s €643 billion contribution to the EU’s GDP. Her tenacity ultimately secured increased funding, creating opportunities for thousands of creators across Europe.

Rejection as a Catalyst for Refinement

Rejection isn’t always a dead end—it’s a redirection. It forces you to look at your work critically, find its weaknesses, and reimagine its potential. Rejection forces you to rethink and refine. It’s rarely the idea that fails—it’s the execution, the timing, or how it’s framed.

James Dyson is a perfect example. He built over 5,000 prototypes of his bagless vacuum before achieving success. Each failure taught him something, helping him refine his design. Dyson’s persistence in the face of repeated rejection didn’t just create a product—it redefined an industry.

Innovative ideas are often met with skepticism. The more an idea challenges conventional thinking, the harder it is to sell. For South Korean fashion designer Minju Kim, rejection from Paris buyers who called her designs “too experimental” was a blow to her confidence. But instead of giving up, she focused on improving her technique and refining her style. Staying true to her bold aesthetic, Kim won Netflix’s Next in Fashion and landed global collaborations, proving that rejection can sharpen the creative blade.

The Pivot: Rejection Can Lead to Better Ideas

Sometimes rejection leads you to an unexpected pivot—one that turns out to be better than your original plan.

Brian Acton, rejected for a job at Facebook, didn’t let it derail him. Instead, he co-founded WhatsApp, which, ironically, later sold to Facebook for $19 billion. His story demonstrates how rejection can redirect you toward something even greater.

Similarly, Hayao Miyazaki, today a world-renowned Japanese animator, director, producer and screenwriter, faced early rejection for his unconventional animation style. His persistence led to the creation of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, a film that established him as a visionary and paved the way for Studio Ghibli, one of the most influential and beloved animation studios globally. Miyazaki’s later works, like Spirited Away, won international acclaim, showing that rejection can sometimes help you find your true creative voice.

The Comeback: Turning Failure into Strength

Great creators often use rejection as fuel for a comeback. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination” and experienced multiple business failures before finally finding success. His resilience turned Disney Studios into one of the most iconic brands in entertainment and known as the “House of Imagination”.

Harland Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, faced rejection more than 1,000 times while pitching his fried chicken recipe to restaurant owners. At 65 years old, with little to his name, he traveled across the U.S., offering his unique blend of 11 herbs and spices in exchange for a share of the profits. Each rejection forced him to refine not only his recipe but also his pitch. After countless refusals, he finally convinced a restaurant to try his chicken, leading to the creation of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Today, KFC is a global fast-food empire, proving that persistence and belief in your idea can turn rejection into extraordinary success.

How to Take a Punch and Keep Going

Rejection stings, but it doesn’t have to knock you out. The most successful people don’t avoid failure—they embrace it as a critical step in the creative and professional journey. Learning how to separate yourself from rejection, find the hidden lessons, and refine your approach can transform every “no” into a steppingstone toward success. Here’s how to stay resilient and keep moving forward:

1. Separate Yourself from Your Work:
   Rejection is about the idea, not you. This mental shift makes it easier to take feedback constructively and move forward.
2. Focus on the Potential:
   Ask, “How can I make this work?” instead of giving up. Rejection often highlights opportunities for improvement.
3. Find Your Advocates:
   Not everyone will see your vision. Seek out those who believe in your idea and can help refine or champion it.
4. Stay Open to Pivoting:
   If one path isn’t working, try another. Many successful projects started as something completely different before evolving into their final form.
5. Study Rejection:
   Look for patterns in the rejections you receive. Is there a recurring critique or barrier? Understanding these trends can help you overcome them in future projects.

Final Thoughts

Rejection forces you to grow. It sharpens your ability to see flaws, refine your approach, and build something stronger. It also weeds out the uncommitted. If you’re not willing to push through rejection, you’re not ready for the rewards that come with success.

Whether you’re crafting a campaign, pitching a product, or designing a building, the process is rarely linear. Rejection isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of a better story. It’s the fire that tempers your ideas, making them strong enough to succeed. The question isn’t whether you’ll face rejection. You will. The real question is: What will you do next?

History is filled with examples of individuals who took the punch, learned from it, and came back stronger. The next time you face rejection, don’t let it stop you. Let it fuel you. Because in the creative process, every punch you take may bring you one step closer to brilliance.