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I mean, just how much do you really believe in what you’re doing? And why do you think its worth depends on the approval of others?
Look, I get it—I hate rejection too. We all want whatever it is we’ve made to be seen and admired and hopefully found useful by others. We all want to be recognized as special. And, in our own unique way, everyone is special—the key word here being everyone.
But if you’re faith in your work crumbles because no one else seems to like what you’re doing, you clearly didn’t believe in it to start with. BTW, it’s normal to be shaken by rejection, but using rejection as a barometer of worth is a whole other thing.
Here’s what I believe: If, at the end of the day, after working as hard as you can to make your art as pure as it can be, you can step away for a period of time and come back and it still works for you, it will also be meaningful for someone else. Your audience might be small, but it’s there.
They’re waiting for this thing they don’t even know they need. But it’s up to you to find them, and you’re not going to do it by being devastated every time someone doesn’t like what you’re doing.
And if they absolutely HATE IT, I would go so far as to say you’re on the right track.
So keep grinding, and use rejection as fuel to get better and keep going.
Always remember that the act of creation is the reward, but you already knew that, right?