“Shiver awake now at the doing of your dream.”–Bob Savino
In my book, Art & Soul, Reloaded, I share 52 anecdotes about well-known, successful artists who, like all of us, sometimes doubt themselves.
I called that section “You’re in Good Company” because it’s vital to know that artists who have “made it” are just as human, just as scared.
Steven Spielberg, even after winning countless Oscars, says he’s still insecure. Lady Gaga was dropped by her first record label after only three months. Saul Bellow’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel, Ironweed, was rejected by 13 publishers. Even Oprah got fired.
I love my collection of inspiring artist stories, but they’re especially useful when I’m about to go out with a new book proposal. Like Maya Angelou said, “Every time I sit down to write a new book, I think this is the time they’re finally going to find me out.”
Every artist has a story about how things could have been so different. How it all hinged on that one connection or that one wrong turn.
As a huge fan of Gary Larson (I just counted and I still have five of his Far Side cartoons thumb-tacked to the art wall in my office), I love the following story:
Larson was working in a music store, not exactly feeling “realized.” Sure, a Seattle magazine ran his quirky, one-panel comic, but he desperately wanted to quit his boring hourly job. He sent a collection of his work to several newspapers, hoping for a syndication deal.
While on vacation in San Francisco, before he heard back from any of his pitches, he approached the San Francisco Chronicle who bought it and sent it out for syndication. By the time he returned home, all dozen (or how many newspapers he’d initially pitched) had mailed back rejection letters. As he often mused, if he’d gotten those rejections before his vacation to San Fran, that would have been the end of the The Far Side.
So I don’t know who might need to hear this, but if you’re feeling like giving up for some reason, just know that you could be days or even hours away from things turning around.
Each of us has a blessing only we can give, a dream we so often push aside with some thought like, “Nah! I could never write or draw or start that business.”
Take it from me who, as I said in E-Squared, has gotten so many rejection letters I could have wall-papered the city of Cincinatti had they asked.
The world, no matter what your thoughts are telling you, wants and needs your gift. #222 Forever
Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World) that has just been turned into an app. Badass ACIM (badass-acim.com)
31 Responses
Thank you Pamie girl. Really needed to hear this today😘🧡
You’re so welcome!
Dear dear Pam 💝🦋💝
Love the Einstein drawing and love love love the message of this post 🦋😍🦋
I Thank the Universe for you 💝🌸💝
With pure love, Teija and the Pelonteet🦋💟🦋
And I thank the universe for you, too!
I needed this. Thank you 🙏
Sent from my iPhone
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My pleasure
Thanks so much for the reminder!
I’m mostly reminding myself.
Soooo…I sent in a short story (that i’m so proud of) to a bunch of places, no response. After hearing from no-one (not a one) i tried getting in touch with the editors of said places and couldn’t reach anyone. I started to feel like giving up. I started feeling like i should just accept the fact that this story will probably never see the light of day. I felt pretty let down and then I saw this email. All I can say is WOW. Thank you Pam I’m currently reading E-Squared and getting a lot of insights. Thank you Sherri (Long Island)
Perfect timing! I love how the universe orchestrates things.
I actually woke up this morning and thought to myself, “I really need a Pam Grout Blog post today” and viola! Thank you!!!
This was exactly what I needed to read and remember because my silly brain can make me feel so insane sometimes.
What? You have a silly brain, too!
Thank you so much for this article 😇you are an angel.
Aude Duhamel http://www.majinga.com
06 16 18 71 15
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Why thank you! I think we’re all angels.
Thanks for this one. I really needed to hear this. I’ve started back working in lampwork glass. It’s easy to get lost in the reeds. I appreciate your inspiration.
Woo-hoo! Here’s to getting started.
As so many others have already said in the comments, this post is perfectly timed for me today, and I love it! I love that great quote – “shiver awake now at the doing of your dream.” It makes me shiver with excitement just saying it! I love the Gary Larson story. Fabulous! Thankyou, too, for the reminder that your book “art and soul reloaded” has those great stories of so many people we deeply admire who have the same fears, experiences and “failures” as we do. And Amen for you Pam Grout! I’m so glad you didn’t give in to the fears and doubts that might have stopped you from giving us your wonderful books and inspiring delightful blog posts. Isn’t it so good to know that the world needs every single one of us?! Yes! 😁
Happy shivers of delight to you from me! 💃😁❤️
So beautiful, thank you so much!
Thank you Pam, you know how to fan the embers to spur me on.
I love that are one of my spiritual warriors.
Linda x
‘Sweet as’ Pam. It’s annoying that doubt has sometimes such a strong sway or say in our lives and that some of us respond so easily to negativity. So, your ‘reminders’ to PERSEVERE are very very welcome to put us back on track.
Thank you with Love,
Debbie NZ
I love love love this post!!!! Thank you, Pam!!!! I absolutely love hearing stories of artists of all types who have been rejected left and right and then finally this one thing comes through. Often “out of the blue” (which, you have gracefully reminded us, is code for “straight from The Dude”). This post resonates so much and is super inspirational!!! Thank you again!! Hang in there, everybody!! And pitch your art/idea to whoever, wherever- you really never know who’s gonna end up picking it up, or who has a third cousin in Memphis who’s gonna pick it up!! 🙂 🙂
And as Wayne Dyer said, “What do you love doing? I GUARANTEE you can make a living doing it and be of service.”
Perfect Divine timing, Pam, I needed this.
Can’t wait to read your new book and the next.
with love
Sondra Barrett
Thank you Pam! Inspiring as always.
Thank you, thank you Pam. I really needed your words & didn’t even know it.
Thank you Pam for your encouragement! Learning to get past rejection is vital to growth & dreams coming true!
Hi Pam I don’t know if this is the right way to send you a message… Buy I hope sometime will forward it to you if it isn’t
I am at the Sedona film festival. I just saw a movie called “playing for keeps”. It is about playing and about all it’s benefits and I thought of you. I don’t know how or if you can use it but I think it will endorse all you believe and help all of us see.
Hugs and thank you for your world and ideas and fun Pat Ferguson
Thank you, Pam, for this awesome post. Perfect timing. I am not giving up. I’m going to save this and read it again and again. And my dream will come true.
I’ve tried to get this read since you posted it and finally have the bandwidth to absorb what I needed from it today. House full of company is fun but distracting. Art and Soul Reloaded is a headboard book here. This rang all the bells today. Thanks. Changes are coming…again.
Hello Pam,
This is the most bizzzare place where I have encountered 222 #222forever. [image: image.jpeg]
Hi Pam, maybe you already came across this article https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/20/health/supernatural-encounters-pandemic-loved-ones-blake/index.html
But I just read it and I thought of you. Either way, I wanted to attempt sharing it with you, as so much of your writing and words, has been a great help to me 🙂 lots of well wishes to ya, take care ❤