Whether you’re an emerging artist or an established creative, rejection hurts and can shake your confidence. However, it may help to remember that you’re far from alone. Arts funding is extremely competitive. For example, Creative Australia – the peak funding body in Australia – grant programs typically fund only about 15-20% of applications, meaning the majority of artists will miss out. The key is how you respond and move forward.
The following strategies – drawn from artists, arts workers and funding experts – offer actionable and compassionate guidance on coping with grant rejection and coming back stronger.
7 strategies to cope with grant rejection
1. Acknowledge the sting and feel your feelings
First, permit yourself to be upset. A rejected grant application can feel like a personal blow – after all, your creative work is deeply personal. It’s normal to experience grief, anger or self-doubt after the dreaded ‘unfortunately’ letter. Don’t rush to get over it immediately.
As writer Rochelle Siemienowicz notes, ‘It’s OK to wallow … for a few days. It’s OK to feel bad and sad and maybe even angry at the injustice of it all… It’s normal and you don’t have to act it out or suppress it.’ Give yourself a short time to process the disappointment: cry if you need, vent in a journal or to a close friend, or engage in a cathartic activity (like a run or loud music). Treat it as a temporary setback, not a permanent verdict on your talent. Remember that no feeling is final – as hard as it hits now, it will pass.
2. Don’t go it alone – seek support from peers and mentors
Rejection can be isolating, so reach out to your creative community for solidarity. Talk to trusted colleagues, mentors or friends who understand the arts. Chances are, they have their own tales of grants lost by a whisker or projects that never got funding. Sharing these experiences can put things in perspective and remind you that rejection is a common part of an artist’s life.
A supportive peer network can offer not just empathy, but also practical advice – perhaps someone can proofread your next application or suggest other opportunities to pursue. If you don’t yet have such a network, consider joining an arts group or forum (online or offline), so you don’t have to navigate these ups and downs alone. Even a mentor or former teacher may share insights and encourage you to keep going.
3. Remember it’s not (just) you – rejection is often about resources
It’s easy to take a rejection to heart and wonder ‘what’s wrong with me or my project?’ In reality, funding decisions are often a reflection of limited resources and fierce competition, not your worth as an artist. Often there are many more worthy applications than there is money to go around.
Australian Playwright Emilie Collyer learned this when her well-regarded project missed out on a grant. ‘In short, there was nothing wrong with my application. It was highly regarded but unsuccessful… We are living in a time replete with “unfunded excellence”,’ she wrote, after 226 out of 288 applications were rejected in that round. Knowing that excellent proposals routinely miss out can help soften the blow.
Panellists themselves acknowledge this: ‘There are always projects that narrowly miss out. despite being extremely worthy of support… It’s not a science; you can only hope that panels decide as fairly as possible… Projects that miss out may be successful elsewhere or next time round,’ says arts worker Joel Stern of his experience on selection panels. In other words, a rejection doesn’t necessarily mean your art isn’t good; often it simply means too many good ideas, too few grants. Remind yourself that funding bodies must say ‘no’ to many, and even established artists get turned down sometimes. Keeping this perspective can guard you against the spiral of self-doubt.
4. Seek feedback and learn from the experience
Once the initial sting has subsided, channel your focus into learning from the rejection. One of the most constructive steps is to request feedback on your application. Funding organisations frequently encourage this. For example, the ACT Government (Australia’s capital) explicitly encourages unsuccessful applicants to seek feedback and to apply for future grants if eligible. Don’t be shy about calling or emailing the grant officer to politely ask how your application could be improved.
Similarly, Creative Australia has staff who are happy to discuss your application and provide feedback on why it was not selected. It’s often ‘standardised feedback about the competitive nature of the field, whether the application met the criteria and some general comments to assist … in the future,’ explains former CEO Tony Grybowski. This kind of input can be invaluable. It may highlight that your budget was unclear, your project didn’t align strongly with a funding priority, or simply that competition was very tight.
Take notes on any feedback and thank the funder for their time (maintaining a courteous relationship can help in future). Also, look out for public information sessions or webinars before the next funding round; while these may not give individual feedback on your past submission, they’re great for asking questions and clarifying what the assessors are looking for. Every rejection can teach you something that strengthens your next attempt.
5. Refine your next application
A grant rejection can ultimately be a chance to sharpen your grant-writing skills. With feedback in hand, revisit your proposal and identify areas to improve. Was your project description clear and compelling? Did you address all the criteria and follow the guidelines closely?
Grant assessor and musician Andrew Tuttle observes that a common mistake is to ‘gloss over small details and not focus on attention to detail … panels pay careful attention to how your application measures against the selection criteria listed. The selection criteria … are listed for a reason, and it always helps to follow them’.
In other words, make sure next time that you tick every box: align your project with the grant’s objectives, stay within word limits, provide all required support material and double-check your budget figures. It may help to get a fresh set of eyes on your application – ask a colleague with grant experience to review a draft, or take advantage of any grant-writing support services.
If grant writing isn’t your forte, don’t be afraid to learn new tactics. Read successful sample applications if available, or use resources like the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA)’s grant writing guides. By refining your approach, you’ll increase your chances when you try again.
6. Explore alternative funding and income streams
When one funding door closes, consider other ways to keep your project moving forward. Flexibility is key. Could you break the project into stages or smaller components and seek funding from different sources? An unsuccessful town grant project may be scaled into mini-projects over time, with support from a range of bodies.
On a personal level, think about applying for smaller grants (local council or micro-grants), which can be less competitive than major national ones. Audiovisual artist Kate Geck has found that grants under $5000 tend to be easier to get. ‘My success rate with small grants is pretty high, but with big grants it’s low. I’ve only ever [received] one big grant, but I’ve probably applied for four or five,’ she says. Accumulating a few small wins can build your portfolio and momentum, making it easier to later tackle bigger opportunities.
Beyond grants, look at other income streams to support your practice. Crowdfunding is one avenue – a platform like the Australian Cultural Fund (through Creative Partnerships Australia) allows artists to raise donations for projects. Some artists run presales or Patreon pages to engage their audience directly. Others take on freelance work, commissions, teaching or related side jobs to fund their creative projects. The reality is that most creatives juggle multiple income sources.
In fact, Creative Australia explicitly advises artists to ‘diversify your income sources’ wherever possible. While it can be frustrating to seek money beyond the project grant you hoped for, having a Plan B can empower you. You may discover new supporters or communities interested in your work. And if a grant rejection has left your project in limbo, perhaps there’s a way to achieve a scaled-down version of it with what resources you do have, or to partner with another organisation to get it off the ground. By being resourceful and open to alternative funding, you ensure that one ‘no’ doesn’t halt your creative journey.
7. Persevere and apply again
Finally, remember that persistence is often the deciding factor between a one-off disappointment and a successful career. Don’t give up on your project or on funding in general. If anything, a rejection can be a motivator to refine and try again. Many funding programs allow you to reapply in a future round. Funding officers generally welcome returning applicants who show development in their new submissions. Just make sure to polish your application before you reapply. Perhaps your project will hit the mark with a different funding program, or maybe the next panel will have a different perspective. There are plenty of examples of artists who didn’t get the grant on their first attempt, but succeeded on a later try with adjustments, or simply perseverance.
Rejections, as painful as they are, can even become badges of honour in your artistic development. Some creatives keep a rejection tally or a collection of rejection letters as a reminder that they’re actively putting themselves out there. Every rejection means you dared to pursue an opportunity. Over time, you may wear your past rejections with pride, knowing they ultimately led you to better work or different paths.
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