I’ve said it before (or rather, I have quoted Tom Peters often). Fail Fast, Learn Fast, Fix Fast. A newly launched website, Recently Rejected pays homage to the creative process and the inevitability of rejection, shining a spotlight on unpublished, rejected or unfinished design work.
It supports the notion that rejection isn’t necessarily negative – quite the contrary, in fact. It just is what it is. There are reasons why things don’t make the final cut, reasons you simply don’t see or spare a thought for in a finished product. Artist and art director Mario Hugo, creator of the site, is expectedly philosophical in an interview with Fast Company: “A lot of very interesting, artful creative stuff just isn’t right for the brief…the site is like the death rattle of an old file that would otherwise remain tucked in an older folder.”
The site offers a special insight into the blood, sweat and tears that might go into a piece of work, reminding us of the drive, determination and the steps in between that deliver a final perfect product. Research has even shown that doodling helps with creativity, generating bursts of insight or new ideas. The journey might come with a dose of rejection, but it certainly sets you up for the destination.
