Unapproved Projects: How to Handle the Mental Load
October 20, 2025
When rejection becomes part of the game
If you work in the merchandise industry, you already know that rejection is part of the process.
I want to quote the video “How to Survive the Design Industry” with @fleshandbonedesign by Kelliot (Kel Lauren) and Brian Morgante.
Brian compares merch design to baseball only between 35% and 40% of shots are successful. Later, Kel mentions that during her first three or four months at a merchandise company, not a single design got approved.
That made me reflect on my own numbers... and I decided to dig a little deeper.
What other designers had to say
I ran two polls on Instagram and LinkedIn, and the results were quite interesting:
How do you feel when a project gets rejected?
45% feel disappointed.
45% doubt their work.
Only 10% handle it calmly.
What percentage of your designs get approved?
31% said between 30–40%.
Another 31% between 70–80%.
23% between 50–60%.
And 15% barely 10–20%.
I’ll admit it, I’ve had more projects rejected than approved. Around 20% of my work gets the green light; the rest stays as a nice memory. Even though the numbers vary, the feeling is almost universal: disappointment and doubt. No one’s immune
Less approval = less value as a designer?
You’ve probably asked yourself the same thing. You send out a project, wait for a positive response… but sometimes nothing happens. You start doubting yourself, wondering what went wrong. You open social media, see others posting new projects, and suddenly yours feels like it matters less.
Over time, I realized something: that feeling doesn’t define you.
If anything, it can be the starting point for growth creative maturity.
Creative Maturity: balance between expectation and acceptance
It’s not a magic formula, but a mindset that helps you face rejection without breaking.
Mindset
Stop measuring your talent by how many projects get approved.
Learn to separate your work from your self-worth.
Don’t rely on external validation.
Perspective
Remember there are many external factors behind each decision.
Don’t overthink why something was rejected.
Accept that it’s not always your turn but you’re still moving forward.
Learn to distinguish your personal taste from what the client or market needs.
Let go of the past and stop holding on to what could’ve been.
Purpose
Stay consistent in your work, your quality, and your creativity.
Focus on your active projects and how to make them better.
Value the fact that you’re already part of this industry, you’ve worked hard to get here.
Remember the motivation behind every proposal.
Understand that it’s not about numbing your emotions or being complacent it’s about finding balance.
What rejection taught me
To experiment visually: new styles, typography, textures, and imagery.
To become more versatile: adapting to different music genres and each band’s identity.
To better understand briefs and the creative direction behind each project.
After all, I still enjoy the process and the chance to be part of it. Little by little, I’ve built my own space, and I’m not giving up just because the outcome isn’t always what I expected. Moving forward is something only you can choose. Everyone has their own pace and story.
And you? How do you deal with rejected projects?
