Insecure artist submitted photo to a gallery for ‘rejection therapy’ — but the curator surprised her

A woman recently shared how an experiment in "rejection therapy" turned into not just a breakthrough moment for her art, but also a conversation she says she’ll never forget. Meredith, who goes by @meredithjmansfield on Instagram and TikTok, posted a video where she explained that her most insecure form of art has always been photography. To challenge herself, she decided to push past the fear of rejection and print one of her photographs, then walk into galleries asking if they might display it for a day. By the time she reached the fourth gallery, she admitted she was on the verge of tears, unsure if what she was doing was inappropriate. Still, she asked, and the response became her "ALL TIME favorite conversation." The Instagram video has now gained over 251,000 views and around 23,000 likes since being posted in early 2025.

The video begins with her nervously approaching the curator and saying, "My most insecure form of art is photography. And I’ve been trying to challenge myself to be out of my comfort zone. And so today I was like…" Before she could finish, the man responded with warmth, saying, "Watch out, it may become a habit. And if it becomes enough of a habit, you may end up being as really great as you’d like to be." He added, "Most artists don’t have the guts to continue to challenge themselves."

Meredith then hesitatingly laid out her request, "I printed off a photo that I took, and I was trying to find maybe a gallery that I could hang it up in for the rest of the day. I don’t know if that’s inappropriate to ask." With encouragement in his voice, the curator agreed, saying he would love to hang her photo. Shocked, Meredith asked again if he was serious. He confirmed, not only agreeing but valuing her piece at $320. "And for a brief second," Meredith recalled, "as he looked at my photo, having just valued it at $320, I remembered why it meant so much to me in the first place."

What she thought would be just another step in rejection therapy turned into an affirmation of her art. Research by the American Psychological Association found that learning to cope with rejection builds emotional resilience and grit, both of which are essential for confidence and long-term psychological well-being. Meredith's video resonated with a lot of viewers, who praised both her courage and the curator’s unexpected wisdom. @lilyfairs_ commented, "'Watch out! It may become a habit, and if it becomes enough of a habit, you may end up being as really great as you’d like to be.' What a beautiful sentiment, he entirely understands the meaning behind your challenge."

@nichobutt added, "I've written these words in my sketchbook. That kinda stranger has some incredible wisdom. Well done for pushing yourself!" @kari_not_carry wrote, "I took myself to two different fire departments to ask if I could come to the station and hang out if I were in a bad mental state and really needed company or someone to talk to. I was SOOOO nervous even though I knew they’d likely be friendly and willing but the fear of rejection is intense. Now I have friends at two fire departments and want to go by just to chat in a friendly way because they were so kind and supportive of my care plan."

You can follow Meredith (@meredithjmansfield) on Instagram and TikTok for more "rejection therapy" videos.

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