Rejection Four- The Sponsorship

As part of my Rejection Therapy series, I’ve been deliberately putting myself in situations where the answer could be “no.” The goal isn’t to get rejected—it’s to get comfortable with it, to stop letting fear run the show, and to keep moving forward anyway.

Recently, I decided to take it to a big, intimidating level: I asked Nikon to sponsor me. Yes, the company behind the cameras I’ve been working with—the D7500 that’s become my creative companion. I drafted an email, carefully outlining my projects: my Photo-a-Day Challenge, where I create and share a photo every day, and my long-term project, One Image from Every Town in Connecticut. Both projects are deeply personal, rooted in mental health and arts access, and shared publicly to encourage others to create without fear of perfection.

Hitting “send” was surprisingly hard. It felt like stepping onto a stage without knowing if anyone would applaud. But that’s the point of Rejection Therapy: I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t even have to succeed. I just have to try.

Even if the answer is no, this exercise reminds me that fear doesn’t have to dictate my creativity. And who knows? Maybe one day I’ll see Nikon gear as part of my toolkit, helping me reach more people and continue using photography as a tool for mental well-being.

Rejection is uncomfortable. But it’s also a reminder that the things worth pursuing are often the things that scare us the most.

So, Nikon: if you’re listening… consider this my bold, messy, heart-on-the-sleeve ask.