So I didn't win a scholarship, but this email is basically why I think Clare Bowditch rocks

Dear Eighty-Two Exceptionally Big Hearted Humans who applied for a BHB Conference 2014 Scholarship,

It's 10pm, I've spent most of the day battling naughty X-cel spreadsheets, calculating judges scores and preparing for our "Winners Announcement" tomorrow afternoon.

Right now, I need to take "time-out" for a moment and  let you know something. You ready? Here goes.

Tomorrow afternoon when we announce our winners, we're gonna f*ck it up.

'Scuse the French, but it's true. We're gonna get it wrong.

As hard as we've tried to choose the most worthy applicants, we're gonna let some of you down.

We're gonna appear to have missed some legendary ideas, we're gonna appear to have overlooked many of those who dearly deserve to come, and we're gonna let you down. That's just what happens when it you mix humans with humans.

So, in advance, I ask for your forgiveness, and remind you that you really should not listen to us.

If you have a dream, and you suspect it means something, and you suspect you've got something to give the world, well guess what?

You're absolutely right.

A short story from my own career as a case in point:

Marty and I talked it over recently and we sincerely cannot even count the number of times our ideas, our applications, our submissions, ourvery best work was overlooked, denied, ignored, and criticised,especially early in our careers when we most needed the support.

I can't TELL  how hard that sucked, how unfair that felt, how much that hurt.

Do you reckon we let it stop us?

Nup. Not a fricking chance. "Stuff 'em".

I took their rejections, I plugged it into "The CB Machine", and I used every morsel of my disappointment to fuel my determination; there HAD to be a place for me, and if there wasn't, well, I'd just have to invent one. Sure, it took a long time to "get there" (and I'm not even vaguely done yet), but so what - everything good takes longer than you think.

And that's exactly what I hope the almost 70 of you who MISS OUT on tomorrow's scholarship turn around and say to yourself.

As I said on the application page: you are an absolute LEGEND for applying. Most people Do Not Bother. Please - keep bothering. Keep bloody trying. Do NOT take rejection personally. Use it to learn something. Use it to fuel your determination. You will never know how close you came. Just get back on that horse, try again another year, and don't let it put you off your game.

This thing you want to do?

It matters. Keep at it.

Thanks again for applying.

More news tomorrow afternoon.

The End.

CB and the BHB Crew xo