Juried art shows/competitions- I'm scared to death of them- why?

I have been asked to enter several art shows, both juried and unjuried, and competitions. I enter neither because I am terrified of losing or rejected, and the fact being known to potential buyers if the were to publish all the entries and winners.. I keep getting invited year after year and I always wonder if I should, if it would help or hurt at all, or what. Is there anything to any of this? Have any of you entered and won (or lost?) Has it helped or hurt your career? Some input please! :)

Juried art shows/competitions- I'm scared to death of them- why?symphony

Let me tell you a couple of stories one is about myself on is about a studio mate (I'm a sculptor) Many years ago I did a wood carving of a female torso. It was very organic and a bit abstract. I liked it, as did my friends, but it was...some what ummm, unique. I entered a juried show with a asking price of $500. I had about 100 hrs of work into it but I was a little intimidate by the whole process. The piece was rejected from the show without a reason. I was bummed. I talked to my mentor who told me to re-price it and to submit it to another show.(he felt that I was undermining its value by asking too little) I did what he said. The second time I asked $3500. It was selected for the show and I sold it the first night.

The story about my friend is great for understanding how art can be perceive. There was going to be a big local art exhibit in the town I went to College. I shared a studio space with four other three dimensional artists. One of the guys was not really a student at the University but he was a good guy who need a place to work. His medium was carving very abstract "hippie pieces" (his term not mine) any way we convinced him to enter the show. Truthfully we all thought his work was.... amateurish and weak. To make a long story short. He enter and won best of show. It turns out that the guest juror did work very, very similar to my buds "Hippie pieces". Don't worry about the rejection, your not making decoration you work should evoke feeling, some will like it, others not. It is sometimes through others eyes and views do we learn about ourselves.

Juried art shows/competitions- I'm scared to death of them- why?performing arts center opera theater

Okay,Cookie. You are SOOOOO going at this with the wrong attitude! Rejection is painful,yes,but YOU get to decide how badly it's going to affect you! Everybody,at one time or another,has to deal with it because you're shooting yourself in the foot by NOT doing so. You say you keep getting invitations? DUH! Somebody out there thinks you're worthwhile enough to extend them. I've been turned down for gigs for the most quixotic of reasons and in the business I was in(show)it just came with the territory.Does the phrase,"Hiding your light under a bushel"mean anything?It should because how is anyone going to know how wonderfully talented you are until you show 'em?