Have you ever stuck to it in the face of repeated rejection?

Sending manuscript after manuscript to publishers for rejection. Auditioning for part after part, and being told, “thank you. We’ll call you if we need you.” Digging for gigs in dives and places where you have to pay to play, and doing this for years?

What were you doing? Why did you do it? How did you react to rejection? Did you laugh at it? Were you shocked by it? Did it get you down? Did you overcome it eventually and get what you wanted? What kept you going?