WETHERSFIELD - For an artist, rejection and disappointment are a way of life.

       Donna Ciampa’s recent disappointment was an October art competition for a spot in the New Britain Museum of Art. She felt sure that her entry, a drawing of her 9-year old cat, Holly, would be a shoe-in, but the picture did not make the cut.

       â€�"I was feeling bad about it for a couple of days,” Ciampa said. â€�"But then I decided I wanted to do something with my disappointment.”

       If you have been an artist for as long as Ciampa has--she’s been drawing since she was â€�"4 or 5” years old--you have probably dealt with your share of discouragement. Everyone has a different way of wrestling with it, be it having a perpetually positive attitude, a thick skin, or both.

       For Ciampa, a retired art teacher, it was about channeling that negativity toward something positive for others. She decided to sell printouts of the drawing to raise money to help the homeless, food banks, veterans, you name it.

       â€�"I just want to use my talent to help people that have less than I do,” Ciampa said. â€�"It was a terrible disappointment but you move on and try other things.”

       She plans on donating half of the proceeds from her drawing, as well as any other artwork she sells in the future, to aid-related causes. Although only one picture has been sold since she began her campaign in October, Ciampa is sticking to her habit of not getting discouraged.

       â€�"I understand how people are scraping, trying to make ends meet,” she said. â€�"These are tough times.”

       The drawings are priced according to size, at $75 for a 22x30 printout, $50 for 11x17, and $25 for an 8x10. Those interested in purchasing one can contact Ciampa at 860-721-7011.