Growth From Feedback

 

              Growth and feedback are two major aspects of, not only helping to develop an individual’s writing, but also contribute to helping the individual grow as a whole. I think that at any point in time, an individual must be open and willing to receive feedback, whether or not it may be helpful or constructive. They then must take that feedback and determine if it is important enough to remember and act upon. Growth is something that all people experience on a near daily basis, whether it be learning a new skill, learning something new about oneself, or learning about a negative aspect in oneself, someone close to oneself or a random stranger on the street. It is with a growth mindset that individuals are actually able to take what have learned, or in some cases what they have already known, and to allow themselves to evolve based off of said information.

              A growth mindset is one in which an individual sees the potential they have and allows change to happen to them. Individuals with growth mindsets are able to look at feedback that they are given and will work to improve themselves. Individuals with growth mindsets are able to look at any adversity that may have caused them pain or difficulty and learn from their experiences. Individuals with growth mindsets are able to acknowledge and recognize that change is not always something that happens naturally overnight, but it is sometimes something that takes time and effort. This is compared to those with fixed mindsets. Individuals with this type of mindset refuse to accept change; they stick to what they know and often do not have the perseverance to learn from the challenges and difficulties that may face them.

              I also think that it is vitally important to note that feedback, in order to be beneficial and supportive to an individual, must come from a place of care, kindness and desire to see the individual grow. Giving an individual feedback that is unhelpful, rude or unnecessary with not help them grow at all, but instead has the ability to make them feel bad about past mistakes that led up to the feedback being shared. Feedback can be a few powerful tool, used to help people grow to be the best versions of themselves, but it can also be a tool to break someone down and cause feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness. A growth mindset helps people to know when feedback is necessary and what they can do to evolve from said feedback.

Image: "What Research Says About Driving Growth For Writers With Practice, Feedback and Revision"