Feedback… it’s a great thing. And honestly, it’s the only way we grow.
Feedback.
Such an easy concept. Nature figured it out long before we came along and started putting it into PowerPoints.
Pain? Negative feedback.
Joy, euphoria, happiness? Positive feedback.
Touch the hot stove? Feedback.
Touch it again?
Okay, now nature is probably questioning your commitment to the learning process.
(And I’m sure someone out there is already arguing that pain can actually be positive feedback under the right circumstances. My coffee says that’s understandable. My coffee has also asked me not to elaborate.)
Employers love feedback. Or at least they say they do.
Evaluations technically count, although nothing quite says “we value open communication” like sitting across from someone holding a clipboard while they explain your “opportunities for growth.”
Teachers live in a world of feedback. Summative. Formative. On-the-spot.
And yes, facial expressions count.
Eye rolls count.
Facepalms definitely count.
That long stare over the top of the glasses?
Oh, that’s feedback.
Parents have mastered this too. Sometimes all it takes is hearing your full legal name from another room.
Message received.
Even eating is full of feedback.
Take a bite.
“Mmmmmmm.”
Feedback.
Take another bite.
Silence.
Also feedback.
Watch the cook notice the silence. Immediate feedback loop established.
As humans, we like feedback. We hate feedback. We ask for it, secretly hope everyone tells us we’re wonderful, and then spend forty-five minutes thinking about the one person who said, “It was good, but…”
BUT WHAT, STEVE?
But it’s necessary.
It’s part of growing. Learning. Evolving. Adjusting course. And simply figuring out how to move through our daily existence on this weird rock hurtling through space without bumping into too many things.
As a writer, I love it. I don’t always get it the way I want. Sometimes I don’t get it at all.
Hearts and likes are great. They are. I see them. I appreciate them.
But words?
Oh, give me the words.
Tell me what you thought.
If you didn’t like something, tell me why.
If it sucked, tell me why.
Seriously.
Was it the character? The pacing? Did something feel fake? Did you get halfway through and decide reorganizing the junk drawer suddenly sounded more interesting?
I want to know.
If something resonated with you, tell me why.
If a line made you laugh, tell me.
If something pissed you off, tell me.
If something I wrote reminded you of a moment in your own life, share your story with me.
That might be my favorite kind.
Too shy to post it publicly?
Send me a DM.
Send me an email.
Send a carrier pigeon.
Okay, maybe not the pigeon. I have enough things going on.
But tell me. Because feedback is gold to a writer. And honestly? It totally makes my day when it comes.
Yes. Even the negative stuff.
Although if your entire critique is just, “This sucks”…
I’m probably going to need a little more feedback on your feedback.
There’s more waiting at https://xinkblotz.com.
Telling stories, sharing thoughts, and drinking coffee. A blend of fiction, reflection, and whatever’s brewing—one post at a time.
Stories have always traveled best by word of mouth. If one of these finds a place in your heart, I’d be honored if you’d drop a like or share it with someone else.
© 2026 Mariano Velez ~ InkBlotz Press
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