Growth Mindset is the sacred seed for AI adoption
Creatives have the inherent quality that corporations seek to cultivate change
I recently attended an in-depth members-only webinar about AI's integration into big businesses—think banks and other corporate giants—so you don’t have to. Here’s the key takeaway: companies leading the charge in adopting AI aren’t just focused on technology; they’re looking for employees with what they call Growth Mindset.
What exactly is Growth Mindset?
Growth mindset is a term coined by psychologist Carol Dweck in her seminal book The New Psychology of Success, to describe the belief that our talents, intelligence, and abilities can grow and evolve through effort, learning, and persistence.
It’s about being open to exploration, experimentation, risk-taking, and play. It’s about collaborating—working on ideas with others, even when those ideas feel half-baked, and building on them until they take shape. This approach resonated deeply with me because it mirrors the magic I’ve always felt in my career of working closely with creative people.
Creatives thrive on resourcefulness, curiosity, engagement, and risk-taking. True creativity requires destruction—not in the chaotic sense, but as a willingness to dismantle the old, whether that’s a concept, a process, or even your perception of yourself. It’s about letting go of who you think you should be and creating from a raw, authentic place.
Creativity flourishes in collaboration. It’s not about the solitary genius; it’s about leveraging the resources, skills and perspectives of those around you. A creator isn’t content with mere sustainability—they’re driven by growth and evolution. They push beyond the status quo, seeking not just to maintain but to innovate.
This is why at THE GRAIN, I’m excited about an AI-driven future—not because I’m obsessed with tech, gadgets or the shiny new thing, but because of what AI represents for collaboration. It’s a chance to brainstorm, struggle, experiment and make meaning together. AI challenges us to confront what’s uncomfortable, what’s triggering—and to create something transformative out of it.
The future of creativity lies in this willingness to embrace growth, destruction, and reinvention—not just as individuals but as teams. Let’s create with what we have, push boundaries, and see where this brave new world can take us.
My grain of thought
Here’s the thing: creatives have always operated this way. This kind of thinking—iterative, open-minded and resourceful—is second-nature to anyone in the creative field. It’s why their approach is in such high demand now in corporate settings eager to adopt AI. Creativity and Growth Mindset go hand-in-hand, and businesses are beginning to realize that the artists, storytellers, and designers who have always embraced change and experimentation are exactly the kind of thinkers they need to thrive in an AI-powered world.