Permission to Explore the Road Less Traveled: Lessons from Roadtrip Nation
At Creative Flow School, we aim to empower young adults, or as we like to call them, future leaders, to truly explore their passions and let that be the guidance that leads them to uncharted territory, full of new possibilities. However, the transition from student to “adult” can often leave us feeling at a crossroads between doing what everyone else expects us to do after high school and doing what we feel called to do - if we even have an inkling of what that might be. The PBS docuseries, Roadtrip Nation, captures this feeling and so much more regarding the creative “young adult” experience with their recent “Changemakers” episode. If you haven’t heard, Roadtrip Nation doubles as a documentary series and online platform that follows young adults as they travel across the United States in an RV, interviewing people from all walks of life about their careers, passions and life journeys. The goal is to inspire viewers to pursue their own paths, even if they are unconventional or non-traditional.
Watching this particular episode feels incredibly aligned with our CFS values of community, collaboration and, of course, creativity. So, without further ado, here are some impactful takeaways we got from watching, listening and learning from these up-and-coming changemakers.
A little community goes a long way
Roadtrip Nation introduces us to three young changemakers; Rahael, Genevieve and Jake, all college students eager to make a positive change in the world in their own unique ways. All of these Future Leaders bring a unique perspective to each other and to the world, embarking on a 21-day adventure on the road to gain knowledge from adults making real changes in their respective industries. Although these young adults came together for different reasons, at the very core of themselves, they all just want to live an authentic life and positively change the world. That right there is all you need to create a thriving and supportive community, which can empower you and uplift you when it seems like all hope is lost. That sense of community is so important as young people begin to explore what adulthood really looks like.
Peer-to-peer learning is underrated
Roadtrip Nation allows us to witness all three participants speak with established changemakers who are a bit further in their careers, learning from their past experiences and gaining valuable insight for their futures. These conversations are inspirational and truly transformative in the sense that hearing someone else’s success story (no matter how different it may be) gives the participants permission to dream even bigger than before. Yes, it's true that Rahael, Genevieve and Jake are able to obtain a higher education through being college students - but there is so much value in listening and learning from the shared experiences of professionals already creating real change and social impact.
Creativity a.k.a the secret weapon of soft skills
A big highlight from Roadtrip Nation's Changemakers episode was the emphasis on the creativity it takes an individual to hone in on, before coming together with like-minded community to actually make an impact. Why is this so important? Well, employers are now looking at an individual's skillset when it comes to hiring, which is where creativity can make all the difference.
It's important to remember that there are things you can bring to the table that no one else can - no matter how big or small you deem them to be.
