Tiffany Thompson on Sparking Curiosity

Tiffany Thompson is a unique human being. She’s driven by curiosity, and that’s going to come shining through in our conversation today. Tiffany weaves the analytic rigor of her early career as a CIA analyst with the explorative creativity of her recording artist career. So, to say she wears multiples hats or weaves multiple identities is probably an understatement. She is the founder and CEO of Artistic Leadership, which is a creative consultancy that uses the power of art to unlock creativity and connection. Creativity and connection are really what today’s conversation is all about. How can you use a spark of curiosity to improve your ability to innovate, to create, to build something? That is really at the core of Tiffany’s positioning, of her communication, of everything that she stands for.

Tiffany had a number of amazing insights during our conversation. Some of them include:

“I would consider the CIA to be a very creative and artistic place” (6:50).

“People choose to work [at the CIA] because they’re driven by mission” (7:10).

“As an artist [at the CIA], I felt encouraged to explore the things I was curious about” (7:20).

“I have always been somebody who loved creating with my friends” (13:40).

“To have a lifelong friendship, you have to let it change” (20:10).

“I’m never afraid of being the friend who leads the friendship. I actually find that to be an honor” (22:50).

“Let’s not hide the broken fractures, let’s actually accentuate them” (28:40).

“When we’re in fix it mode, it’s about speed and getting something done” (30:55).

“When you shift into mending, curiosity really becomes that tool for understanding what it is you’re trying to create” (31:10).

“Binaries are rarely helpful, or perhaps real” (35:10).

“At its core, [art] is a process” (36:25).

“Novelty is such a powerful stimulant for our brain” (50:15).

“We’re not going to succeed alone. We’re going to have to work together” (53:25).

“Part of being an artist is being a steward of your art form” (57:55).

“Discipline, to me, has two parts: it has commitment, and it has craft” (1:00:40).

“Craft is a word heavy with intention” (1:01:40).

Additionally, click here to learn more about Tiffany’s various offerings. For more information specifically about Tiffany’s music, you can find that website here.

Thank you so much to Tiffany for coming on the podcast!

I wrote a book called “Shift Your Mind” that was released in October of 2020, and you can order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Additionally, I have launched a company called Strong Skills, and I encourage you to check out our new website https://www.strongskills.co/. If you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers.

Thanks for listening.