We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tiffany Hines a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tiffany , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Finding my purpose was pretty challenging for years. I knew the gifts and talents I had came from a pain I experienced and that was from my mom going through some mental health challenges. My siblings and I became dependent upon each other for love and comfortability because losing your mom mentally is not something we could have thought about. Learning how to cope with such pain allowed me to discover parts of who I was. Being gifted in photography, graphic arts, and music opened up a lot of doors for me in my teenage years while experiencing trauma. I created groups such as kids of the stoop where I chose peers who weren’t secure about themselves and gave them an opportunity to express through various types of art and it helped build their confidence. During a time where I really didn’t know who I was, I decided to uplift others and pour love into people when I truly needed it. Though having great talents was a beautiful thing. While it opened doors for me to build art for schools, newspapers, non profit organizations, churches, artists, and more. It was a place I hid in for years. I didn’t discover my true purpose until I turned 32. Finding my true purpose consisted of some deep work and when I say deep work. I mean spiritually. For 15 years I found myself in a cycle of pain looking for something in others. However, I assisted in bringing my mom home from Florida where she was residing and decided to face some trauma. I would read my bible daily trying to get an understanding of why God never changed my situation but I discovered God doesn’t change situations. You have to change yourself and you learn how to deal with situations. As I began to work on my emotions and became more vulnerable. It produced a power in me I never experienced. As I was changing and praying daily I noticed my mom trusted me more and more and it produced a power in her because she saw me changing the way I dealt with her. I found that Loving God, Loving myself, and Loving others showed me that my true purpose was serving in all ways. Serving was using my gifts and understanding the power bestowed upon me to change situations and how I view life. Outside of anything I claimed over my life whether a title, winning awards, the places I go in life. Who I am doesn’t equate to none of it. Everything eventually dies but spiritually nothing can amount to who you are in God because truly if you are a part of him. What lasts forever is internal. My purpose is to show love and give love and serve. Today I use my gifts to serve my community by showing them life is bigger than your circumstances. My purpose is to push true healing and true healing is found within.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an Artist with a focus in graphic design, photography, and videography with 15 years of experience.
I’m a volunteer, photographer, and graphic artist for Only The Foundation, Laces to Bowes, Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, and Wake The 8 DC.
My experience includes working for Congress Heights’s Community Training and Development Corporation (CHCTDC), A Touch of Heaven, and Urban Families House of Hope. I am a certified EMT who serves my community in all ways whether health and wellness, creating memories, and giving back using my gifts.
As an entrepreneur, I am the owner of Giftedone, The Gifted Society Social Club, and creator of Impressions Art Ministry (I AM), a creative and expressive art program restoring the gift and love for “the arts” in underserved communities. I have a passion for young people living in the inner city is the reason I serve as Youth Director, Teacher, and Event Coordinator for Matthews Memorial Baptist Church. I am dedicated to bringing awareness and stopping youth suicide. With a transparent and 100% authentic approach. I am dedicated to helping young people change the way they think and view their lives. I inspire them to reach for and obtain their goals one vision at a time. At this time I am working with Laces to Bowes Inc. teaching students ages 13 -18 within the District of Columbia Graphic Designing. Working on projects that turn their pain into power. As we enter into 2024 I will be one of the speakers for the Martin Luther King Jr. peace festival held in Washington, DC speaking on truth and justice. You can find me on instagram @giftedone__ or www.thegiftedsocietysc.com
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three areas of knowledge that were most impactful for me was learning who I was, the wisdom to know a lot of things are meaningless, and don’t take nothing to heart. Advice i’ll give to those who are early in their journey is to embrace every season, every moment, and don’t hold nothing in. Release and understand that we all are learning and as you continue to learn continue to shape and form into who you were always suppose to be. The negative and positive of life produces power. We need both for growth it all creates character.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The book that has played a major role in my development was Atomic Habits by James Clear. One impactful nugget James stated was some habits we just have to break in order for our life to prosper. This requires order. Simple things such as cleaning your room gives you control over your life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thegiftedsocietysc.com
- Instagram: @giftedone__
- Facebook: Giftedone
- Linkedin: Tiffany Hines
- Twitter: The Gifted Society Social Club
