Working on something meaningful is a common desire – but how? We started asking folks to share the story of how they ended up working on a project they felt was meaningful because we wanted inspiration but also because we wondered if hearing from people from across a range of industries would help us identify patterns making it more likely for anyone to be able to find and work on projects that they would find meaningful.

Luna Sue Huang

My name is Luna Sue Huang and I’m a Chinese artist currently based in London. My artistic journey has been shaped by both the traditions I grew up with and the creative freedom I’ve sought. I began my career exploring a range of visual forms, including animation, illustration, video art, and experimental sound art, but I ultimately returned to oil painting. I love the tactile nature of traditional painting—the physical connection I feel in working directly with my hands. I believe that as digital art becomes more prevalent, people will begin to place a higher value on the unique mark-making by the artist, as these give a sense of connection to the maker and create an emotional link to the artwork itself. Read more>>

Brittany Thomas

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on thus far is my most recent documentary that I had the privilege of making with my friends and releasing it to a wider audience. I discovered an artist one day while I was bored at work and started getting into their work; and along the way I met some people online who were into the artist just as much as I was. We were in an online community together and some of us talked to each other so much that we took our shared interests offline and developed genuine friendships off of it. Along the way, we also became close with the artist as he was about to headline his own tour for his debut album. Then and there, I decided I need to make a documentary of how he and his art has brought all of these people together in such a heartfelt way. Read more>>

Carmina Veras

Currently, a couple of friends and I have been growing a traveling thrift pop-up named ‘Save n’ Trade’ (@saventrade_clothing) It’s a group that has come together after a Roller Skate Fashion Show earlier this summer, called “Stitch & Skate”, where we styled a group of our friends/ Roller Skaters. From Skate Park style to Street Skaters, Competitive Figure Skaters, they each were styled perfectly in all Handmade, sustainable designs by local Artists and Designers. My best friend since Middle School, Pricilla Quiocho, styled the Skaters beautifully to works by Johnathan Crowfield, creator of the Stitch & Skate idea, Ezra Messer, Marifer Gomez, Lisette Solis, and Anisah Ullah. Accessories by Kait of K8Creates Read more>>

Amanda M. Jansson

The most meaningful project I have worked on and I am also currently working on is Nebula Automata which is a series of oil paintings in collaboration with my sister Elina/ Volk Kinetshniy. It was the first time we truly combined our artistic visions in painting and we worked intuitively, pushing and complementing each other in ways I hadn’t experienced as I am relatively new to oil painting. Collaborations can be transformative, I learned a lot about painting but also about my personality. Read more>>

Jennifer Oliver

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve had the privilege of working on is helping to build the nonprofit organization, A Step Beyond, from the ground up. The mission of this organization is rooted in providing dance education to youth, empowering them not only through creative expression but also through personal growth and mental health support. What makes this project so meaningful to me is both my deep connection to dance and the profound impact it has on young people’s lives—especially those in low-income communities. Read more>>

Aaetheria

It started with two friends who began writing music in college. There has been setbacks but the creators have persevered through all of it and managed to stay good friends. There have been band members who have come and go and who did not want to work hard enough, or could not take criticism from industry and apply it to the project. Egos have to be left at the door for a new venture to succeed and those previous members are learning that the hard way. Hard work does pay off though, and we are thrilled for what 2025 will bring. We also are in talks with some major labels for a deal to bring Aaetheria to the masses internationally. Read more>>

Rocko Jerome

I refer to myself as the Writer/Producer of a comic book called GHOST Agents. Even if you’re otherwise unfamiliar with what comics are about, you can certainly surmise that as a very visual storytelling medium and art form, it’s the people who do the drawing who are the most important part of the equation. My role is to help them succeed more than they might be doing without me. Otherwise, they don’t need me for anything. Read more>>

King/mr Champion

The most meaningful project will be the latest project that I will be dropping soon. This project will be meaningful because of the lessons that I learnt as a result of the changes that were made in the process of the project. Some of the initial plans changed, but overall, it turned out to be for the best. Read more>>

Johnny Groove

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my current band, The Irie. That’s not to say my previous project, The Veragroove, wasn’t meaningful—it absolutely was. It served as a stepping stone and a valuable learning experience that helped me get to where I am today. I’m especially grateful to my mentor, Corey Groove, for teaching me the importance of hard work and the dedication it takes to be taken seriously in a professional band. Read more>>

Christina Wise

At Wise Market, every project holds a special place in my heart because each one tells a unique story. I loved painting a football for a young man who overcame a broken back to play the next season—I’m in awe of the resilience, tenacity, and dedication that must have taken. Or the soccer ball I painted for my niece’s coach—being asked to create something meaningful for family makes me so happy. Read more>>

May Ling Kopecky

The projects that are most meaningful to me are the projects that allow me to connect with other people. This past summer, I had a solo exhibition, “To-Do List”, at the Rochester Art Center in Rochester, MN. This exhibition shared the experience of chronic illness, highlighting struggles that relate to conserving energy and prioritizing tasks. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when I was fifteen, so I have spent many years learning how to balance my health with the demands of everyday life. The idea for “To-Do List” had been floating around in my head for a couple years. I wanted to make a series of work that not only shared my own experience with MS, but also the experiences of other people who may have different chronic illnesses or disabilities. Read more>>

Kyla Chika

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever worked on was my final concert, “My Refflection”. This project was powerful for many reasons, but the one that stands out most was the level of faith it demanded from me to bring it to life. During the planning stages, I found myself trying to contain the vision within the limits of my budget and personal network. It felt safer to work within what I thought was realistic and manageable. However, this experience taught me the importance of having the right people on your team—those who challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and fully embrace the vision God has placed in your heart. Read more>>

Phillip Gladkov

I feel like every project I work on is meaningful. I am brought onto various interesting projects to collaborate on, and I also have my own projects, both of which have an important place in my work and life. One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on recently was “Story of the Sun” (2024). It was an idea I came up with over 7 years ago. Every year, I’d go, ‘This year I should make it’ until finally, in 2022, I decided it was finally time. It took me over 2 years to complete the film and it was an incredible learning journey. “Story of the Sun” was my first animated film and my first time working with stop-motion. It was quite a challenge, and it took so much trial and effort to achieve the styles, movements, looks, and techniques I had envisioned for this story. It was very much worth it, not only for the finished piece that I am so proud of but also for the number of skills I’ve picked up along the process. Read more>>

Caitlyn Patch

I think the most meaningful project I have worked on was creating my brand story Rustic Ritual Beauty. Rustic Ritual Beauty was the result of a self study that taught me so much about my place in the world. Self care, wellness and ritual all play a part in the our individual beauty story and was the concept behind the entire brand. Read more>>

Farshid Shafiey

one of the most favorite project that I worked on is a Book Named ZAHAK, Is about a very well known Myth ofClassical Persian literature. my book is an adaptation based on the original story, I tried to interpret the fight against ZAHHAK to a civil protest. in this story a character named Faridoon rebels against Zahhak, endearing this fight the troops They don’t trample the flowers, this is a symbol of civil protest in my mind, But Zahhak’s troops don’t care about anything. Read more>>

Sean Nyambayo

As an actor, producer, and scriptwriter, I have always sought to create projects that challenge societal norms, spark meaningful conversations, and inspire positive change. My first project, Therapy’s in Session, is a short film that delves into the complexities of the therapist-patient relationship. Read more>>

Jesus Pascual “cheddar” De La O

That’s a tough question, especially since I’ve been working on music for nearly 20 years, but looking back, one of the most memorable projects I had the chance to work on was when my friend April Mendoza from Wild 7 Studios asked me to help create musical cues and scores for a web series called *Amigas!*. What made this project so memorable was that it was something I had never done before. I remember my cousin Migz and I locked ourselves in the studio for a couple of days, brainstorming countless musical ideas. The end result turned out great, but what really made it special was the growth we experienced as musicians and the insight we gained into how both the film and music industry really work.. Read more>>

Tiger Lapis

Did you know you possess the power to change your destiny and shift it to the highest timeline you want? Emotionally abused by my mother and abandoned by my father, I thought to myself, I’m going to change my fate to the life I want. In my teens, I wrote a Live Action Anime Gothic Thriller TV Series inspired by my life to save my soul. I was going through so much trauma that I started to see myself heading towards the wrong path, so I poured all my heart and energy into writing this series, everything that I learned and all my strong principles I held onto, as it was the only light at the end of a dark tunnel. I never anticipated that the series I wrote to save my soul would one day go Viral on TikTok, with one of my videos hitting over 700,000 views, and soon, my TikTok had soared to over 120,000 Followers who want my series made. Read more>>

Lauren Lenz

While there have been many projects that have been meaningful to me, last summer I had the opportunity to direct Fiddler on the Roof, a production that has been broadly acclaimed as eternally relevant. The story is one of a Jewish community living near Kyiv in the early 1900s, a time of great political unrest. The plot of the show primarily follows one family and how they deal with elective and forced changes within their community and country by exploring themes of tradition as resistance, evolving feminism in conservative communities, and the loss of displacement. The production ends with the community’s forced migration as a result of increasing police violence and militarism. Read more>>

Evan Samson

One of the most meaningful and recent projects I’ve worked on is Barrio Fiesta 2024, a fundraiser for hurricane relief benefiting those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Charlotte County. The event wasn’t just a celebration of Filipino culture but a rallying point for our community during a time of need. Read more>>

Deanna Grandstaff

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on was when I had a piece of music commissioned for my 5th and 6th grade band students. It is incredibly rare for students at their age to have a piece written for them mostly due to finances. High School bands and collegiate bands have different funding opportunities that do not exist in elementary school band programs. I wrote grant applications and won a few of them to finance the project. I selected a composer from my state who was willing to come work with my students and conduct the worldwide premiere performance with them. It was incredible to see a piece go from ideas in my head, to a conversation with the composer, to seeing notes on a page, to finally hearing it played by my students. Read more>>

Dylan Roberts

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was the shoot I did with Yung Gravy for his Serving Country album. The concept for the shoot was to put a country spin on his existing branding, which we ended up shooting out in the canyons near Malibu. The location itself was pretty wild, and this really dramatic light was coming through the canyons as we started to shoot. Everything really aligned for the look we were going for. Read more>>

Alan Weintraub

As a musician and artist, composing holds deep meaning for me. It allows me to express myself and forge connections with others. Music is not just a form of expression but a way to share my human experience on a profound level. Ultimately, my greatest wish is to connect with others through music. Read more>>

Tristan Miller

I produced and toured a solo comedy show called Manic Impressive, which is about my experience living with Bipolar Disorder. I started doing stand-up comedy as a way to learn to communicate with people about my condition without frightening people. I believe that laughter can often be the first step towards understanding, and from understanding comes empathy, and empathy, change. Read more>>

Keith Shubert

Over 20 years ago I began my journey with my production company TOYBOX THEATRE and that has been the most meaningful project of my life. I create work for all ages. Because I have been performing for so many years and for audiences of all ages, I have experienced many young people who were once children and now young adults tell me that I was the reason they wanted to grow up to become artists. That is more valuable to me than any amount of money. To be a source of creative inspiration for generations and create a lasting impact on people’s lives. Read more>>

Rod Butler

I’d grown up watching cartoons and TV shows and trying to imitate the voices and personalities. My older brother and I would turn down the volume on Bugs Bunny cartoons, do the voices, and try to make them funnier than they already were. If one of us fell off the couch laughing, we were successful! Years down the road, in college, in a chapel service, a student brought the message. A few minutes into it, Kevin ducked down behind the pulpit and two Muppet-type puppets came up to finish the sermon, singing a song from Fiddler on the Roof. Many people were probably confused–but I was smitten. He soon taught me how to move the puppets, and our first puppet show was at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, in the cancer ward. I didn’t expect to be performing there. All of this points to this truth: puppetry is a valid art form, can be very engaging and funny, but can also impart inspirational messages, perhaps in places where a preacher wouldn’t go. Read more>>

Paloma Nicole Diaz

Gracias Madre Tierra, is a bandana I designed for the 4th season collaboration between Bandits Bandanas and REI. Through this project, I was able to create a wearable piece of art that honors my roots and centers environmentalism, while giving back. Read more>>

Jae Carelli

I am currently in the process of producing a cross genre vocal performance project about my adoption titled “Homeward Bound.” Through a new music classical voice recital and performing my debut EP (also to be titled Homeward Bound), I am exploring the longing for belonging by telling my musical narrative as a Korean adoptee. The cross between classical and contemporary vocal techniques highlights the cross between cultures that trans racial adoptees experience; not quite feeling at home in their culture of origin or the culture they were adopted into. The project is centered on my story of navigating the 7 core issues of adoption: abandonment/rejection, grief, loss, trust, shame, control, and identity. I will be pairing a new music classical voice piece by an American composer with a song I wrote about these 7 issues. Read more>>

Lesbitru

I’ve had a few projects that meant a lot to me. I’ve opened shows for artists such as The Migos, Pastor Troy, 2 Milly (Milly Rock), Yung Joc, Rich Homie Quan, and Future. I’ve also been on set with NLE Choppa last year, which was one of the most exciting moments of my career. He was a really down to earth person, and highly motivating. I’m currently working on a project with DJ Kid (Da Baby’s tour DJ) which is pretty cool. I’ve never worked on a song with a celebrity DJ. It’s been a crazy year. Read more>>

Netho Diaz

I worked for a few years on Gi Joe AReal American Hero! With legendary Gi Joe creator larry Hama; a graphic novel called Resolution with Ron Marz, Andy Lanning, Rick Leonardi, Paul Pelletier and others; Predator with Ed Brisson and most recently X-men with Jed Mackay. That’s my first time working on a monthly series for a long run, and it’s for a Marvel Flagship title. So i’m very excited! Read more>>

Marc Draven

There’s quite a few different projects that I would say stuck with me over the years, for different reasons. If we’re looking at a achievement level:  I created the Ink Fusion Empire in 2007. Never before had anyone crossed over professional tattooing into the Comic Con / pop culture world, so everything I did was new, fresh, and uncharted territory. Quite nerve-racking as well, but exciting! Within the first three years of putting together the programming and relationships with Health departments across the Country, we established the first licensed tattoo program from Lucasfilm LTD. I’m a nerd, and especially a Star Wars Nerd. So it was very surreal walking into the convention to set up, and have George Lucas stop over to shake my hand, thanking us for being there. Yes, I did my best not to geek out ) Read more>>

Jeff Langcaon

I wrote and illustrated a children’s picture book about my father, who served in the US Navy on the Battleship Missouri and who had been giving tours of the ship during his retirement career. In the book he leads a tour of his granddaughter’s (my daughter) school class. The book gave my father and daughter some small moments of fame and pride and led to many special shared moments for the three of us. Read more>>

Werner Sun

In 2021, I was commissioned by the Cornell Botanic Gardens in Ithaca, NY to create an installation of kinetic hanging sculptures for the light-filled atrium of their visitor center. Entitled “Keeping Time with Changing Seasons”, the artwork was meant to accompany an international climate change conference, although I’m pleased to say it has been kept on display since then. For visual materials, I was asked to incorporate images from the research of Professor Karim-Aly Kassam (the conference organizer) and his students at Cornell University, whose work on ecological calendars featured prominently at the conference. Read more>>

Cat Dickerson

One of the most meaningful things I have ever worked on as a designer was creating from scratch an accordion book that tells the story of meeting my miracle cat, Manny. The year 2022 was full of hardships, and it’s the year where I was sick all the time with bacterial infections, colitis, UTI’s or the flu, and when my cat came to me for the first time, he made my healing process easier. Read more>>

Tanith K

I curate three shows a year to provide more opportunities for KC artists to exhibit their work. Last year, I started a new initiative to have one of those shows be a collaboration with another Kansas City curator. It was a year of conversations and affirmations with Craig Auge from the artist-ran space Lodger until we finally landed on a date and realized concept. He curated the artists while I curated their work. Read more>>

Kendra Grimes

I recently styled and directed a maternity shoot for two fellow creatives I’ve had the pleasure of working with several times before. In past collaborations, the soon-to-be mother—a talented makeup artist and vintage clothing dealer—and her partner, a designer, photographer, and videographer, were usually behind the lens. So, to have them entrust me with the visual direction of such a personal project felt incredibly special. Read more>>

Julianne Farley

My most meaningful photography project would have to be creating single covers for my best friend’s music. It’s been a dream of mine to collaborate with musicians and help them bring their visions to life through photography. Music is a big piece of my life but it’s not something I personally have a pull to create, so to be able to be involved in the process in my own way has been so exciting. Isabella Adad has been one of my best friends for many years and when she asked me to help her create a cover for her debut single I was thrilled. She sent me demos of the song and some general ideas and I brainstormed based on how the song felt to me. Isabella is the kind of artist that photographers should dream to work with. She has such a clear vision and understanding of her art and is able to articulate it very well. This makes it simple for me as a photographer to translate her vision into something tangible! It’s a joy to work with someone you love and create something you can be really proud of together. Read more>>

Carmen Bouldin

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on has been The Six Degrees of Edgar Allan Poe’s Poetry Reading Event and Poetry Contest. My podcast (or POEcast, as we like to call it) partner, Jeanie Smith, and I started a poetry contest called “Poe-it Like Poe” in 2023, which we opened up to both adults and youth. We have successfully completed two years of the contest and our third annual poetry contest will take place in April of 2025. To promote the contest during the second year, we hosted a YouTube live poetry reading event for around seven hours of poetry in one day. We invited authors, poets, actors, and creatives to either read one of Poe’s poems or read one of their own Poe inspired poems. Read more>>

Shana And Dan Benchetrit

We created Dasha with the goal of making art accessible and uplifting through the symbols we offer. With this project, we also aimed to bring protection, joy, and hope to those who own one or more of our sculptures. One of the most meaningful project closest to our hearts was donating some of our sculptures to charitable organizations we deeply care about. This allowed us to help raise funds for these causes while spreading hope and positive energy to everyone attending these galas. Read more>>

Julia Burnier

I think there are a lot of answers to this question. At different points in my career, both as an actress and as a theater director, there have been projects that were really important and shaped each phase. Sometimes because they taught me things that I still carry with me today, or because they gave my career a big boost… I think for each of those moments, there are special projects that are really memorable. Read more>>

Salomon Vertiz

On December 30th, 2024, five fellow artists and myself gathered at the Bell Gardens Art Walk, which has been abandoned for a few years and we posted our respective art pieces inside these empty Shadow Boxes. However, by the next morning the pieces had been removed. There was an idea to post art in a place where it belongs, to provide something else besides a shopping center (where the art walk is located). We acknowledge the irony of our art being removed from an Art Walk. I think it’s hilarious. We were aware of the stakes, of the real possibility that these pieces could be/will be thrown away. I wasn’t emotionally attached to them. It was all about the ritual. In some cultures, they burn voodoo dolls of themselves for New Year’s Eve, decorated with personal paraphernalia, in order to cleanse themselves of past energy. To sacrifice the past for the future. I’d like to think that’s what we did that night. Manifesting our futures as artists. We had our moment and it was glorious. I won’t let anyone tell me otherwise. Read more>>

Chelsea Mcmaster

I am working on Wadadli Folk, a project that records and preserves traditional pottery practices on the island of Antigua. The project is vital to me for two reasons. Afro-Antiguan pottery is a women-led pottery practice with a 200-year-old history that traces back to West Africa. Post-emancipation, it played a significant role in providing household essentials for its formerly enslaved population, and it also instilled an entrepreneurial spirit in women giving them a form of economic freedom that was unheard of at that time. Today, the tradition is severely declining, with only two surviving practitioners. I am working with those two women to ensure there is a detailed record of their practice and their oral histories. Read more>>

Francene Bayola

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on is my unreleased album, set to come out this year. I often say that my greatest strength lies in how deeply I feel, even though I’m not always openly expressive. It takes time for me to open up, even to my closest friends, so creating this album was a significant step in sharing my internal dialogue and thought process. Read more>>