We asked some of the most talented folks in the community to talk to us about projects they’ve worked on that they still think about, projects that really meant something. Have you had such an experience? Are you looking for inspiration for your next project? Check out the stories below, they are exciting, entertaining, and most importantly – inspiring.

Rem Ly

To me, all my creative projects are my children, they’re all equally important. Each one is magical and teaches me something new about myself but if I had to choose one, I would have to pay tribute to my very first fashion show that I produced.

I went into it without knowing what I was doing, and honestly, at a pretty dark time in my life. I was at rock bottom with nothing to lose. I didn’t realize it back then but that was when I was at my most powerful. Financially, I wasn’t stable and had no idea where the funds were going to come from. I even had to open a credit card just to make it happen. It was a leap of faith and definitely worth it. I made back my investment and then some. Read more>>

Sasha Bernier, Abigail MacFadden

In May 2023, the “Dreams of the Dragon” event was a profoundly significant cultural project that went far beyond a simple art showcase. In the wake of a deeply troubling period marked by a 70% increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic, this initiative stood as a powerful act of cultural resilience and empowerment. The seemingly innocent question “Where are you from?” was a microaggression that repeatedly othered Asian Americans, reducing their complex identities to a simplistic inquiry about origin. By contrast, the event created a rich, nuanced platform for Asian American artists to define themselves on their own terms. Read more>>

Bobby Scheidemann

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on personally was a project called This Road Has Tolls that explored interstate 35 in Austin, Texas through photography.

This project was inspired by a variety of things but I think what set everything in motion was sitting down and watching Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog at a very impressionable point in my Twenties. I was curious to see if I could explore and craft an artistic process after almost abandoning it a few years from getting my BFA. I was inspired by Sophie Calle’s Suite Vénitienne and Walker Evan’s Many Are Called. Read more>>

Matthew Payne

When I was a senior in college, my capstone project was a personal branding project for myself as a music artist. The result was not only useful, but incredibly meaningful. I set out to make my brand image based around my personality, this way I can create a community of likeminded people, and stay true to the things I love. I created a variety of content that builds up a bigger picture beyond my music. The process to create this was rooted in reflection. Reflecting on my past work, experiences, taste, and above all, my personality. Who am I, and how do I represent that to people? It was an insightful and vulnerable experience, finding all of the little details that I didn’t even realize make up who I am, and putting those literally on display. The project built so much confidence and clarity within myself, it was an enlightening experience. Read more>>

Brittany Vogel
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/197WzSH62pQ9KEfvsTtraYOcdu9PhZ7Wq1vEl6W71LHc/edit?gid=98684313#gid=98684313

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve created to date was an interactive mural at the Columbus Circle Subway Station in New York City.

Commissioned by the Turnstyle Underground Market, I was invited to paint the mural live on-site so that the 90,000 daily commuters passing through could witness the creative process unfold in real time. I saw it as a rare opportunity to engage with the public through art—and to make a powerful statement. Read more>>

Yuanxu Liu

The most meaningful project I have ever done started with my love for car models. Once, I wanted to replace a special wheel but couldn’t buy it, so I designed and 3D printed it myself. It was very popular, so I started to provide customized model car wheel services.

One day, I received a unique order. A customer made a special request and hoped that I could paint the wheels for him. I was surprised because most players enjoy the process of painting themselves. After asking the reason, I received a long letter from him. Read more>>

Dakota G. Thompson

Taking on meaningful projects has become increasingly relevant to me in the past few years. Before then, I’ve always felt as though I was in “practice” mode, starting art that’s meant to push my technical skills, even if it doesn’t have a lot of deeper meaning or interest me. But as I establish myself as an artist, I’ve been trying to push myself to take on more meaningful pursuits, not simply difficult ones. Read more>>

Katherine Leanne

To me, it always feels like the project I’m currently working on is the most meaningful one I’ve ever done. I pour my whole heart and soul into everything I make.

Right now, my biggest project is my ‘Charm of the Month Club.’ Each month, I hand-forge a new charm and design custom packaging to complement it. This project flawlessly combines my love of metalsmithing with my graphic design background. Here are a few examples: Read more>>

Chris Dum

My band Wednesday Demonstration is the most meaningful project that I’ve worked on. When I started writing songs for it after the pandemic, I knew I wanted the music to be a punk/pop-punk it its sound, but I was struggling with what to write about. I then just decided that every song was going to address some sort of social justice issue. Several songs address trans rights and LGBTQ+ issues, especially our most popular song “For Trans Kids in Texas.” The reception to those songs has been so meaningful. We’ve had young LGBTQ+ kids come up to us after shows and tell us how thankful they are to hear songs that speak to them, and we’ve been fortunate enough to play them at Akron Pride for 3 years in a row now. Read more>>

Darius “Mr.Tyree” Davis

One of the most meaningful projects I have been a part of came during my freshman year in college. As a newbie to the school, I landed the role of Ton Ton/Julien in “Once on This Island.” This show will forever hold a special place in my heart. We put in a lot of work on this production, all the way down the research of culture, dance, spirituality, and history. This show touched on so many topics like colorism, poverty, race, faith, and colonialism. This was the first time our school had seen a production that represented people of color in the school’s community. Over the year, we’d all dealt with some form of tragedy or loss as a whole, but it all brought us closer together and transformed us into a family…. that and spending many, many hours a week together. Read more>>

Mark Flowers

My most recent work represents a significant style change, moving away from an indirect narrative to a more abstract approach. I begin by layering the work with archival, printed original digital images, creating an overall composition through improvisation and spontaneity. During the pandemic, my wife underwent surgery at Johns Hopkins Medical University, and I was unable to be with her due to hospital restrictions. Staying close by I was feeling isolated and in need of a distraction. To fill my time, I began taking long commuter train rides out to the suburbs and back, capturing hundreds of images with my cell phone stuck to the window. These images became the seed for a recent series I call “The Baltimore Series”. Read more>>

Precious Jackson

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is my annual Self-Love Event, a gathering designed to empower individuals to embrace their worth, prioritize their well-being, and celebrate themselves unapologetically.

The inspiration for this event came from my own journey with self-love. Like many people, I struggled with self-doubt, societal pressures, and the constant need to pour into others while neglecting myself. Over time, I realized that true fulfillment comes from within—and that self-love isn’t just a luxury, but a necessity. I wanted to create a space where others could experience that same realization in a supportive, uplifting environment. Read more>>

Olivia Cirisan

I have so many meaningful projects that it is hard to choose – but I’ll tell you about one of my favorites! I’m currently a percussionist and technical director for the mixed-chamber sextet FLYDLPHN. We are a contemporary ensemble with a “composer-first” mentality, and we use a lot of improvisation and emerging technology in our programs. We play at venues and universities both locally and around the country. Read more>>

Cathy Martin And Lindsey Ries

We are working on a joint exhibition for the first time. We will each be showing our own paintings as well as paintings we are doing together. This is something we’ve wanted to do for several years now and are grateful for the opportunity to have the exhibition in the Twin Cities. We cannot wait for people to see our work together. Read more>>

Aishwariya Chandrasekar

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was an exhibition that I organized and curated, called Thalaimuraigal: Three Generations of Kolam in 2022. It showcased the artwork of my grandmother, Saroja Manickam, mother, Shanthi Chandrasekar, and myself, inspired by a traditional art form called kolams. Read more>>

Bojun Chen

I’m a recent graduate from Columbia University’s Film and Media Studies MA program, where I focused on the Film Studies track, a path typically rooted in theory, critical analysis, and academic writing. Coming from a humanities background, I had little experience with creative or technical production. But during grad school, I began exploring areas outside my comfort zone, especially creative coding. One of the most meaningful projects I worked on was “Mondrian-Inspired Interactive Art Generator,” a Python-based tool that allows users to generate and manipulate geometric compositions inspired by Mondrian. I used Tkinter to create an interactive interface, giving users the ability to adjust colors, reset the canvas, and explore randomized palettes. Read more>>

Pete Rodriguez

I have recorded seven albums of my original music, so asking about my most meaningful project is like asking to pick a favorite child! But if I have to pick one, I think that I would select my album “El Conde Negro” which I released in 2014. The reason this project is so meaningful to me is that the album was a combination of my original compositions and new arrangements of Salsa classics sung by father, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez. My father was a legend in Latin music, a singer with the Fania All Stars, and considered Salsa royalty. Growing up as the son of El Conde was an absolute privilege, and the education I got from watching his mastery as a musician was better than any I could have received at the best conservatory. But growing up as his son also brought about fears of comparison and insecurities about not being able to live up to his accomplishments. Read more>>

Nikki Bonkoski

The most significant project I’ve undertaken is my Brave Ladies Club, a support group for women who have lost a spouse to suicide. After my first husband died by suicide in 2015, I immediately searched online for support tailored to this specific type of loss and grief, but I found nothing. So, I decided to create it myself. I established a loving, safe, and supportive environment where women can gather and navigate the aftermath of their spouse’s suicide together. These women are the only ones who truly understand the shock and trauma of such a loss, what this unique form of widowhood entails, and how to heal and continue living. Read more>>

Mo Moshaty

Researching and lecturing on women’s trauma in horror cinema isn’t just an academic pursuit for me: it’s a mission, a love letter, and occasionally, a bit of an exorcism. Horror has always been the one genre that refuses to politely look away from the ugly truths of our world, and when it comes to women’s trauma, it has been both a mirror and a battlefield. From the final girls who claw their way to survival to the monstrous women who refuse to be contained, horror is where the unspeakable is spoken, loudly, bloodily, and often with a kitchen knife in hand. Read more>>

Essa Rose

Nature has a lot to show us about our place and identity in this world. During a trip back to my hometown in Malaysia, I noticed a full moon in the night sky. I was immediately drawn into the beam of the moonlight. The way the light quietly illuminates in darkness with a light that is unparalleled to the strength of the sun is a powerful reflection of feminity. It’s a symbol of grace and powerful gentleness, which contrasts the attributes of the sun, often referred to with the masculine pronoun (at least in stories I’ve read growing up). Recollections of my childhood memories began opening up a deeper discovery of the power in owning and embracing my feminity. Read more>>

Leticia Ochoa (TropicalRoboto)

One of my favorite projects came about while I was volunteering at the Armando Olivares Library in Guanajuato, Mexico, which is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of old books. In conversations with the library’s restorer, Andrés Basurto, I began to have questions about archives and the preservation of objects. What objects do we choose to restore/preserve and why? What have we locked away in time capsules to perpetuate what we consider the most valuable or characteristic parts of our civilization? Read more>>

Zack Orsborn

One of the most meaningful projects I have started was my business, Like Really Creative, a creative community and place for inspiration.

The vision for Like Really Creative is a future where creativity is synonymous with healing. People won’t question or be confused on how to heal from fear and setbacks—they will know for a fact that creating can dissolve insecurities and doubt. Like Really Creative is guided by the Four Codes of Creative Energy: community, craft, contemplation, and condition. Through in-person collaborative events like the Monthly Collage Parties and MUSE Creative gatherings, a podcast about prolific creatives and artists, and resources to reconnect with creative energy, Like Really Creative aims to create a community of invigorated creatives that have the drive to do what they love the most. Read more>>

Maura Trice

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is More Than a Body. This photography exhibit wasn’t just about creating striking portraits—it was about giving women a space to tell their own stories.

The idea came from my realization that women are often reduced to just their appearance in art and media. I wanted to challenge that by shifting the focus beyond the image itself to the person behind it. I photographed ten women, each with their own experiences, struggles, and triumphs, and incorporated symbolic elements into their portraits to represent their individual stories. Read more>>

Gaby Montiel (Klaudia Dai)

I was twelve years old when I was offered two music projects for social advocacy. One project was for AwareNow Music titled “We Don’t Talk About the Afghan Women.” I collaborated with a poet and military service veteran, Lori Butierries, who felt compelled to bring awareness of the horrible treatment and abandonment of Afghan women in August 2021. I had the opportunity to arrange her poem into a song that appealed to the general public at the time. In my process, I was thoughtful about how my vocals and piano would represent an honest perspective of Afghan women. Read more>>

Bailey McManus

Over the last eight years, I have corresponded with over 200 men in prison. I had two pen pals I wrote at night when I couldn’t sleep, and because of these two pen pals, had the idea to send a questionnaire for a research project/book I was working on to other people in prison. I sent out about 450 questionnaires. When I received responses, I was completely blown away. I could not believe what these people had been through and who they had become. These men who I had written with a simple questionnaire about their time in high school sent me beautiful, shocking, haunting, and triumphant letters describing abuse, gang violence, drug addiction, and how they are learning from their experiences to become better people. Read more>>

Morgan Banks

Burdened By Blood, my thesis project, was my most meaningful project to date. It was two years of my life where it required my focus, attention and realness. I couldn’t hide from the topic of grief because I was in the middle of it. This work focused on Black women dealing with grief in roles of matriarchy and eldest daughters. Which questioned the views of care of Black women in different family dynamics. Read more>>

Camila Soto

The most significant project in my artistic career is called En extinción (In Extinction). This project has become a form of plastic and visual memory of the Colombian fauna with which we coexist. The project highlights animals that, due to various environmental and social issues, are at risk of disappearing from Colombian territory. En extinción is a call for the recognition of each species, to promote their care and conservation. Read more>>

Sam Pocker

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is fastfoodlegend. It all began in mid‑2021, when I was navigating a post‑pandemic Los Angeles and feeling the pull of emerging social media trends—especially on TikTok. I started off with a deep-seated skepticism about the platform, but soon realized that there was something transformative in intentionally creating absurd, “stupid” content. Read more>>

Marisa Ervin

This was a few years back now, but in my last year of college at AMDA (The American Musical and Dramatic Academy) I got the opportunity to self choreograph my senior solo. This was a very important undertaking to me at the time because not tons of people have chosen to do that throughout previous semesters. I wanted my choreography to mean something and allow people to walk away with a feeling that I fed them. I decided to make a piece about society’s consistent wrongdoings to women and the never ending cycle we are perpetually trying to break. Read more>>

Yushan Guo

After graduation, I found myself trapped in an unrelenting cycle of anxiety about finding a job. I suddenly lost all sense of direction, and day after day, I couldn’t even bring myself to pick up a paintbrush. It felt as though I had lost the very essence of being an artist. Read more>>

Richard Galiguis

All the projects I’ve worked on over the years have been meaningful in their own ways. I now try to only dedicate time and energy to projects that resonate with me but also challenge me and get me out of my comfort zone. But the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is with Vokab Kompany. Being part of Vokab Kompany was my first introduction to being in a touring band and playing big stages and festivals. We’ve opened up for artists like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Skrillex. I met my wife through Vokab Kompany and so many doors were opened through touring with them over the last 10 years. The brotherhood and family aspect I share with those guys is something that I cherish to this day. Read more>>

Ricardo Vargas

Over the past two years, I took a step back from professional projects to focus on my education. My work visa had expired, which meant I wasn’t able to keep working because I didn’t have a valid work visa, and I couldn’t apply for the O-1 artist visa at the time because I didn’t have enough credits. I wasn’t ready to go back home because I hadn’t accomplished all my goals, so I decided to go back to school instead. I recently graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, and now I’m fully committed to pursuing my career. Read more>>

Andrew Cicciari

A project that I am super stoked on is a short documentary I directed called “Van Gotti”. It follows the story of artist, Tyler Morgan (aka Van Gotti), and going through the creative process, dealing with creative block, and ultimately painting start to finish. This has been an idea that has been in the works for the past year and this project has really come a long way since then. It started last year when I realized I wanted to start making my documentary portfolio present in my creative career. But I needed a subject. I had no idea what the documentary was going to be about, all I knew is I wanted to make it. I stumbled across Tyler’s instagram account one day and was just moved by his art. Read more>>

Aayush Gaur

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was a wedding film that became more than just a cinematic story, it turned into a cherished family heirloom.

One particular wedding stands out: the couple had initially approached us wanting a beautiful, visually stunning film. However, as we got to know them, we realized that their story carried deep emotional weight. The bride had lost her father just a few months before the wedding, and the family was struggling to celebrate without him. They had old voice recordings of him, and we were able to subtly weave those into the film, making him a presence in their special day. Read more>>