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.

Julie Christine

One of the most meaningful projects I have done was Resilient Rebirth. Each piece in the tryptic represents my own transformation which I share with those I mentor in personal development. In She Got Away, I use the blues in her dress to represent not just the sadness from having lost so many people in a short period of time, but also the depth from which I had journeyed through personal development in overcoming people pleasing, societal judgement, and toxic influences. In Ginger, I really rose from the ashes like a phoenix bird to transform my meditations from a series of canvas into a dress that illustrated the acceptance of my scars, my mistakes, and a rebuilding of my life which ushered in my self embrace. Read more>>

Harish Yadav

I come from a rural part of India, where there are several pressing challenges such as unemployment among youth, lack of skills, poverty, and low income levels. While working as an officer in the field of entrepreneurship development, I observed these issues closely and decided to take action. I developed a plan to promote various government schemes related to entrepreneurship and to inspire young people to consider self-employment as a viable option. Read more>>

Eva Okrent

Community lives at the heart of my practice. I host monthly figure drawing nights for all levels to share space and reconnect with the fundamentals of art-making. It’s a low-stakes, welcoming environment—an antidote to the disillusionment and isolation many creatives experience today. I also organize The Lemonade Stand, an end-of-summer music and art festival held outside at I-195 District Park, in the center of Providence. It features local musicians and visual artists, a platform for emerging voices in Providence, and is open not only to the creative community, but the community at large. I see these gatherings as a natural extension of my studio practice—communal, joyful, and rooted in nostalgia, inviting people to imagine better, more connected ways of living through perennial events and gatherings. Read more>>

Angela Legh

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is The Bella Santini Chronicles. It’s not just a book series; it’s a mission born from the darkest time in my life. I had spent years in a marriage marked by emotional abuse, and when I finally stepped away from that environment, I was forced to face all the pain I had been carrying. But within that pain, I discovered something powerful: the ability to face difficult emotions and reclaim my inner light. Read more>>

Luna Starr

The most meaningful project that I’ve worked on is my latest upcoming project ‘the AWAKENING’. This project highlights the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that I’ve had since October of 2023. I was in a relationship but it was very abusive, the relationship between my family and I becoming ever so increasingly unsteady, the threat of homelessness was constantly hovering overhead, the stress from just trying my best to keep a job for longer than 3 months, the pressure I was feeling internally due to my own personal growth, my first child being born by the aforementioned abusive ex girlfriend, and lastly, my coming out as a transwoman. Read more>>

Tawakalitou Alawoe

The most meaningful project I have worked on was my book because at first, I was not planning to write my book. The backstory started during the pandemic in 2020 while I was so bored during quarantine, I started journaling and writing my life story about the traumatic of my childhood, by going through cultural tradition and religions expectations, my father death which was following by my unknown illness that put me in a coma for 3 months. This situation made me a disabled woman not by birth but circumstantial situation. Then in 2021 I met a stranger in the mall name Mary Beth who connected to my publisher who helped me to get my story out my head into a paper. Read more>>

Brandon Rizzuto

My audio drama, Dean’s Killer Joke, is by far the most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date. Since I was a kid, my heroes were Kevin Smith, The Duplass Brothers, Edward Burns, Chris Gethard—basically anyone who independently filmed or created something on their own. I’ve had many false starts getting an indie passion project off the ground over the years, but there was something about Dean’s Killer Joke that I couldn’t let slip away unproduced. Read more>>

Garden Child

Launching our debut single, “Sky Daddy” (releasing June 20), is a huge milestone for us and something we’re incredibly proud of. The song is a bold, soulful worship track that blends reverence with raw honesty. Inspired by the Bible’s consistent reminder to “fear not,” it’s a surrender anthem—a call to trust YAH fully and live worry-free in His love and leadership. Read more>>

KoRaan Williams

My most meaningful project right now is a short film I’m calling “The Red Room.” It was actually inspired by my friend/inspiration/co-worker, Carissa Johnson, during a time when I was feeling pretty lonely and disconnected from everything around me. Her idea in reality for the film has been a real healing factor for me. I am forever thankful. Read more>>

Natalia Mamaeva

Life has an amazing variety of aspects, where every moment, every event, and every person creates an original picture of reality. The world around us is an endless mosaic of human destinies, cultural traditions, and historical eras. Originating in the middle of the 19th century, photography, as an art form, has the exceptional ability to capture these moments, transforming them into timeless images.  Read more>>

Saul Flores

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was a shoot I did with kassandra serna (@kassandra_serna_) that completely shifted the way I see portrait work. I’ve always leaned more toward street, architecture, and movement — so portraits weren’t really my go-to. But when she reached out with this concept, it just clicked. Read more>>

Beth Woessner

Being asked to paint a personal watercolor is always an honor. I’m invited into someone’s meaningful moment, memory, or connection—often something deeply emotional and sacred. One commission I’ll never forget was from a wife who wanted to surprise her husband with a painting. She sent me a worn, tattered photo of him as a child, standing beside his grandfather in front of a field of tobacco leaves. It was a candid image—they looked like they had just finished a long day of work in the fields. He kept this photo tucked in his office, a treasured keepsake. Using it as a reference, I recreated the scene in watercolor, capturing a moment that spoke volumes about family, legacy, and love. Read more>>

Dan Frechette

Songwriting has always been a really important force in my life. I grew up very isolated, and had very few friends and social life. My early heroes were all songwriters and bohemians, and renegade souls and spirits who didn’t fit in. So I was left to do a lot of contemplating and spent most of my early years writing down everything that came to mind. Once I got up to hundreds of original songs I decided it was time to release them all. Back in the early 2000’s, it was very expensive to record and release a CD. Read more>>

Jawad Farooq

One of the most profound and emotionally resonant projects I have undertaken is Digital Embodiment, conceived as the centerpiece of my MFA thesis, Tangible Tomorrow, at the Dynamic Media Institute at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. This body of work seeks to restore intimacy and emotional nuance to digital communication—reimagining how technology, design, and art can revive the warmth and subtlety lost in screen-mediated connection. At its heart, Digital Embodiment explores how multisensory, non-verbal cues—such as motion and scent—can bridge the void left by physical absence and nurture a deeper sense of presence across distances. Read more>>

AGuy Style

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is this one—Imagination Unchained: The Juneteenth Concert. As Creative Director & Vibe Curator, I get to shape an experience that doesn’t just entertain—it educates, liberates, and uplifts. Read more>>

Anna Harp

In 2021, I lost my dad to Covid. It was sudden, and it forced me to slow down and reevaluate what really matters. In the weeks that followed, I found myself clinging to memories—his voice, his laugh, the way he looked when he wasn’t posing for a camera. But when I started searching for photos of us, I realized how few recent ones we had. Most were outdated or felt too staged to truly capture who we were to each other. That realization hit me hard: we didn’t have many images that felt real—the kind that show love in its rawest, most ordinary form. Read more>>

Rachel Baker

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I was living alone in a two-bedroom apartment with my dog, George. Struggling with my mental health, I found solace in balloon twisting—a hobby that had helped me before. Amid the chaos of the pandemic, inspired by a viral video of an artist in Rome releasing a balloon rosary to send prayers, I wanted to spread smiles. I discovered the “One Million Bubbles” campaign by balloon artist Steven Jones, aimed at sharing love and hope through art. Excited by the project, I prepared for Easter weekend, April 12th, 2020, planning to create a display of balloon flowers from my balcony. Read more>>

Yvonne Ellsworth

The most meaningful project for me was studying abroad in Italy to learn silk jacquard weaving back in 2004. My grandparents health was declining and they were moving into care. So, it was a big life change, but they still offered to support this amazing trip. My grandmother taught me to crochet, knit and weave as a child. She was passionate about the fiber arts it meant a lot to her that I follow in her footsteps. While there I learned techniques that have influenced my design work to this day. I got to experience different cultures as I traveled through France and Italy. It really broadened my world view and my view as an artist. So, both that connection to my grandmother and opening my eyes to the world made it deeply meaningful. Read more>>

Claudia Maysen

Whether I’m working on a tiny painting or a big installation, every project feels incredibly significant at that moment. However, two bodies of work stand out for their profound impact and resonance with current issues: my “US DOLLS” series and my “Ammo” series. “US DOLLS” juxtaposes the human tendency to give life to inanimate objects with the societal woes stemming from treating individuals as toys, devoid of emotions, opinions, or rights. This group of sculptures, installations and prints was born from my observations of the increasing dehumanization in society, where people’s voices and identities are often ignored or suppressed. Read more>>

Alan Pirie

As a teenager, I slowly went from listening to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal to harder and faster music genres, specifically Thrash Metal. When that happened, I discovered what would turn into my favorite band, a legendary L.A. Crossover (Thrash meets Punk sound) band called Suicidal Tendencies. Skip forward to the early 2000s, and MySpace (remember that!) and I got in touch with them with what at the time was “fan art”. This led to doing some Tour Flyers and eventually, it progressed to an acrylic painting of a skull, I actually did 2 variations, one of which was picked for an album cover and the other was used for merchandise. Read more>>

Susanne Hammarstrom

We worked on a documentary about immigration call, ‘Land of Lights and Shadows’. It opened my eyes to understand what was going on in this country. It is sad to see what is happening to the undocumented workers and how the path to being documented is not easy, cheap or even possible for certain individuals. Read more>>

Jordan Laws

Every project I take on holds meaning, which makes choosing just one difficult. Residential design is deeply personal—it’s not just about style or trends, but about creating a space where people live, grow, and connect. My goal is always to help clients fall in love with their home in a way that reflects and supports their life. Read more>>

Christine Blystone

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is the creation of Magic Flowers—a deeply personal, seven-year journey of illustrating plants, writing poetry, and hiking the trails of Washington and Oregon. What started as a quiet exploration of nature and self slowly bloomed into a book and a 60-card oracle deck filled with plant wisdom, magic, and inspiration. Read more>>

Xun Wang

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is an ongoing series of mixed media works born from a year of living with a feral cat named Jade Xiaoyu. Our relationship unfolded without language—through tension, distance, and eventually, trust. While I appeared to be domesticating him, I was also being changed. We met in a space beyond dominance, where gestures became dialogue, and presence became care. Read more>>

Matthew James Thomas

I’ve had the pleasure of leading many very physically and mentally demanding roles on stage and film. Even at 37 I’m throwing my body about. Currently as Harry in Harry Potter and the cursed child on Broadway. In the same theatre I played in Julie Taymor’s adaption of Spiderman as Peter Parker 15 years ago. For all of the controversy surrounding that production (“Spiderman- Turn off the dark) I personally wouldn’t have had it any other way. The whole thing was as if in some historic greek mythic cataclysm… And as far as life experiences go and what excited me as an artist – it’s hard to imagine what could measure to that kind of intensity in an artistic journey. Read more>>

Erica Bleu O’Connor

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was my senior thesis show in college, titled Growth in Vulnerability. The exhibition featured three life-sized clay figures mounted on a wall, each paired with a flameworked glass spider. In my work, I often explore how insect and arachnid behavior reflects human experiences, revealed at a smaller, more instinctive scale. Read more>>

Isaiah Gilbert

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on has been building my personal brand and music career under the name “Vintaj.” This project wasn’t just about releasing music—it was about reclaiming my voice. I started working on it while I was still in the military, often balancing long shifts and strict structure with an inner drive to create. Music had always been a part of me, but this was the first time I committed to doing it seriously. No label, no team—just a vision, a mic, and a determination to figure it out. Read more>>

Vishnuprabha Numburi Chandraraja

I worked on Ilustrating the Divine Verses of Thiruppavai, Hanuman Chalisa and many such spiritual verses and stories, which is close to my heart. Through this I found my style, originality and my path to travel . Though I worked in many other subjects, I found spiritual Art is more meaningful to me as it teaches me the way of life. Read more>>

Rainy Yuchen Wei

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Floral Metamorphosis: The Art of Decay, a series I began four years ago that explores the transformation of bouquets from bloom to wither. Using thick layers of oil paint, ceramics, and later photography, I document the visual and symbolic process of decay — not just as an aesthetic change, but as a reflection on impermanence and the tension between beauty and deterioration. This project grew out of a personal fascination with how time leaves its mark on organic materials, and it became a way for me to process change and loss. Read more>>

Evan Gering

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was a Founder’s Story video for Set Free Monterey Bay, a local nonprofit working to combat human trafficking through education, outreach, and restoration. Their work is profoundly life-changing for the residents they serve and the individuals they educate. Read more>>

Lori Hill

I am currently working on a new series of paintings that originated from my decision to organize the numerous old photographs which have accumulated over the years. As I sorted through these images, certain photos evoked strong memories and emotions. This led me to work with these responses and develop a series titled “Family Matters,” which explores the psychological impact of relationships, experiences, and memories within the family unit. The figures in the paintings are derived from the original photographs, but the compositional elements and settings are allegorical and imagined. Read more>>

Lorenzo Guerrini

“57” hasn’t been just a dance performance—it’s been a powerful artistic growth. Choreographed by Tina Bararian, the production has been performed in various venues across New York, including the Spark Theatre Festival and the International Human Rights Art Festival. Read more>>

Aly Aleigha

Oh, it’s impossible to pick just one! Every project takes on its own soul and life, which is an incredible gift to be a part of. There is such fulfillment and beauty in seeing how something you create expands beyond your own self, your own artistry, and intersects with the lives of so many others, even people you may never meet. Each song I’ve created meant something to me to begin with, but seeing how it takes on a world of new meaning for each individual who holds that song dear because it somehow connects with them in their own story & experiences…that’s incredible to behold. It is such a gift to me when I get to see glimpses of that whenever my listeners share their hearts with me, and share why the music resonates with them so deeply. Read more>>

Annamaria Miller

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is my original stage production SIGHT. Set in ancient Rome, the story follows a blind girl who must navigate a world that refuses to see her worth. Through war, betrayal, and spiritual oppression, she discovers that true vision comes from the heart—not the eyes. What made SIGHT so powerful wasn’t just the story—it was what happened around it. Read more>>

Alie Jones

Beloved, An Insistence is the most meaningful project I’ve ever been a part of, because this is an issue that needs more hands and hearts. Beloved, An Insistence is an activist movement to end sex trafficking of Black girls and women. Beloved, An Insistence believes in the transformational power of community art and collective action. Read more>>

Meher Goel

Over the course of my life and career, I’ve had the privilege to be part of many meaningful projects—launching a handcrafted jewelry brand at 15 (and again at 26), campaign managing for youth empowerment NGOs, leading design conferences at Etsy, and designing interiors for clients across California, NYC, Dubai, and London. Practicing creativity across so many different spaces has allowed me to stay connected to my curiosity and sense of purpose. Read more>>

Persia Bella

Back in college, when I got my first credit card, I remember going straight to the store and buying every hair product I could get my hands on, just to see what worked for my curls. From MixedChicks to L’Oréal, Redken, Biolage, DevaCurl etc, I tried it all. Read more>>

Lauren Golt

One of the most meaningful projects of my career was designing and creating a restaurant called Bar Reverie. The idea began as a spark of inspiration I shared with a client—someone who not only listened, but believed in my vision enough to hand me the reins completely. From the name to the menu design, music, colors, tiles, chair, and every detail was thoughtfully chosen to reflect the story I wanted the space to tell. What made this project so significant wasn’t just the creative freedom, but the trust placed in me to bring something entirely new to life. That level of belief in my skillset—being given the opportunity to lead with both strategy and style—remains one of the most affirming and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Read more>>