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.

Libby Gear

I have been a photographer for six years. I picked up a camera for the first time in the 7th grade. I started my own photography business as a freshman in high school and it has only continued to grow since then! I have worked with many different teams, athletes, families, couples, and seniors capturing some of life’s most important moments! However, there is one experience that stands out among the rest! The summer after my freshman year in college I worked for a summer camp called Pine Cove. I went into the summer thinking I would work five weeks as a camp counselor. However, at the end of week five our camp director approached me and said, “we are in need of a media content creator for the remainder of the summer. Read more>>

Amaranta Martinez

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve done has been a mural I did for Ruth K. Bay Harbor K-8 Elementary School. After the collapse of the Surfside condos, like many people in South Florida, I was affected emotionally even though I didn’t lose a loved one. During those days I was thinking about how could I help or get involved to help in some way. Finally, the day came when I was contacted by the PTA of the school asking me if I wanted to design a mural for the school as a Memorial for the families that lost their children. Read more>>

Gary Allard

A few years back, I was hired to provide still photography for a healthcare company and their rebranding. The clinic’s specialty is working with autistic children at every level. The specialists provide a variety of treatments including occupational therapy, music therapy, group play sessions, home therapy, etc. The challenges for this particular project were many. Mainly, I could not use artificial light (certainly not strobes as I’m accustomed to), I would not be able to interact with the patients, parents or the Therapists at work, and I would be shooting alongside a small film crew that was creating mini case studies for the client. Read more>>

Noah Hernando

The most meaningful project I have worked on so far would definitely be my debut EP, “Sonic Alchemy: Behind The Curtain.” This entire project took me over two years to fine-tune and fully understand and experience how to tackle all aspects of launching a solo EP. I was just learning how to produce music back in 2018 when I began working on a specific song that felt completely different than anything else I had been producing at the time. This song would eventually be called ‘A Beautiful Confusion (aka The Funk).’ Read more>>

Igor Shteyrenberg

I was born in Western Ukraine, and seeing the courage and strength that the Ukrainian people have displayed over the past two weeks left me in awe and compelled me to do something more. Sometimes it’s easy to feel powerless and hopeless in the face of an overwhelming challenge. But it was out of this sense of urgency to help those caught in the grips of this tragic war that pushed me to launch a fundraiser at our Miami Jewish Film Festival in support of the Ukraine Emergency Fund. Read more>>

Lauren Fuhr Ruark

The most meaningful pieces I’ve worked on are those that I’ve made for family, friends, and people I look up to. This year I was able to create a custom commission for an author who has inspired me for years and whose books have shaped my life and business significantly. When I graduated with a BFA from Colorado State University in 2018, I knew right away that I wanted to start a business. I wanted to help make people’s spaces feel more meaningful, inviting, and peaceful. The thought of playing a role in helping people love their environments more and want to open up their homes to others was exciting to me. Read more>>

Lynn Townsend

Oh, what a wonderful question! I would love to tell you about an incredibly meaningful project. A bit of background….. as a photographer, I have always felt most fulfilled when connecting with the person in front of my lens and reflecting their true spirit back to them through a photograph. Prior to becoming a photographer, I taught ESL internationally and travelled to many countries teaching and learning. Over the years, my love for other cultures continued to grow. I always wondered how to best combine these loves, and one day, (while playing in the snow with my children!), it finally came to me! I had the thought of creating a one-for-one model which would include my client base and also women from other cultures. Read more>>

Jenn Merz CQ

One of the most meaningful series is, Modified NJ Loves CO currently display in the Botanical Narratives group exhibition at Sassa Bird Fine Art in the Art District on Santa Fe. Over the last year there have been a lot of changes with the women in my life, both loses and gains. I am originally from New Jersey, my husband and I relocated to Colorado six years ago. It was challenging to start over and has taken some time for me to truly call Colorado home. What makes a home to me is comfort, safety and a foundation which is what these women have given me. The hardest change was the passing of my Mommom, she was emblematic of unconditional love. As an adult you can chose your family. The bond with my Mommom was the archetype for all subsequent relationships with strong women. The six paintings in this series are to honor the most significant women in my life and relationships that have grown. Read more>>

Gabriela Esquivel

It was 2005 when I left my country of birth Costa Rica with the dream of creating a painting exhibition where I could combine visual arts and music. The goal was to create paintings and songs inspired by Costa Rican landscape and Costa Rican native rhythms. Seventeen years went by until I finally got the opportunity to fulfill my dream and create the project titled Costa Rica in Sounds and Colors. The perfect time came when I had almost given up on the idea. I was at the beginning of the final graduation project for my Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Music Composition at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and had to choose the topic. That same week I met a friend who gave me the most beautiful advice. He told me that I had to reconnect with my roots. And that’s how I continued the journey. Read more>>

JA’DAKU Akabue

In 2014, I lay in the hospital bed with waking pneumonia in my right lung. The doctor walked and announced that they discovered a large hole in my lung about 13 percent missing. I was devastated. I couldn’t breathe and they sent me home on some meds to clear the pneumonia. I went home and depression sank in. I started to write to cope and discovered songs of unsaid thoughts. I then began creating beats and concepts as I was bedridden. Who knew that would be the start of my musical solo career. I lost everything and was homeless for several months due to not working for the next 7 months and was training my body to perform. I knew that I was going to use what I been through to heal others. I Am JA’DAKU. Read more>>

Whitney Davis

So, on my channel I covered the New York trial of Robert Sylvester Kelly “R.Kelly” and because of my coverage, I along with just one other Youtuber got featured in The New York Times and it was an amazing opportunity with me being a smaller content creator. Read more>>

Randall Jones

I feel so fortunate anytime I’m asked to contribute to a project that I really can get behind, and luckily that really has been the vast majority of my experience. So many painters do a couple of dog portraits for their friends and then get pigeonholed into doing pet commissions for years and have a hard time being seen as anything else. I’ve just heard that kind of story so many times, and in some miracle of probably none of my own doing, I was just able to dodge all of that and get to work on projects for people that felt so meaningful. Read more>>

Misha Penton

My newly released set of three new music videos explores the fragility of our bodies in an intense and dynamic world. I created the works as an offering of beauty, hope, and inspiration. My music and videos inhabit a dreamworld where poetry comes alive in the movement of language through the voice and body. The videos were filmed in Houston and New England and feature the delicacy of the body against the impersonal sea and Houston’s stunning but stoic sparkling cityscape. The first video of the set of three, Radiant Poison: https://vimeo.com/641997559 Read more>>

Christine Newberg

Voicing for the Trevor Project has been very meaningful for me, as it is a way my work and voice have been used to benefit society because it helps a special and marginalized group. Often in voice over, our work is to promote products and typical commercialized services. When my voice is used to help others, especially for women or for the LGBTQ community, then it’s more useful and impactful. Someone very dear to me is part of the LGBTQ community, so voicing for the Trevor Project feels even more personal and important. Read more>>

Ash Gongora

When I was growing up, I used to attend a church out in West Dallas in the now “trinity grove” area as a child up until I was a teen. At the church every time around December a huge celebration would be held for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a group of dancers, Matachines, would start off the celebration. I would always gawk at how amazing these dancers would perform in native attire and start off the celebration with a bang. It was one of the many moments I cherished growing up, in where dance set off a fire in my creativity as an artist. I was heavily inspired to start off a series of different variations of dance, that not always was the classical performances we typically see. Read more>>

Tiffany Hendra

The word ‘meaningful’ is so beautiful. The definition is having a serious, important or useful quality or purpose. Of all the television projects I’ve worked on, the most meaningful one is what I’m currently in the midst of called #SoThrive with Tiffany Hendra. I’ve partnered with a wellness platform called My Wellness By Nature to create wellness and spiritually conscious programming. The seed was planted 20 years ago when I went through my spiritual awakenening aka rock bottom. I had been working as a TV Host in Los Angeles, but now had this new found drive to be part of programming that enriched the lives of women. Read more>>

Beth Braun

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my current project, Esperanza Dance Project ( EDP ). I created the project in 2011 after my daughter, who was 18 at the time, disclosed to a friend that she had been sexually abused from as far back as she could remember by an extremely close family member. This family member was someone who was supposed to love and protect her, not hurt her. Throughout her life she struggled with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self harm and finally drug misuse. Two weeks prior to a time when my daughter spiraled so low and no longer wanted to live, she got a tattoo on her forearm of an anatomical heart with wings and the word “Esperanza.” Read more>>

Marzieh Saffarian

My favorite projects are those that allow me to be playful while exploring the honesty of the diasporic experience . A particularly meaningful project of mine has been “Icons/Eyecons” where I reimagine western pop culture icons with a Persian “twist”. In this collection, I take images of people like Cher, Debbie Harry, etc. and give them traditionally Iranian features, decorating them in ornate Persian textiles, often with carefully placed symbols of my culture in the frame. Because I never saw myself or my people represented (positively) in the media, Read more>>

Jessica Phillips

The most meaningful Project I’ve worked on is the Black History Series. I did it for a couple of years for the month of February. I would get a group of kids together to pray and recreate black peoples that were poets, political figures, historical figures, musicians, inventors and etc. I love history and learning about our past – I saw an article about kids recreating historical figures and it got me to thinking. I made a list of people I wanted to recreate and have portrayed then sent out a call for kids to be part of it. I truly enjoyed it and may start it up again for next year. Read more>>

Alex Ramirez

Every great film feels like a milestone in my life. You can just feel it. The energy, the camaraderie is palpable amongst the crew. I hate to use the word “family” in a work sense but there’s definitely a sense of bonding when you know everyone’s work is so good as a collective, when everyone just gels. “A Life in Technicolor,” the latest film I wrote and directed which will be out this year, was meaningful for a number of reasons. It’s the first time much of the crew had been on a set in nearly a year and a half due to COVID shutting down productions nationwide. Read more>>

Christine Nguyen

One of the most meaningful project I worked on was In 2020-2021. I participated in a cross-cultural exchange with Hanoi-based Arts Build Communities (ABC) to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. Together we created a large wall mural approximately 200 ft. I wanted to be a part of something in Vietnam, where my parents came from and where my mother’s family still resides… Even though it is a complicated and emotional subject, I think we have to keep working together to keep our countries’ peaceful relationship, similar to how working on this project has enhanced my understanding of my heritage and brought new friendships. Read more>>

Alka RBN

My most meaningful project to date thats on the way is Have Nots. It’s special because I’m going back to my roots letting my people know I haven’t forgotten about them because you have the (Haves) and I wanna be the voice of the Have Nots. Really just representing real life especially with the last two years and the pandemic our people has went through alot. Also I’m taking the Have Nots and making it a brand of clothing and with the profit I wanna give back to the community. This tape it’ll symbolize that. Make a mark on the world. Read more>>

Lesa Wilson

I’ve had the special privilege of playing a character named Bobbie Burman on the CW’s Stargirl. The story follows Courtney Whitmore, played by Brec Bassinger, as she goes through the process of following in Starman’s footsteps and becoming a superhero. Starman and the other members of the JSA (Justice Society of America) were killed by the Injustice Society. As Court learns about the history of the JSA, she steps into Starman’s shoes and starts recruiting a whole new team to take on the roles of the previous JSA members. Their mission is to defeat the Injustice Society once and for all. Read more>>

Jeri Vizzi

There is always some sort of project in the works in my world. I have a hard time doing things that are meaningless. Most of the work I do is helping women and girls discover their actual selves, but my art is not exclusive to any gender. I have two projects in the works this year, which I hope to turn into books and gallery exhibits. There Is No Such Thing As Ugly – In this project, I will be collecting stories and photos of colorful, radiant individuals and groups who have a physical trait that is unusual, but that they have embraced as beautiful. Because the word ‘ugly’ is subjective, and a matter of opinion, this word should forever be eliminated for describing physical traits, and saved only for mean people whose insides aren’t so pretty. Read more>>

Visi Herman

In general, the projects that mean the most to me are the ones that allow me to express a part of myself, build a community for others, or help people in any small way. The most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date would have to be my button-ups. I set out with a goal to make trans-inclusive clothes, despite not having much experience with pattern-making or sewing. It was an issue I saw in the community, and something I wanted to address if I could–even if it meant learning all of the skills required to get there. Read more>>

Suzana Norberg

With the help of my amazing friends, I made a movie during the pandemic. When I was a kid growing up in Wisconsin, my Serbian immigrant grandmother made us go to the cemetery every weekend to picnic on Grandpa’s grave. Her tyranny, plus the heat and humidity made me miserable, but I could appreciate the unintended comedy of my family and always wished I had a movie camera. Forty-eight years later, I remedied that with LIBERTYVILLE, my first screenplay. It’s a 17-minute dramedy short that’s currently screening at festivals throughout the U.S. It just won the Audience Choice Award for Best Overall Film at the Borrego Springs Film Festival. I’m still feeling the stun and the thrill. Read more>>

Joan Montreuil

I have worked on many important projects throughout my career. What’s really crucial for me when starting one is to get very clear on the goals right at the start and then create a plan with milestones. I also like dealing with the most difficult parts of the projects early on—that way in case there are any significant issues, I’ll still have a time to complete before the deadline. I also typically break down large tasks into smaller chunks, so that it is easier to know where to start. Writing down the vision and making it plain is very important to ensure an important project goes smoothly. For example, last year I noticed that I had taken on so many projects, Read more>>

Lynden Partch

My most meaningful project has to be one of my first ever collaborations as an “influencer.” It was with the clothing company BooHoo. First of all, I was shocked that a company wanted to send me stuff and have me promote them because I started out doing Tik Tok Just for fun, I didn’t know it could be anything more. But when it was a company that I had been shopping at for years, it just felt insane. I will never forget how excited I was when I got the email because it only went up from there. That collaboration will forever be so meaningful to me! Read more>>

Birdie Belis

Wonderland Ranch is my non profit project of love! I am a child of an abusive marriage and just ended an abusive marriage. I think it’s important for women to surround and heal each other when there is a need, just like elephants. Which is why we use elephants as our logo and mascot. Wonderland is a place for women that have experienced divorce, abuse, trauma or homelessness, it’s a place for healing and rebirth. There will be a full fruit and vegetable garden, horses for equine therapy, alpacas, sheep, dogs and peacocks. Vegan seed to table meals would be prepared by local chefs in training. Read more>>

May Treese

Since I started designing websites, I have had the opportunity to work with so many people who are doing meaningful work. The things people are dedicated to doing to make the world kinder and more supportive are incredibly inspiring to me. A man in San Fransisco started a company that connected people who needed affordable transportation with a free bike program that became a solution for campuses, companies, and communities across the country. Read more>>

Eugene Ward

If I’m doing my job right as an artist, I haven’t written it yet. Every narrative is an opportunity to shift, change and grow in the realm of my craft, and I hope to outdo myself each time. That said, there are two that come to mind for two different reasons. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to see heroes who looked like me. In all the comics, TV shows, video games and movies, the Black male was always the comic relief, the clown, the heavy, or the mystical Brown person there to teach the Caucasian lead a spiritual lesson or impart a cryptic message before getting shuffled off the stage back to obscurity. The Black female was always over the top, a cartoonish degree of sassy, or an object of lust and salaciousness. Read more>>

Bonnie Blue

I taught myself to do caricatures on a river rocks. I came up with this idea 20 years ago. I thought it was a great idea to tell people they rock and paint them on a rock. I did one of Ellen DeGeneres and she featured it on her show in 2007. I had no idea how empowering this would be to people to get their face on a rock and tell them that they rock ,It has brought many many smiles for many years Read more>>

Tina Cornely

In 2012 a friend asked me to check up on a struggling orphanage located in Bamako, Mali. All I had to hear was “orphans” in order to make my decision. On a wing and a prayer, I boarded my long flight from Miami to Mali, the home of Timbuktu. Foreign governments were evacuating their staff due to the escalating civil war, I arrived on a empty flight with multiple bags full of emergency supplies. Bamako was dangerous and my trip arduous. It was my time spent at the orphanage that cemented my desire to formalize my humanitarian work. I pivoted and decided to go full time and no longer just dedicate my vacations to being of service to others, Read more>>

Richard & Imelda Pines

“Apache Girl” is a tribute to the valiant, indigenous Apache women enduring acts of barbarity and whose heritage and lives were stolen. During the Apache War beginning from1861 and lasting until about 1924–the Americans battled the Apache warriors stretching from Southern Arizona to New Mexico. Amid the atrocities of both military and civilian Americans against the native Indians, two brave Apache women rise above their People– Lozen and Dahteste. Dahteste accepts a daunting task from the Spiritual God — to reach the high mountain and claim what belongs to their People. She is about twenty years younger than Lozen with a strong command of the English language. This skill enables her to serve as the interpreter in negotiations between the Apache tribes and the U.S. Government. Read more>>

Cathy Carey

This series of paintings is about our journey through a lifetime. The Background It was the pandemic, I had just moved from a home and garden I’d created and lived in for twenty years after a bitter and on-going divorce, all revenues for art sales had dried up, and I found out my Mom was in the last stages of cancer in Virginia. I traveled back to see her three times in the nine months we had left together. Early in the pandemic, pre-vaccine, when the trips were ill advised but necessary, then in the later trips when I encountered even more chaos with over packed planes and all services at restaurants and hotels shut down. These last visits with her inspired this series, and her legacy is the philosophical spirit she imbued in me, along with her style and creativity. Read more>>