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.

Lukas Hugunin

Recently we in the Sounds of Many have been working on writing and producing new material and taking this band in new directions. And sometimes it’s scary to make a step into the unknown – but regardless, doing such can be great! To push oneself into the unknown and out of one’s comfort zone can be liberating especially when you have friends behind you helping you every step of the way. Read more>>

Ahmed Radwan

The most meaningful project I have worked on, and continue to work on, is The House of Creatives; a non-profit with a mission of providing resources and opportunities to under-represented clean creatives. In 2022, after going on a journey pursuing a hip-hop career alongside my friend and co-founder of The House of Creatives Mohammad Sadat, we decided it was time to give back to the creative community everything we learned.  Read more>>

Denise A. Agnew

This is a really tough question for me! Primarily because I create novels and screenplays in a variety of genres. Within that love of writing different genres, I’m drawn to writing stories where the heroine and/or hero goes through significant physical and mental challenges to survive a natural or manmade disaster. Love From The Ashes (historical set during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire) was one of the biggest experiments because I’d never been in an earthquake. Read more>>

Kevin Cheng

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is “A Journey of Jack,” an indie feature film written and directed by Taiwanese director Chin-En Gau. I had the privilege of portraying Tom, one of the lead characters in the film. The story follows two Taiwanese high school students who travel to New York City behind their parents’ back in search of the American dream, but they are instead faced with cultural differences and hardships that force them to reevaluate their friendship and the attainability of their idealized future. Read more>>

Perryn Ryan

My most meaningful and proudest project has been the “No Is Beautiful” mural campaign that I designed in collaboration with Pure Leaf and poet Arielle Estoria. It was hand-painted on the side of the William Vale Hotel in Williamsburg. Designing this mural was the first time that I’d ever seen my work in a larger-than-life scale. The moral was more than 80 feet long, and the first time that I’d ever created a public artwork. It was bold, engaging, and filled me with joy to see people interact with it, stop to read Arielle’s words that accompanied my designs and take photos with it. This was the first time that I’d ever seen people interact with my work and have such a positive response. It is the singular project that has inspired me to design more public art. Read more>>

Sunhee Joo

My First Curatorial Exhibition at TAG Gallery in Los Angeles. I have shown my artworks since I received an MFA in Painting from UCLA in 1987. I have exhibited 12 solo shows
in Los Angeles, California. This year, for the first time, instead of showing my works, I wanted to have a curatorial exhibition by inviting three artists and six participating artists. The show title is “TAG Gallery Celebrating the 55th Anniversary of Earth Day / Read more>>

Libra

“Detroit Famous,” my third project, has been the most meaningful endeavor so far! The title itself is self-acclaimed and distinctly represents our culture here in the city. We believe we’re all celebrities, and you can’t tell us otherwise. Read more>>

Peter Marciano

I am currently co-writing a book about voice and speech. I am writing it with a very good friend, colleague, and former professor of mine, Louis Colaianni. We are on the final edit now and it’s been years in the making, from writing in coffee shops to meetings across the globe, to video calls during lock down, to visiting each other across the country to get it done. It’s revolutationary. It’s provocative. I am so excited that we are writing it. The main through point is your voice is your own standard. We all have accents and to say that one accent is “right” has wildly negative connotations. Your voice is what you put out into the world so take ownership of your words. Breath is at the center of the book. Read more>>

Nicole

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was my first play, Bit of Sunshine. I wrote it when I was 18, scribbling from start to finish in a spiral notebook I picked up at a grocery store. I had never written a play before, but I felt an undeniable urgency to get the story out of me. In my second year of drama school in the UK, I decided to revisit it. I shared the script with two of my closest friends at school, Katie Coull and Ed Theakston, who would later go on to co-found the award-winning theatre company We Are Kilter. I asked them to read it, with no expectations, simply to see if the material resonated with them—and only if it did, whether they might consider directing it. Read more>>

Novel-T

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far is my recently released album Survivor. It’s a collection of 11 songs that blend messages of empowerment, resilience, and love—brought to life through a mix of original material and reimagined covers. I wrote or co-wrote several of the tracks, pulling not only from my own journey, but also from the strength I’ve witnessed in others navigating life’s challenges. I also included a few cover songs that have inspired me over the years, including “Gotta Be Bad”—a bold, soulful reworking of Des’ree’s empowering anthem. Read more>>

Sara Drahos

Every project I have the honor of working on, is not just a project but a story behind what I get to paint. When doing a painting for a client it is important to get an understanding of who they are, what inspires them, what has lead them to where they are currently and more. Learning this not only helps me with the painting or project I am completing for the client but, it helps create new meaningful relationships and experiences. I enjoy getting to hear about the vehicle I am painting and the inspiration behind it, who all worked on it, etc. Read more>>

Debora Amiliay

In 2024 I quit my job and left Switzerland to go to New York for 3 months. On the second day of my trip, I met my now Boyfriend. He left Ghana to become a Model in South Africa and furthermore left that place too, to grow even more In New York. Read more>>

Carol Seungwon Lee

Growing up in a multilingual environment, language and communication always fascinated me. Despite linguistic differences, theatre taught me the power of the arts as something that connects people through a shared, collective experience. I always wanted to one day be a part of international projects that bring artists together for the shared goal of creating meaningful art together. Read more>>

Heather Ebert

I have written several books over the course of my career, but the most meaningful creative endeavor of my life is a novel called “Troublesome Women.” My great-grandmother and great-aunt were both committed to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, a notorious asylum in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. Based on research, my great-grandmother was likely committed in the mid-1920s and her daughter in the early 1940s.  Read more>>

LUSMERLIN

“The Uncatchable Ciguapa” materialized in 2024 after several years thinking about some of my childhood experiences—fantastical tales, memories of going barefoot to the backyard, and memories of being immersed in the sheets of laundry that were line drying by my grandma’s house . I wanted paintings that would hang just like the clothes on the line, so that I could walk through or around them. This thought turned into the idea of painting a forest. Separately, my hair, and my body were already such strong topics in my work and personal history, that all of these seemingly unrelated parts converged into La Ciguapa: I was going to paint her world, except people would walk around to see paintings all around them. Read more>>

Lukus Toane

In my career I have been fortunate to have been able to produce really interesting arts and culture programming within unique unconventional spaces (not your standard gallery space). One of the notable projects was called “A Streetcar Named Toronto” in partnership with CityFund Foundation and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). This project aligned in conjunction with the decommission of Toronto’s iconic CLRV streetcars. Read more>>

Malena D’Amico

Malena D’Amico

My most meaningful project to date would have to be the cover of NRBQ’s “Christmas Wish” I co-produced with my dad, Mike D’Amico, released in December 2024. It was our first collaboration and my first music video. He actually performed that same song back in the 90’s with his band, the Wondermints, which made it a really cool full-circle moment. My dad is someone I’ve admired my whole life and his story and journey has been such an inspiration to me. Our shared passion for 60s/70s pop music has been a source of father/daughter bonding over the years, and I was so excited to incorporate those influences in our own work! Read more>>

Emma Butterworth

I started in audio by recording my own songs, and then went to Columbia College Chicago to learn everything I could. My first year at Columbia was during the pandemic, and I felt I needed to get into a studio and put my hands on a board to learn more, so I got an internship at Rax Trax Recording. I started as an intern in 2021, learning from the accomplished and talented engineers there and eventually working my way up to running sessions. I have had the privilege to work with incredible musicians in almost every genre; however, working with Kacie Brown and The Vision has been one of my favorite projects to date. Read more>>

Amaris Pueyes Méndez

About a year ago, while finishing my film & TV production degree at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, I submitted to USC’s advanced project class called CTPR-480. I hadn’t originally planned on taking this course since I had already fulfilled my advanced project requirement as an Executive Producer on a TV thesis series class. But during a class break, my best friend—and an incredible producer—Ana Flavia Veiga planted the idea in my head. Read more>>

Claudio Eshun

Elegant Alien, a work-in-progress project that started in graduate school while I was at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

The most vivid memory I have of myself in Ghana is when I was a small child, propped up in front of a vibrant African textile for a photo shoot my mom planned. I wasn’t smiling in the photo. Maybe I was too aware of the photographer and everything else that was going on. I just wish I could remember who that photographer was. I continued to dream about that day for the next 9 years that I spent in Vicenza, Italy as an immigrant. Back then, the United States seemed like a faraway dreamland. Read more>>

Amal ARBI

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on, and that I’m still developing today, is a multidisciplinary artistic journey called Centre-Vie. It’s a deeply personal and evolving expression of who I am as both an architect and a multidisciplinary artist. Through this project, I bring together photography, poetry, music, and architecture to create a unified language of emotion, space, and identity. Read more>>

Alec Moody

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on has been launching and growing Fresh Off The Scene, the music publication I co-founded nearly two years ago. When we started, the goal was simple: to highlight emerging artists while also covering the biggest names in music and putting both of them on the same level. What began as a passion project has evolved into an internationally recognized platform, giving artists, photographers, and journalists a space to share their work. From artist spotlights to concert coverage, and new music release coverage we’ve worked tirelessly to carve out a unique voice in the industry. Read more>>

Jade Patteri

A meaningful project of mine that I’ve worked on recently has been my latest song and music video “Throne.” “Throne” is the start of my new take on the rock opera genre but adding in pop to the mix! I look forward to expanding this genre even more with adding classical music into pop rock! This has been a long time coming for my team and I and not only has it been exciting to tap back into my classical roots again but this is also the first music video I’ve directed fully by myself. It was such a great learning experience and I’m thoroughly excited to expand in this aspect of my career as a director. As well as diving into a genre I feel fits me the best!  Read more>>

Unkle (Cesar Mojarro)

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was when I worked on the De Fondo restaurant on an integrated design project from concept to construction. In this project, I was in charge of developing the visual identity of the business as well as an integrated mural design for the dining area and bar. The dining area mural took shape as a monumental concrete structure in which I designed a large scale, geometric take on the alphabet. Read more>>

Rose Clark

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on in my brand was attending New York Fashion Week in 2024! It was such an exhilarating experience. I hosted a fundraising gala in my home town and the support was amazing, the process of designing and creating the pieces with my team was such a meaningful experience. I will never forget it and I won’t try to do anything to surmount that achievement, I will only keep working to create more amazing experiences like it. Read more>>

King NTG

I’ve had many meaningful projects, but none more meaningful than my most recent album titled, “SALVATION” released on 3/16/2025. This album is a testimonial of my trials and tribulations as a man, father, and artist. It’s meant to help the listener understand how far I’ve come on my journey to find light, while overcoming some of the darkest times in my life. Although the music is a reflection of me, it is also made with the listener at the center of it all. I speak about accountability, responsibility, relationships, learning from mistakes, overcoming failure, mental health, and my faith. Read more>>