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.

The Foxgloves

Maura Dunst (vocals/fiddle/mando): Our first full-length album, for sure: Mama Was a Bandit. It was a long time coming and we worked super hard on it — literal blood, sweat, and tears went into this album, which was a bigger undertaking than anything we’d done before as a group. It was so challenging, and so rewarding. Read more>>

Stephanie Suarez

The most meaningful project I have worked on in my career as a photographer has been, without a doubt, the 40 Over 40 Project. This special photography series was inspired by hearing how women over 40 represent over 35% of the population, but they are extremely underrepresented in media. I started this project with one goal in mind: to start a conversation about the beauty of aging and our own individual life experience. This series transformed the way women are viewed in society by putting out beautiful, authentic images and real stories of forty women over 40. Read more>>

Rosie Cerquone

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date is my debut album called “the how & the why.” It’s a collection of songs I wrote from the time I was in high school through out my entire time in college. I made this album happen because I knew I wanted to be known as a songwriter and share my music in a more impactful way than random snippets on Instagram and YouTube. Read more>>

Emily Myers

I am currently working on the most meaningful project of my career so far. I have developed a live show surrounding my original music called ‘Girls Night Out.’ It is a night of music and storytelling that specifically celebrates and empowers women. It is a concert unlike anything I have done before and it has been so much fun and invigorating as an artist. Read more>>

Bran Merritt

In 2018, my longtime friend and artistic collaborator, Brandon Hillis, approached me about doing a comic book series for my band, Sleep Nation. Brandon and I were in kindergarten together, attended art class together, discussed music constantly, and he sold me my first electric guitar. We lost touch with each other in our college years, but rekindled our friendship when Brandon offered to do my band Sleep Nation’s debut album cover. Read more>>

Chris Facey

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my ” Dad Duty Project”. It’s a photo project that highlights and celebrates black and brown father’s for being active in their children’s life despite the long standing stereotypes against them from society and or media. Too often are black and brown father’s depicted as deadbeats or a ” second class parent”. Being a black father myself, I feel that I and other black and brown fathers aren’t always properly represented in the media, in advertising or in general. This my my attempt at giving these gentlemen their flowers. Read more>>

Katy Parker

Life doesn’t always go in the direction we want, or imagined it would, but who said that we can’t discover the purpose and meaning of our life whilst on plan B? Things happen for a reason. So when I returned to writing after an accident, which left me with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I felt there was an opportunity to use my love of writing for a meaningful purpose. After all, God left me on this Earth for a reason. Read more>>

Shanita Dixon

One of the most meaningful projects in my career was volunteering to present my photo studio space with a middle school class online. They had questions about the industry and were curious about what photography is like on a professional level. I’m a little extra, so I went above the requirements. I reached out to a local MUA and asked her to model for me as I showed them my setup and how I transformed a bonus room in the home I was renting into a dedicated workspace. Read more>>

Matt Lofy

The most meaningful project that we’ve worked on is our Dadvocate for Change campaign that we’re currently advocating for throughout central Ohio. We wanted our podcast to do more than just podcast, we wanted to inspire real change. This idea started during Matt’s son’s second birthday. They were at an extremely family friendly location in Columbus, but they didn’t have changing tables. During a routine diaper change, Matt found himself cold and wet in the parking lot while he changed his son in the back of his Escape during a late October rainstorm. This campaign idea was a result of that event. Read more>>

Rhonda Spratt

One of the most meaningful projects which I’m currently working on is my non-profit organization, Bella Luve’ Goes Pink. The name Bella Luve’ (pronounced Bella Loo Vay) is derived from my Mom’s middle name (Isabella) and my Dad’s first name (Luvell). I’ve created this organization to honor the memory of my Mom, who lost her battle with breast cancer. The mission and purpose of the organization is to celebrate, support and empower breast cancer survivors through various events and initiatives. Read more>>

Samantha Trionfo

This project in its entirety (The Empty Hourglass Project) is undoubtedly the most important work I’ve ever done and probably will ever do. I’ve struggled quite a bit with mental illness growing up, but my whole family and I were hit with a major loss a few years ago, which was the ultimate catalyst for why Empty Hourglass even exists. In a nutshell, we take real stories of trauma, loss, and mental health and retell those stories through conceptual photography. Read more>>

April Fisher

There were 2 music videos that I played a mom that would be the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on so far. Playing a mom is in my wheel house, I have 4 daughters that are my universe (Abbey 19, Payten 14 and identical twins Ella and Nora 12) The first was for Jay Black – he lost his daughter to childhood cancer and did a tribute song / video to raise awareness, it was too difficult for him to play himself, so my husband and I were booked into the parent roles Jay Black “Go Get My Angel” Official Music Video “Written by D. Warren” Read more>>

Julia Deckman

In 2022 I had the opportunity to conceptualize, create, and install a solo exhibition titled “The Choreography of Color”. This collection and exhibition was the culmination of my first years working as a full-time artist and collaborator. It represents my true self, both personally and creatively. “Color Choreography” is a deliberate process to explore and showcase the magical relationships between color and form. All elements of this collection (shapes, proportions, color, negative space, texture, etc) are carefully planned and arranged to achieve a certain energy, much like choreography. My intention is to reveal how special these “simple” ideas of color and form truly are. Read more>>

Crasticia Gifford

Creating Abella Storm is the most meaningful project that I’ve created/worked on. During the death of my brother I sunk into a dark place. I didn’t want to get out of bed, didn’t eat, couldn’t sleep (got addicted to Tylenol PM) and just gave up on life in general. One day, I just said to myself, “Girl get up, your mama and kids need you.” Read more>>

Ron Cillizza

I’m currently working on a personal photo project with the working title, “Consuming and other influences”. It started on the heels of another project which when I finished I felt lost on what to do next. I’ve heard artists sometimes feel this way between projects. Having gotten nowhere in regards to the direction of my next personal project, while standing in the checkout line at my local grocery store, it suddenly dawned on me that any subject is worth investigating photographically. While I had my cell phone in my hand I thought why not here, now. So I took a couple of photographs. That was the beginning. Read more>>

Isadora Lopez

For me the transition I went through in college really shaped who I am as an artist. Growing up Puerto Rican and Dominican with my fairer skinned, straight/ soft curly , haired cousins it was easy to feel like I didn’t belong. My hair was called nappy, my skin was mocked if it absorbed “too much” sun. I rarely saw myself the media I consumed and if I did they were surely never the main character of the focus of an artistic work. Read more>>

Idongesit Harrison

The most meaningful project yet is “Contentment”. As an Artist I always wanted to do more, like to make my drawings very hyper realistic as if what I have been doing was not enough. I was beating myself up and it got to a point I started hating my drawings. I was unhappy and depression wanted to set in. I did not want that and I know I was hard on myself. Read more>>

Marta Aguirre

Actually, all the projects I have done have been very meaningful to me, because at the very moment I created them I poured all my soul into them. I will talk about one of several projects, “Garden Dialogues”. It is an essentially pictorial project, where I work with elements that I love in the pictorial medium; light, contrast, harmony, tones, saturation, color, shape, texture, line, etc.. All these are essential elements in this project. Hence the idea of associating it with a garden, because I want to express a world of color, light and life. Read more>>

Ben Ricketts

The list of projects I’ve worked on that are meaningful to me are endless. There’s my always-expanding lineup of solo releases, which are dear to my heart for obvious reasons. Then, there are the side projects–playing keys for Cody Rogers, working with John Christie to bring the first Catholic School EP to life, making music with Drew Danburry, working side by side with dear friends in bands like Suicide Doors, making noise behind Kim Vodicka’s poetry performances, seeing so many places and faces on tour, Read more>>

CerVon Campbell

my song sarah lynn. I took advice from this show bojack horseman that he gave and put it into a song to listen to to kind of motivate myself as well reinsurance myself in what I’m doing. It pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and fully create something from nothing. it means the most to me just because it was my first time making something far from my norm and something that I really felt showed me as a person Read more>>

Rochelle McRyans

First off let me introduce myself, my name is Rochelle McRyans Founder and CEO of It’s a Really Rochelle Production LLC. I just started my management group representing actors and screenwriters in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. Like Magic Literary and Talent Management Group LLC. The most meaningful project I’ve completed was my short film Any Woman Can Be A Model. I was the director and made it on my cellphone using an app called Villo. The backstory behind me writing such a piece is my experience as a woman of color and what we go through as a people and nation. Read more>>

Eastside Razor

At this moment i would have to say “Sink Or Swim” would be the most meaningful. I started working on this project months after i got out of jail; weeks after i met my now wife. It just seems like it was the first project as the new and improved me. The title represents my mindset at the time. I’m jumping off the deep end taking a risks to put my TEAM in a better position . Read more>>

Micky Maxwell

As a book influencer and an ARC reviewer, it’s safe to assume that I read a lot. That assumption is right, and I typically read over a hundred books every year. I am blessed to have a full-time job that also funds my love of books partially. Being submerged in this community opened my eyes to the fact that a lot of people don’t have the same luxury and rely on public libraries, giveaway wins, or secondhand books in order to read what they love. Read more>>

Danielle Hanson

Recently, I’ve been curating a lot. That includes editing, creating and teaching classes, pitching anthologies, producing structures for creation. . . I’ve had a lot of changes in my life in the last couple years. My husband became Dean of Engineering at UC Irvine and moved to California. Our twin daughters were about to enter their senior year at the Atlanta Girls’ School so I stayed in Atlanta with them. Now they’ve gone to college and I’m splitting my time between Atlanta, where my creative base and contacts live, and Irvine, where my husband and part-time teaching job are. Read more>>

Satch Hoyt

Afro.-Sonic Mapping, (ASM) Tracing aural histories via sonic transmigrations, Is an ongoing project that was supported by the House Of World Cultures Berlin, in 2017 under the umbrella of their major project titled Questioning The Canon. The research involved was immensely inspiring to be able to have access to the very first phonograph recordings made on the continent of Africa to be able to do the counter journey to Angola and Brasil, investigating the Portuguese colonial narrative they were the first Europeans to sail into the Congo basin in 1483. Read more>>

Vickie Valladares

The most meaningful project was also the hardest project, emotionally that I’ve worked on. It was donated piece named, “It’s Beautiful Here” dedicated to the victims of the Uvalde shooting. I’m often asked to paint memorial pictures, and when the shooting happened, my cousin reached out to me and asked to paint something. We both had the feeling of needing to something, but in these situations, what do you do? What could possibly be enough to offer? “Just paint something,” my cousin told me, “Paint it and we’ll figure out how to take it over there.” Read more>>

Walter & Sandra Wylie

A co-worker approached Gene in 2019 to perform for Breakfast with Santa at the Pelion American Legion Post 101 and the children’s joy was contagious. This event lead to us being approached by a contact for Gold Star to attend their annual holiday banquet for Survivors of Soldiers. To be able to give a few moments of joy to families who have lost members in service to this nation is humbling. Read more>>

Julani Austin

Maybe my earliest works was the most meaningful because that’s when I was probably learning the most although most of that stuff isn’t going to come to light, (what I’m talking about right now is music) but yeah I don’t; I don’t necessarily think I can say there is certain projects that are more meaningful though like holistically just because you know they all have equal value. There is different lessons attached to the different projects. Read more>>

Linnea Collins

I’m always thinking about the type of content that I want to publish as a Podcaster, and the kind of person that I want to be. I’m always thinking about the audience. I’m thinking about what value I can add to their lives. I’m thinking of ways that I can impact, help, encourage, be creative, and inform. I was watching the news on a summer day, and I saw how many teachers were quitting. They were complaining about low pay, feeling drained, and feeling under appreciated. Read more>>

sarAika movement collective

The most meaningful project we’ve worked on is “You Don’t Have To Love Me Just Accept Me”, one of our most well known repertoire work,which has been presented about 20 times in a year throughout NYC and New Jersey, that underline the importance of the relationship between DIFFERENCE&ACCEPTANCE. The reason why this is the most meaningful project is because sarAika is dedicated to making art for and about humans, Read more>>

Daniel Sovich

Moved down to Nashville two years ago and created a band called Discofox. Over this last year we’ve been releasing music under that profile on Spotify. Te goal was to release a song every month for a year and so far we’re on track! Read more>>

Benjamin Poss

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my album, Brainwashed. It is a commentary on the current world we live in and finding freedom from the confines and structures that keep the real you from shining through. I really felt like, through this art, I had found that. Even before the album was done, my brain was already thinking of the next four albums, and how I thought my career was going to go. I created this super hero version of me with the leather jacket, sunglasses, and most recognizably, my shaved head. Read more>>

Caiti Rose

The most meaningful projects (to me) are the collaborations I work on with non-profits (+individuals) making a positive impact. This has resulted in more than 100+ free downloads for everyone to enjoy and has always been an incredibly rewarding experience. Even the challenging creations (which might take longer to finish) help make a difference. Majority of these projects are coloring and activity booklets – but I’ve also created stationery sets, protest signs, and a few other types of ‘fun freebies’. Read more>>

Lillian (LC) Tobey

As an advocate for the arts in Volusia County. my focus is on cross pollinating artists by sharing their artwork and facilitating opportunities for them to exhibit. I have a passion for helping artists to find their way from outsiders to insiders. Through training and mentoring their amazing artwork is now being enjoyed by some many art lovers. At the beginning of 2020 I was nominated and elected into the position of President of the Florida Women’s Arts Association. (FLWAA) Read more>>

Louey Peraza

I think the most meaningful project I have worked on has been the EP we are finishing up right now. Recording all these songs at home this time has been a great challenge and has proved to be really rewarding. There have definitely been hiccups along the way, but I have had a lot of fun learning how to get good recordings at home and I also feel like the songs I’ve contributed are some of my best so far. Read more>>

Lauren Van Hemert

Within a week of theaters being shut down in March 2020, I initiated a series of live chats on social media to talk about the effect of the pandemic on the arts. What I didn’t realize at the time was just how meaningful these conversations would become to our community. After George Floyd was murdered, we shifted our conversations about the pandemic and theater to conversations about racism in the theater. Read more>>

Renee Neptune

Most meaningful project I’ve worked on will have to be my Sneaker Project. I am still working on this project. I enjoy the ART within a sneaker. With me being a CREARTERA (Someome who Creates Art With A Camera) I wanted to choose certain people that love sneakers because the ART within the sneaker and not because it just looks good and everybody else is getting it. Like the reason is deeper. They actually love it because the reason the sneaker was created, the color, the detailed fabric, etc. Read more>>

Travis Smith

The Shores On Paradise: Remastered is a 5x award winning short film, that I filmed in November of 2021. Last year I was one of the senior broadcast engineers working with Court TV on broadcasting the murder trial of Ahmaud Arbery. During this time there were several protests, civil right speakers, and the eyes of the nation was focused on the trial. By November I had been working on broadcasting the trial for three months, and tension was heavy down in Brunswick, GA. Many time I would pass the father of Ahmaud Arbery, Marcus Arbery and could see the pain in his eyes. Read more>>

Kate Bryan

The most meaningful project that I’ve ever worked on is 1 Girl Revolution. I’ve worked on a lot of interesting projects and with so many interesting people and organizations through the years, but the most meaningful thing I’ve ever been a part of is the multimedia platform that I’m building – 1 Girl Revolution. I started 1 Girl Revolution almost 4 years ago as a social media platform and podcast – as a way to highlight the stories of inspiring world-changing women and girls through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a podcast. Read more>>

Tyler Carson

I’ve recorded several projects for with my band at this point. Concept albums, collections of songs, both short and long projects. My favorite one to date has to be my ep “Time Is Standing Still”. When Covid first hit, and everyone was isolated in their own homes, my father and I were discussing that while many seemed to be struggling with loneliness, both of us seemed to have really grown from the experience. The isolation and free time allowed for introspection. I decided to write a simple song called “Whiskey And Silence” that discussed the idea that silence, while sometimes scary, can allow for a time of growth and learning. Read more>>

Madeline Wilkins

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far has been a children’s story, Gus’ Special, Magical, Most Favorite Hat. I wrote it for my son, August, who has Autism. When he was a toddler he was very attached to a special blue beanie hat. He would wear it even when it was 98 degrees outside! I realized over time he was using it to shield his ears from extra noise and would pull it low over his eyes when the lighting was too bright. It was one of the first indications we had of his sensory processing issues. Read more>>

Samantha Bower

I’m 1/4 women who have, unfortunately, exprienced a miscarriage. I lost my baby in May of 2021. I’ve always used art to work through really difficult patches of my life, and my miscarriage was no exception. As painful as it was at the time, I wanted to create beautiful and inspiring art for women who had been through the same thing. Read more>>

Peggy Boyd

The one project that stands out for me over the many years that I’ve done, was a studio project for Meredith Publishing; Creative Home Division. The project I was asked to do, was a large magazine layout that would be the focus of that month’s issue. A designed and hand painted sunroom/breakfast room reflective of one that I had designed in my own home. What I wasn’t aware of initially was, it would end up being an artist’s profile piece as well. Read more>>

Stephanie Duprie Routh

Several years ago, I was part of a photography collective. Someone in the group suggested we start a Heart Gallery in collaboration with the State of Texas. It was an initiative aimed at finding ‘forever families’ for foster children using photography as a method. The project focused primarily on ‘harder to place” kids, (sibling groups and older children). I was one of the founding member photographers for the Austin Heart Gallery, photographing children for seven years. In that time, adoption rates increased by 400%. Read more>>

Blanche Williams

Being and Becoming has been my most meaningful project. My daily exploration has built up a track record of experiences filled with challenges, resilience, creativity and gratitude over the past 5 decades of my life. My story tells itself by the paths I have taken and choices I have made to shape how I live my life in the now. I am multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. Read more>>

Jordan Larson

Over the past 8 years in video production, I’ve had the honor of working with great organizations to capture their stories on video. However, none have been quite as rewarding as Take7’s collaborations with Every Day Hope; filming in remote villages in the Dominican Republic. It seems the most challenging projects, are often the most rewarding. From TSA holding our gear hostage to battling food poisoning in the jungle (while filming), this project was no exception. Read more>>

NV Gay

I got into photography as a well to help people express themselves for who they are as a human. Too often, I see photographers showcasing their subjects in ways the distort reality; from highly editing subjects to creating unrealistic measures of beauty. I seek to show the true beauty and humanity of each of my subjects: empowering people to view themselves as beautiful for who they are. As a transgender individual, I sought to bring this message to my community by creating a project entitled “This is Trans.” Read more>>

Hallie Driscoll

I recently completed a series of mixed media pieces called NIGHT SKY. Each piece was an embroidery hoop featuring painted canvas, embroidery and beadwork. The full series consisted of 6 hoops in a variety of sizes and was presented across six painted wood panels with lights. It was the most involved project I have finished to date and meant learning how to use power tools. Read more>>

Anna Robertson

Like most artists I’m sure, I think the work that I have found to be the most meaningful versus the work that has had the most emotional response from viewers has been totally different. “Liminal Bodies” initially started as this seriously important body of work for me, but in that time period I was just really pushing myself into this anxious frenzy. I think it was also the class I was in, just a little, but I had pressured myself into making this the best work I could possibly do, and it ironically wasn’t very well-received by my professor at the time. Read more>>

Pamella Allen

It is quite the challenge to choose only one for my most meaningful project because art making is my lifes work and I always endeavor with intention to create works that speak to the soul and makes space for reflection and inspired peace. Having said that, the one that I would choose is “Canopy” the 2 room ceiling mural that I created as a commission in the Bellevue Hospital CPEP patient rooms for the NY Health + Hospitals Art In Medicine Program. Read more>> 

Stephanie Kluk

When creating Future Ink Graphics (FIG) I knew that I wanted it to be a community based and collaborative business. I wanted to provide opportunities to creatives who may not have had the same access to resources as other creatives in the field. When FIG was forming, a previous friend and colleague, Anne Kibbe, passed away. She was a print artist and mentor too many young, women printers. Read more>>

Ne’Shia Holden

To begin with, my most meaningful project has been “Good morning Moon” directed and written by Rob Vickers. You can also still stream this project on the Wynn Network app, by the way. This project until this day has a hold on me . It put me in a place creatively and personally that I’ve never been. This project has so much substance to it. “Good morning Moon” is about a young girl who grew up with her mother surviving in the streets. Read more>>