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.

Tonio The Great

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been my mixtape, “I AM”. The runner up to that would be the project that I’m sitting on right now which is a collab with me and a genius by the name of Harpíer- the first single for this project will be out on November 14th, “WTF/Flex”. Read More>>

Cameron Duncan

The most meaningful film that I’ve worked on was a short called The Ant. The story goes like this – three men sign up to participate in a research experiment where the goal is simply to avoid an ant in a house for 24 hours. I directed it and made it along with my creative team, So Good Productions. Read More>>

Ian McIlvoy

The painting that I am currently working on is by far the most meaningful work I have done to date. A perspective I have is that a lot of realistic/fine art categories have forgotten a lot of the storytelling that you see from the 15th-19th century. Read More>>

Jacqueline Allison

My newest series of mountain and sky paintings is inspired by the words of naturalist John Muir, whose reverence for the wilderness is legendary. Muir wrote of the mountains as living beings and of nature’s power to restore the human spirit. In these paintings, I sought to capture that same sense of awe—moments where color, light, and atmosphere dissolve the boundary between earth and sky. Read More>>

Annika Hinton

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is The Village Effect. It was born out of one of the hardest seasons of my life; walking through postpartum depression and anxiety while trying to keep up with the demands of motherhood, marriage, and work. I remember feeling completely lost, like I had disappeared inside of the title of “mom”. Read More>>

Sam Hewitt

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been fostering kittens…and documenting that process through photography. I grew up in foster care myself, so creating safety and stability for something small and scared hits really close to home. Every time I take in a kitten, I see a little of my younger self in them…unsure, guarded, and just waiting for a reason to trust. Read More>>

Xavier Jones

My most meaningful project is one that has yet to be created. It is between two albums I have in the works. My first and last album. The first ‘Cherish Before Gone’ is the story about processing grief and lost; and the last ‘Jones’ is about family and journey that my art has taken me on. Read More>>

Amanda Reilly

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on was through a grant I received in 2023 through NYSCA (New York State Council On The Arts). I held a solo gallery art show at Patchogue Arts Council – MOCA LI. Read More>>

Jennifer P. Jackson

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Bloodsoil, a VR360 horror-fantasy comedy that merges ancestral memory with immersive technology. It tells the story of a sacred slave ritual cut short in 1825, where a cursed artifact binds centuries of pain to the land. Centuries later, when that soil is disturbed, the enslaved dead rise to deliver the justice history denied. Read More>>

CAROL COATES

I was born into an intolerant, racist, homophobic, anti=semitic, sexist, patriarchal, hypocritical, hypercritical, and loving Christian family in a conservative midwestern rural and blue-collar culture. My “Meaningful Project” has been my life’s work of creating images that mirror and draw attention to issues of injustice. Read More>>

PIERRE BURRELL

My recent project on YouTube “Lies & Promises” a short film that tells a story of a high school girl dating an older low level drug dealer “Kareem” & how she’s trying to help him change his ways until she discovers the biggest betrayal. This film is a lesson to not only for the women but for the men as well. Read More>>

Pasqualé Domain

My most memorable project thus far has been for the MARTA train system in Atlanta Georgia. I was asked to model for one of the buses. The project centered around inclusion and acceptance, amongst each other in the community. The bus debuted last last for Pride in September 2024. Still today towards the end of the following year the bus is still alive and roaming. Read More>>

Melissa Dean

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on, truly, was myself. I know, I know, not exactly the ‘aha’ moment we may be going for but stay with me. Healing journeys are not for the weak. They break you down, expose the most raw, vulnerable sides of yourself, and dare you to rise. My healing journey was no exception. It broke me open. Read More>>

Sarah Elizabeth Mangiarelli

As I look back over my life, trying to identify the most meaningful project is a challenge. I now see all of my experiences—both joyful and difficult—as part of a beautiful tapestry that has led me to this very moment, and I am deeply grateful for them all. Read More>>

Erik M. Harris

Honestly, it’s tough to pick just one project since every project I’ve worked on so far feels meaningful in its own way. But one that really stands out is our dark fantasy adventure called ‘Synergy’, which I wrote back in 2023. Read More>>

Tay Katour

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far has definitely been releasing my first music EP, The Opposite of Toxic. As an independent artist, I had to do everything myself — from budgeting and planning to marketing and promotion. I even traveled to New York City to record for the first time, which was such a big moment for me creatively. Read More>>

Owen Llewelyn

The most meaningful project for me has to be the R.I.P. Man which I finished filming earlier this year. Despite pursuing acting my whole life and it being the only thing I ever wanted to do, when covid hit it put a complete halt to my acting career. Read More>>

Angie Lake

I remember the first time I summitted a glaciated peak, crampons strapped on my feet and ice axe in hand as the wind blew frost in circles around me. In that moment, I was an unstoppable woman, feeling a new, bold rush of energy course through me. Read More>>

Natalie Yarborough

This year I have transitioned my business model to boutique, which means I am a full service photographer. I hold my clients hands from start to finish. I help with wardrobe, location, hair & make up and artwork design for their home. I create a one of a kind experience and my clients invest in heirloom quality artwork and albums. Read More>>

Laura Brady

It’s truly a testimony of God’s goodness—beauty from ashes. When I first began painting with acrylics in 2018, I had a vision of a lavender field. So… I painted it. At the time, the idea of planting a real lavender field felt overwhelming, yet deep in my heart I knew that one day I would see that vision come to life. Read More>>

Jane(Xinjian) Huang

I am the event director and opening DJ of Kaleido Music Festival, which was a live music show featuring mostly original music, held at the San Francisco Community Music Center early this spring. The show provided a platform for local independent musicians to showcase their musical talents, also bridging the gap between local audiences and the local music community. Read More>>

LoriAnne Swaby

FARIN MAGAZINE. It’s a digital magazine for Jamaican people who don’t ascribe themselves to the normal things known for Jamaicans. It’s for the alternate crowd of the island and I am very proud of it. Read More>>

Tiffany Bailey

In the last thirteen years, I have shot many, many different sessions and participated in a menagerie of projects, both solo and in groups. Out of everything I’ve done, the most meaningful has been birth photography. I started photographing births eleven years ago, my first being a homebirth in Jackson, OH. Read More>>

Tracy Hanson

Throughout my career I’ve built deep, lasting relationships with clients—some for more than 15 years—seeing them every 6–8 weeks to transform hair and share life’s milestones and hardships. Read More>>

Cherica (TopShelfYoni) J.

BarBaddiesTV™️ — The Most Meaningful Project I’ve Worked On The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is BarBaddiesTV™️, a social reality series I created to highlight and humanize women working in nightlife — bartenders, bottle girls, servers, and hookah hosts — whose stories often go untold. Read More>>

Lewis Walker

Back in the summer of 2021, I was working as a camp counselor between college semesters. The kids were great to be around, but I felt unfulfilled while waiting to hear back about a position more aligned with my field. That, combined with early-stage doomscrolling, led me to create an Instagram account on a whim and a spark of inspiration. Read More>>

Jee Won Kim

This question made me reflect on what has truly been the most meaningful experience in my musical life. These days, I’ve been organizing several concerts as a co-founder and co-artistic director, and at first, I thought it might be interesting to talk about those recent projects. Read More>>

Nat Higgins

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on as a sex educator is my Podcast, Gaps in Carnal Knowledge. I first came up with the idea of a Sexuality podcast while I was getting my degree! I have a Master’s of Education in Human Sexuality Studies, and while the bulk of my training and education was geared toward in-classroom settings. Read More>>

Lindsay Nikole

My video series, “The History of Life” which I eventually turned into my book, “Epic Earth: A Wild Ride through the History of Life on Our Planet”, were two of the most meaningful projects to me because they allowed me to translate the information that helped me weirdly, emotionally and existentially. Read More>>

Hugh Patton

The most meaningful project iI have worked on might very be the current project iIam in the final months of creating/ finishing. It is a body of work Titled Rough Notes, that is an on going project during my three year position as Artist in Residence at the historic site Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Al. Read More>>

Isaiah Aladejobi

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Kole, a culturally rooted building block toy system that began as my RISD thesis in 2023. Kole was born out of a desire to reclaim play as a language, especially for those, like myself, who grew up straddling two worlds: Nigerian tradition and Black American survival. Read More>>

Jennifer Hodges

The two most meaningful projects I’ve created are the birth of my Luxury line, part of my Art. Life. Luxury. brand, and my Black Power Black America mixed media series. The Luxury segment began with silk men’s accessories printed with my original artwork. It serves as an homage to dandy culture, my artistry, Detroit roots, and my father’s enduring legacy of style. Read More>>

Richard McPhee

I am releasing an LP of songs this year. The songs were created and recorded by my band Buffalo 40. We played the gig circuit in Washington DC from 2012 through about 2018. At the tail end of that run we recorded a lot of original music. However, due to a lot of life getting in the way we never finished the recordings. Read More>>

Kaitlyn Boyé

I’m grateful to have premiered my feature film directorial debut at SXSW Sydney this year which I would say is one of the more meaningful career highlights so far. It had been just over a 2 year process leading up to this moment. Read More>>

Katherine Downey Miller

I think the most meaningful project I’ve worked on as an environmentally concerned artist has been my Wildfire Paintings I first started working on these paintings in 2019. I first started paying attention to Wildfires when I heard about people jumping into the Australian forests and rescuing Koala Bears from the fires on the news. Read More>>

Veronica Ramirez

I have worked on multiple projects in my career. El Rey: Vicente Fernandez for Netflix is the most meaningful for me; it was one of the productions I remember the most, and it was one of the turning points of my career. Read More>>

Eyva T.Anor

There are a few projects that really stand out to me, but two of the most meaningful projects were the Alaska project and the Joloko project. When I am not photographing, I produce and manage productions (from commercials to documentaries). Read More>>

Natalie Buickians

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve had the honor to participate in was a concert tour through Shanghai. The first concert took place at the He Luting Hall at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and the second was held in Gulangyu Concert Hall on the island of Kulangsu, off the coast of mainland China. Read More>>

Nicholas Marino

While I have been at the forefront of many projects over the years, the one I have enjoyed most was the one that was least expected. I was in communication with a local artist about a mural he planned on painting to honor and recognize frontline heroes during the onset of COVID. Read More>>

Bailey Crawford

It really is difficult to choose just one. As a videographer, you are tasked with a very important role. That role is telling someone’s story. Some truly amazing stories that come to mind are when we flew across the world and heard stories from the locals in Rwanda, and how the community rebuilt after the genocide. Read More>>

Jeff Brown

A few years ago, I had the chance to design and construct the entire exhibit & play space for a new children’s museum, the Otter Cove Children’s Museum in Fergus Falls, MN. Otter Cove is not the only children’s museum my company has built, but it is the most meaningful to me because it’s in my hometown! Read More>>

Candice McMillian

The idea for my book, Spirit Led Conversations: Deprogramming The Illusion, Grounding Into Power & Purpose, emerged from years of guiding myself and others through patterns hidden in the subconscious. Read More>>

Todd Whysong

The Positive Painting Project was born from immense grief and determination to honor our daughter’s legacy. Along with my wife Alisa, we co-founded the project as a tribute to our daughter, Katie, who tragically lost her battle with depression and died by suicide in March of 2021.  Read More>>

Jonathan Weiss

For over a year, I have been composing a three-act tragic opera about a little-known woman from medieval lore named Melusina.

I discovered the story several years ago, when Jeanine Tesori asked our Musical Theater Composition class to find a character from folklore to write a song for. Read More>>

Elena Tibbetts

For some years now, I have been filming historic homes and museums, telling their story through time and space. I interview their stewards, and pour countles hours of research into each docu-short to bring a well-rounded and information-packed film. Read More>>