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.

Saxl Rose

I think one of the best parts about my job is that I almost exclusively work on projects that are meaningful to me. A lot of my opportunities have came from marketing myself on social media through creative covers on my saxophone. I’ve really only been covering artists and bands that I genuinely love. And the majority of those artists & bands, I’ve had the opportunity to work with, whether live or in the studio. Read more>>

Viola Wan

Currently working on my full 8 looks runway collection ” THE WAN S/S 2024″ will be debuting next year. Everything is patterned, and sewed by me. This collection will be my first runway collection to the world, I am beyond excited. This whole collection is inspired by the different stages of trust we give to different people in life, I am giving all my designs feelings, emotions, and life to connect with my audience throughout my art. It just like how music can so deeply connect to people, I want to use my form of art to connect and inspire others. Read more>>

Theoni Bekiari

Working in the entertainment industry is, as many know, a gig to gig job! So sometimes you have to do something that is not exactly what you envisioned, to be able to continue to do what you love. In those cases still, I like to find something interesting in the project. At the end of the day, I am still doing what I love! But when one of those projects comes.. that speaks to your heart, to why you started doing what you are doing.. those, are the best moments. Read more>>

Han xiang Xu

One of the most significant projects I’ve spearheaded in Vancouver was an intimate salon concert series. While not a commercial triumph, it holds unparalleled personal significance. My vocation as a classical pianist predominantly resonates with a niche audience, yet my passion for this genre drives my desire to share its beauty more broadly. Read more>>

Brent Kollock

I think the current project I am working on, a large photo book about the national sport of Mexico, charreria. I grew up in Texas, so I know rodeo, but this was something I was not expecting. It has shown me something I never knew, something that tells a great story of Mexico and its charros, cowboys, and also it made me see the entirety of the ‘western culture’, cowboys etc., in a new light. These are the first cowboys of the new world, and everything we know came from here, in the highlands of central Mexico. Read more>>

Andrew Ntzouras

The most meaningful project I have worked on is, The Punies Lesson Series with Basketball All-Star and Legend, Kobe Bryant. Kobe visited my classroom in 2018 when I was teaching 4th Grade. The next day, Kobe sent me a friend request on Instagram and that is what started this collaboration. Since Kobe’s passing, this lesson series lives on with teachers and school counselors all throughout Orange County sharing the inspirational messages he infused throughout each episode for the next generation. Read more>>

Noé Piña

My ongoing work is informed by décollage techniques, such as those used by European artists like Mimmo Rotella and Raymond Hains, as well as the contemporary artists whom they have inspired and, in turn, have influenced me, like Mark Bradford. I build up painted surfaces through materials such as cardboard or stucco cement, to then carve out, scrape down, power sand, or tear off to uncover the stratified underlying material, imagery, and color of the work. Read more>>

Liv Miraldi

November 24th I released the first single, “Denver” off my debut EP “2019”. I’ve loved writing for other artists the past few years, but I started making “2019” because it was the first time in a long time I felt like I had something to say and I was ready to say it. Each song is like a chapter from my life from that year. For me, it was one of the most difficult and transformative periods. Each area of my life was flipped upside down and I had to sit with what was left and how to make sense of the loss going forward. Read more>>

Antonio Varela

I had a few projects through my career as a photographer and I will continue do them but one of the most meaningful projects I did was my “Mi Cultura Project.” Initially it was supposed to be debuted as a gallery event that people can go see and experience. Things happened and I could not execute the gallery the way I envisioned it and I only posted it via my Social Media. Read more>>

Cliff Stanford

This year being the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, I wanted to do something significant to celebrate the art form. I knew that I’d be able to use my weekly and daily radio broadcast platforms, but I hoped to do an event that would bring others together to celebrate with me in person. In late 2022 I started planning and reached out to a number of creatives who I’ve built with over the years. Read more>>

Malena Ramirez

There has been so many meaningful projects, not only as a performer but also as an illustrator and podcaster. In theatre as a performer I would say was a devised project called “Song of Home”. It was a project we started during Zoom before the pandemic, before Zoom was a “a thing”. The idea was exploring the topic of displacement and we developed three different stories from women that has been displaced and had to leave their home from different reasons like holocaust, war, abuse, lack of opportunities, slavery, natural disasters etc. Read more>>

Jennifer Wolff

I have had a few meaningful projects in my time as a Digital Artist, putting my soul and heart into each one. The best one I can mention is the art for a Children’s book my friend wrote; “What Do You Do With a Wailing Baby?” A sea shanty. It was my first project of that size, and to be able to work alongside a dear friend and help her dream become a reality was such a marvelous gift. I was honored she had picked me for something so important to her. Read more>>

Sunny Yen

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is “Hedgehog and His Cacti”, a series of paintings that I’ve been developing since 2020. It started as a small painting of a hedgehog watering a cactus to a point where it’s overflowing. The meaning behind this image is “selfish love”. The hedgehog didn’t try to learn or understand the needs of a cactus, just dumped a bucket of water onto it without thinking, not knowing his action would cause the death of the cactus. Read more>>

Mauricio Ovalle

Funny you ask, I used to always say, the next one. It’s something look look forward to but in this case I’ll have to say, The Best Gift in Life is Life Itself. A short I wrote, directed, acted in and produced. I wrote this script 2 years ago and to be able to bring this project to life has been a bit of a life changing experience. Read more>>

Katherine (Xingyu) Chen

One of my most significant undertakings is a project I’ve titled “Rhapsodic Warfare,” a concept deeply rooted in my profound connection to the piano composition “Croatian Rhapsody.” This composition holds particular significance in my musical journey, serving as a source of enlightenment. The narrative of “Rhapsodic Warfare” unfolds against the backdrop of Croatia’s struggle for independence, with a pianist portraying sentiments of patriotism and sorrow through the medium of music. Read more>>

Emily Quinn

I created some nature based designs and decided to use them to help different conservation efforts. I currently sell t-shirts, stickers, and hats which a portion of each sale will be donated to a specific nature based organization. I currently have an item that donates to a butterfly, sea turtle, and manatee organization. I just launched Mermiesmerch.com on June 1st with my PRIDE line of apparel and merch! After this, I was inspired to add a nature focus into my business, finding a way to donate and make any difference I can! Read more>>

Shu Zhang

I’m making a documentary with some unhoused friends in Van Nuys. Read more>>

Rebecca Trujillo Vest, Jordan Stobbe, Carls McKnight

Outside of our respective music output, we consider our co-founding of Pandion Music Foundation (PMF) in 2022 one of our most meaningful projects. We are three women based across three continents– Rebecca Trujillo Vest (Los Angeles, USA), Carls Woolf (London, UK), and Jordan Stobbe (Melbourne, AUS). Our Board and staff are also solely composed of women. We met through an online songwriting course during the COVID pandemic. Read more>>

Xero Gravity

Somehow, out of all of the years I’ve spent loving the genre, I’ve never set foot in Salem, Massachusetts where it’s Halloween 365 days a year. I met Kay Lynch, festival director & Salem native online during the pandemic lock down, and feel extremely honored that she would invite me to Salem as the Master of Ceremonies for the annual Salem Horror Film Festival- one of the top genre festivals in the world, in the early Spring of 2023. Read more>>

Nancy Ma

I’m currently developing a musical that follows a group of immigrant women who work at a garment factory in Chinatown. My mom worked at a garment factory when I was growing up and whenever we didn’t have daycare, I would spend my afternoons there. It was a wildly loud and dusty place, but what I remember was getting to hide in between piles of fabric and getting toys from my mom’s coworkers. Read more>>

Deonte Bolden

The Bolden Awards, premiering on May 20th, 2023, stands as a distinguished ceremony where boldness converges with greatness. This event is designed to recognize and honor individuals who have surmounted obstacles and adversities, demonstrating excellence in their respective fields. The focus is on those making substantial and audacious strides in their industries, effecting meaningful change. Read more>>

Christopher Jewell Valentìn

The most meaningful projects, have definitely been the ones that I have self produced. Currently working with a fellow independent artist Brayden Hade, as we try to bring our outrageous comedy to life. What is great about this project specifically, is that we crowdfunded it. Read more>>

Suzi Shelton

After performing music for families live for over 15 years, my most recent endeavor (and current passion project) is my online show for families with young children called ‘Sing with Suzi’. It airs on Facebook and YouTube weekly and is currently viewed in over 70 countries around the globe! It’s on this livestream platform that I’m able to truly use my abilities to connect with other musicians, artists, authors, puppeteers and kids to help lift each other up and spread some joy to more families. Read more>>

Morgan Bukovec

Reflecting on this past year, I am feeling proud of the meaningful projects that have been in my path. From hosting my first large scale Art Fest + Vendor Market on the shores of Lake Erie in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio (@lakesideflea), to kick-starting my online art community (@lavalamplounge), to investing more time and energy into my own creative practice through joining a work-trade program at the Kiln Room, to completing my first artist residency at Pop Life Cleveland, and being awarded an Emerging Solo Show Exhibition at the McDonough Museum of Art in Youngstown, Ohio – I am feeling the burn of a creative fire fueling inside of me. Read more>>

Priscilla Cruz

When it comes to music one of my most meaningful projects would be my first and only mixtape I put out in 2o10. The mixtape was titled Beautiful Stranger and it was a compilation of written works by myself featuring some very talented musical friends all over J Dilla instrumentals. What made this project special was there was no boundaries on creativity, I was having fun experimenting and exploring whatever came to me. Read more>>

April Lexi Lee

BLACK BELT: Read more>>

Terè Rodriguez

I’ve been working on a long leading project focusing on my indigenous background as well as that of some of the people that I’ve photographed and admire for their pride and love of their heritage. I have been showcasing in my photography the beauty of the heritage of our ethnicity with a mixture of American upbringing and old custom traditions. Read more>>

Michael Lepore

In Janurary of 2020, I dropped out of college to make my broadway debut in the original cast of a new musical called Sing Street. I auditioned on the weekend before my final semester of college, and a week later I got the call that I’d be in the show. I dropped everything immediately, found an apartment, and moved into New York City to live my wildest dreams for just 3 weeks- Broadway and the entire world shut down on our first day rehearsing in the theatre. Read more>>

Christina Elle Gonzales

The most meaningful project I have worked on was being on set for the Uncle Jimmy TV Show! It was my first time on set, and I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such talented actors and crew. This was the first TV show I ever filmed, and I will always be grateful for getting cast in an amazing film. Read more>>

Cari Beattie

One of my more recent paintings, “You Should Smile More,” has been a significant addition to my portfolio. This piece started right before my final year at Ringling College of Art and Design and now has become the foundation of my Fine Arts thesis. The concept occurred through a myriad of sketches of myself with a moss creature. I used this entity to represent the male gaze; society’s idea of what a man finds attractive in a woman through an objectifying lens. Read more>>

Makenna Perkal

The “Anamorphosis” series is one of the most meaningful projects that I’ve been a part of. Each episode in this anthology series examines a new individual struggling with a different mental health disorder. What makes this production stand out is the fact that it is researched-based and given a stamp of approval by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The audience first watches a scripted narrative about a person living with and working through their mental health struggles in a way that helps them better understand their experience, and therefore empathize with them. Read more>>

Michael Muroff

As an architect, I am blessed with the opportunity to design building and create spaces which shape the way people see the world. In that respect, all of our projects are “meaningful”. The projects I’m sharing in this article include a medical office, a multi-tenant professional office building, a hair & nail salon, a jewelry store, and my company headquarters. With the wide variety of buildings we design, we truly provide you with better spaces to live, work, and play. Read more>>

Alice Scope

I curated the “Hotel Blue” exhibition for SXSW and Vellum LA, delving into the exploration of the concept of home and community for the future “us”. This exhibition showcases works by eight women, non-binary, and queer artists from six countries, all seeking to understand what home means for virtual beings and what kind of rights posthumans might possess. Read more>>

Jacob Fertig

The most meaningful project to me at the moment is my latest short documentary, “Outcuts”, which follows my grandparents, mother, and aunts as they confront the omission of their disabled child from family life. Read more>>

Chad Smathers

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is a film based on a true story that I’m actually working on now. It all started back in 2021 when I was connected with a man named Luther Collie. I found out that he had been behind bars for almost twenty years after committing an armed robbery to fund his rap career back in 2002. Read more>>

Michael Arnold

The most meaningful projects for me are my projects yet to come. Not to take away from anything I’ve done in my past because the past projects tell stories of a rapper who’s ready and willing to battle and prove himself. The stories yet to come. I want them to be the most compelling musical cinematic adventure anyone has ever heard. I want there to be love betrayal violence s*x ACTION!! I want to tell the stories that the voiceless don’t know how to express but will represent us fully! Read more>>

David Rothmiller

My career as a writer has allowed me to choose areas of interest that I wanted to learn more about. So, as student and storyteller I have shared my passions and progress. My first job in television was in the late 90s as a writer for “Beyond The Line”, the first of its kind New Age/New Science & Environment talk show covering such edgy topics as: UFO Abductions, Underwater Birthing, Near Death Experience and Genetic Engineering, really anything my writing (and life) partner and I wanted to know more about. Read more>>

Brian Judge

The first time I had my comics published it mean the world to me. Not only did it mean that someone looked at my work and said it was good enough to print, but that they thought it was worth sharing with the world. I can’t properly explain just how much it means when you get to hold a book in your hands after months of working on a project. Read more>>

Megan Pennington

As the owner of ScarFire Radio, I have found myself deeply emerged within the Pittsburgh music scene. We provide a space for musicians and local businesses to promote their craft in a radio setting and in live-show spaces. Read more>>

Yutong Xie

Internet Legend 2100 has been the most meaningful project for me. It has been a source of inspiration rooted in Internet culture and the transition into the 21st century. The internet has connected the world in ways never seen before, fostering global communication and encouraging me to embrace cultures and languages previously unfamiliar to me. Read more>>

Brenda Boylan

Last month, I was asked to share a bit of my time with a group home of disabled and confined patients in a small private group home. The “patients” are facing their end of life, or recuperating from traumatic injuries. Never have I thought to paint for others in a situation like this. The experience will ring in my memory as “life-changing”. We all pass…and when we are amongst folks who are facing their lives “head on” and who have never seen a paintbrush work upon a surface…they eventually come alive! Read more>>

Javon Stephenson

In October 2021, I released a 3-part short film/visual EP called ‘The Diagnosis’. To this day, ‘The Diagnosis’ holds a special place in my heart. It was technically my 4th EP (5th if you count a collaboration project, ‘Sober Octaves’, and my second visual album including Sober). Getting to that point required some serious soul searching. When I put it out, I was a year removed from being diagnosed with ADHD, Generalized Anxiety, and Major Depressive Disorder. Read more>>

Daphne O’Neal

So far, I guess it’s a movie called DC Down. I had a death in the family at the beginning of 2022 and had een giving some pretty so-so auditions. Not surprisingly… Read more>>