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.

Jingting Wang

Speak of a particularly meaningful project I would appreciate a children’s picture book titled Lunar New Year that I have worked with a well-known picture book author who based in US.The project involve illustrating a book for children experiencing Chinese New Year culture — a story that helps them discover Lunar New Year culture from East countries in a storytelling and diverting way. Read more>>

Nicole Merlino

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on thus far has been the “Second Mile” music video that I directed. It was a project 11 months in the making, from conception to publication. In July of 2022, I had been walking my roommate’s dog and listening to a phenomenal local artist’s (Chris Black) newest album, “Second Mile,” when the title track came on. I can only describe this experience as having an open vision or daydream. As I was hearing the lyrics, scenes were flashing into my mind. A sequence of images that would make for a music video. It wasn’t an audible voice of God, but more a prompting in my spirit that I couldn’t shake (and believe me I tried) that I was supposed to shoot a music video for this song. I fought it for days until I reached out to Chris, set up a meeting and got his thoughts on my vision and interpretation of his song. Read more>>

Nicole Duport

Every project I’ve worked on has been meaningful to me in some way, but one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is also the most recent. I was fortunate enough to play Crystal in Echo Theater Company’s production of “Dido of Idaho.” Written by Abby Rosebrock and directed by Abigail Deser. I shared the stage with Alana Dietze, Julie Dretzen, Elissa Middleton and Joby Earle. It was an absolute dream team working on a dream play. The writing is hilarious and deeply touching. I played a former beauty pageant queen with a troubled marriage, lots of ‘Manifestation Techniques,’ and a bit of an anger issue. It was A LOT of fun. Read more>>

Lara Frazier

One of the most meaningful projects I worked on was Hoodslam’s Emo Prom Fight Night. It ended up winning a bunch of Queer Wrestling Index awards. I came up with the idea to ask one of the members to the Emo Heads to prom. I got to sing an Avril Lavigne song. It was a lot of fun. Read more>>

Linea Broadus

I can’t narrow it down to one project, however, through multiple projects I have gotten a glimpse of the impact photography can have on people’s lives. When I first started doing weddings, engagements and portraits, I appreciated how photography can freeze that special moment in time to be enjoyed and cherished for years to come. What I didn’t consider when I first started was the impact it would have when a family has lost a loved one. I’ve worked on projects such as a first day of life photoshoot where I photographed a family with their new baby the day he was born. Unexpectedly, the baby passed away a couple days later due to a heart condition. The family reached out to me to express their gratitude for the pictures because it was the only pictures they had of him. Read more>>

Leishla Rios

My most meaningful project will always be one of my favorite clients, Alexis. She was just the brightest light with a smile that would outshine the sun, so kind and positive. Wanting to start her life over after doing some time, she came in seeking a fresh new start at life starting with her long beautiful hair. I’ve never met anyone who loved and cared for their hair like she did. I always did everything I could within the budget I was given to make her feel like a million bucks. Throughout the years, I saw her accomplish so many things. Alexis was a cat mom, moved out of a halfway house into her first apartment, graduated from welding school, and even was asked to speak at a conference about her life experiences. Read more>>

Alida Wilkinson

Tender Archive is a project that emerged after several months of severe artist block. Desperate to make literally anything, I started looking through my phone and making quick paintings based on photographs that evoked a powerful memory, held some significance to me, or that I simply liked. At first, it was a way to force myself to paint (fellow artists will know what I’m talking about), but after a while, I had a small collection of 9” x 12” paintings that felt like the beginning of an archive; slowly but surely, I’d been breathing new life into moments that would otherwise have ended up lost in a sea of thumbnails on my phone. When I was offered a show at Pen + Brush Gallery in Manhattan last year, I pitched an idea that had been forming in the back of my mind: what if I turned this personal archive into a collective one? Read more>>

Samantha Mecca

There are two areas/projects which have been meaningful to me over the past decade-plus. Chronologically speaking, the first was my development of a theory I have named “The Kinesthetic Fingerprint,” and the second was my somewhat later transition (with no pun intended) from being a performing musician to a scholar of popular music. For years I taught music to dancers and have taught instrumental and electronic musicians how to work with dance as composer, collaborator, or accompanist. While making music requires one to initiate sequences of physical gestures, how one weds music to movement-based disciplines (dance, opera) is as much a mystery for musicians as it is for dancers. Read more>>

T Lyons

I got into the craft to enlighten myself on relevant history and to keep myself grounded when I was forced to face absurdities that daily life brings. I internalized Mother Wit and sage seasoned humor to keep practical sense alive. My craft developed when I realized there was a hunger, especially from our young people, for clarity about why things are the way they are, why, after so many movements and protests we’re still fighting the same battles. Where’s the hope? Read more>>

Dylan St John

The most meaningful project I have worked on so far was a painting about my transition. I am a trans man that has been transitioning since 2021, and I received my top surgery (a surgery to remove me breast tissue) in August of 2023. The painting which I will try to submit shows a man with his arms about his head laying in grass, clovers, and other foliage with his body starting to transition into the ground. The man is shirtless with top surgery scars on display in zigzagging shapes, and his smile is one of pure bliss. I crated the painting to show not only the joy and peace that came from having my own surgery, but to show that transgender people are natural. Read more>>

Maia Mohammadi

My latest project is my most meaningful work to date. I am currently rolling out my sophomore EP – “So Far So Lost.” This EP is a true reflection of the times. Each song explores a modern issue that many of us have been living through (particularly since 2020). It covers everything from misinformation and late stage capitalism to culture wars and the general chaos of our lives. I’m really excited about this project because it is also the first time I’m bringing in my persian culture to my music. Three of the songs on this project bring authentic persian instrumentation to the world of modern pop (with two being bilingual). It’s an ode to my two identities: American and Iranian. I’ve always felt like I had one foot in each, never really knowing where I belonged. Read more>>

Melissa Briggs

At this point in my career, I have had several meaningful projects; however, a more recent project particularly stands out to me. In this project, I was not only challenged artistically and professionally but I was equally challenged personally. This project encouraged me to tap into my innermost authentic self and to truly, embody and embrace the character and elements of the story being told. It was one of the first moments in my performing arts career where I felt I was wearing my emotions and heart on my sleeve. I was inspired by my choreographer, music composer, and dance colleagues, to expand my dance capabilities even further beyond my comfort zone and far past anywhere I had explored before in my dancing. I was touched by the community and how the movement and story connected to them, which allowed me to showcase most vulnerable parts of myself in the piece. Read more>>

Mary Hoffman

There are several projects that I’ve worked on that are very meaningful to me, it’s difficult to choose.

I met a man while plein air painting downtown Charleston who had the most amazing countenance. A former Veteran, I asked if I could paint him right there. He happily agreed and told me all about his life while I painted him from life, a portrait portraying a Charleston homeless man who helped each of his friends find their forever home (they dubbed him “Moses” because he led them out of the homeless camp). A few months after I painted his portrait, the VA finally awarded his own home where his portrait now hangs. Another meaningful project was when I was asked to paint a Portrait Posthumously of a beautiful 10 year old girl who didn’t survive her cancer diagnosis. Read more>>

Melody Caudill

While everything I have created holds a lot of personal meaning, my single “Nemo” featuring Hannah Telle is the one closest to my heart for a variety of reasons. I originally wrote the song as a poem about being an only child, missing my mom in my first dorm room freshman year of college, feeling as lonely as I’ve ever felt while surrounded by strangers in my new “home” that didn’t feel like home at all. I remember the metaphors coming out naturally, not really understanding what they meant at first, but slowly coming to understand them: “like the ocean holds the water / I am my mother’s favorite daughter.” Writing about love that large and natural was powerful, especially during that time of isolation. Read more>>

Carri Helman

Gloves for Grief is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Southern California. The Foundation was launched by two young mothers trying to process the loss of their children, so they now create boxing events to support individuals and families grieving their own individual losses. Read more>>

Sara Bannister

My husband and I are musicians and recording artists, and we release our original music under the band name Adam & Sara. We love to create soulful, singer/songwriter style music with uplifting and Christian lyrics. We just released a new EP called “I’ll Be There”! The four songs on the EP—some of which I wrote years ago and some more recently—walk through a journey of feeling weary and overwhelmed, confused, and homesick, and then finding that God is with us right by our side through all of it. The entire EP was inspired through my story and experience over the past few years. The title song of the EP is based on a passage from the Bible (Isaiah 43:1-4), and the chorus sings out God’s promise to us: Read more>>

John Jurries

My most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my on-going “Monster of the Day” project where I draw and paint a new friendly and whimsical creature every single day. I started this on January 1, 2014 as a month-long project to help jump start my creativity – at that point I felt like I was in a creative rut and I was rarely drawing or painting, so I thought committing to drawing every day for a month would help get me back on track. As with many New Year’s resolutions, I figured this would probably fall off after a couple of weeks, but what I found instead was that I was having a lot of fun, so much so that I decided to extend the project to a 100 day challenge. Read more>>

Kristy Cavaretta

My oversized ( 3 ftx8 ft) woodcut print titled, “Spectra” was meaningful to create but has also been so meaningful to my career as an artist. It propelled me into a tier of artists that were taking my work seriously- this helped me to have the confidence to continue to respond to my world and life through my art and take myself seriously as well. It also connected me with a large community of other mother artists and has really changed my life in so many ways. Read more>>

Leigh Marino

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my most recent children’s book, “To Be A Christmas Tree.” A few years ago, I was taking down my Christmas tree and realized that I hadn’t spent much time considering its life and had basically just used it as a decoration and then thrown it by the side of the road. So, the following year, I made sure to give my tree attention and care. I spent time decorating it and admiring it. Read more>>