Every once in a while we have the good fortune of working on a project that we feel truly matters, a project that we’ll still be thinking about years from now. Maybe even something we can imagine telling our grandkids about – surely you’ve had moments like that where something you did in your professional life really mattered?
Shuba Shekar
In September 2023 I started working on an idea that had been brewing in my mind for a long time. Having moved countries and cities, and living an immigrant life far away from home, I often wondered if the feeling of homesickness and nostalgia of a city, home, people was felt by everyone and wanted to talk about this through food and lived spaces. Childhood homes, food and people who made us these special dishes will always remain with us- Kitchen Table started as an exploration of that. Read more>>
David Johnson
My father passed from profound Alzheimer’s this spring. The journey was strange and difficult. Dementia is a plague upon our modern society, shattering lives in its wake. Those suffering have their identities and dignity torn from them, leaving a ghostlike echo of the person that was there before. I am exploring what I have personally observed about that process with my father and the haunting result of a mind in free fall. Read more>>
Brookes Eggleston
I am almost done with a 3D Animated Pilot called Stormfellers that I’ve fully developed and funded myself, along with help from my audience. It’s been a long process, as there is so much to learn, juggle, pay for, and unexpected problems to solve. As someone that’s had a hand in the process on other projects many times over, I look forward to being able to release something that is fully mine, that I have full creative control over. I just hope it meets expectations, and can be the first step towards a larger journey- both for the characters, and my team and I. Read more>>
Shi Choong
The “Women Who Dare” event on Mar 8, 2025 Women Who Dare” is an event that celebrates the fearless women who have dared to break boundaries and pave the way for others. Audience will hear stories from 6 incredible women speakers to share their personal stories of how they embrace courage, break out of their shell, let go of the limiting beliefs that hold them back, and take the journey to find their authentic self. The heart of the Women Who Dare event is to create a space where women come together, share their stories, and inspire one another. It’s about celebrating courage, fostering connection, honoring successes, and finding the strength to keep daring, believing, leading, and leaping forward. Read more>>
Melody Xie
Northwest Folklife Festival is the largest community festival in US. The 4 days events are always free. As a professional dance instructor and choreographer, I really enjoy watching all kinds of performances no matter where I go. But over 30 years ago when I first stepped on this new continent, I was poor and could not afford tickets. In Folklife festival, for the first time I could see all kinds of shows for free! This comforted my artistic soul. I really appreciate the opportunities that Folklife gave me. After I started teaching Chinese dance in the big Seattle area, I took my students to perform at the Folklife festival. Since then, I have been volunteering there for over 25 years and became a showcase coordinator at theaters. In this way, not only can I give back the opportunities I was once given, but I can also allow more people to experience different cultures and arts for free. Read more>>
Jodie Anders
Every project I work on holds personal meaning due to its connection to my life and its potential to resonate with others—helping them feel seen, understood, or inspired to think differently. But my most recent book, Queer Cheer: Activities, Advice, and Affirmations for LGBTQ+ Teens, is the first project I wrote focused entirely on its audience. It was created to offer support and encouragement, especially during these times of strife. For this book, we interviewed queer teens across the U.S. about their lived experiences, blending their powerful quotes with affirmations and advice designed to uplift, inspire, and provide guidance for navigating challenges while empowering them to step out and shine with confidence. The result was a beautiful book that helped empower teens and even encouraged and inspired adults who were thrilled to see such a book, one they often said they could have used as a teen. It has been incredible being a part of and helping others in any way. Read more>>
Nanci Hersh
“Through rituals we create structures that provide an element of predictability, and therefore, safety, around times of insecurity, transition, and/or loss.”– Rabbi Deborah Orenstein, in Life Cycles, Volume I My work as a contemporary visual artist integrates diverse materials and methods to explore personal narratives and foster authentic, meaningful connections with others. I have come to understand that art-making is, in fact, a ritual—one that helps us navigate uncertainty, offering transformation and healing. Read more>>
Anna Jones
One of my most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on was for my first single “Find a way.” This song was written at a place in my life where I needed to find a way back to myself and to my source energy. While writing I remember reflecting on so much that I had overcome in my life. I wanted “Find a way” to be a reminder to anyone who listened to the song for it to serve as encouragement to always return to self. When I recorded the song at the studio I can vividly remember the feeling of “wow this is going to encourage and inspire so many people”. Essentially the song was just for me although, I knew I needed to release it as my first single and that others may find inspiration while listening as well. Read more>>
Melissa Duarte
Every project I work on holds meaning because creating art is also sharing a piece of myself. Each piece represents a small fragment of my perspective on the world, a fleeting moment captured in form and color. It’s not about one project being more significant than another but about the ongoing process of creation—how it allows me to explore, reflect, and connect. Art, for me, is less about the final product and more about the journey it takes to translate emotions into something tangible that resonates with others. Read more>>
Tony J Rivas
WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOUR TEETH?, my most recent film, is the most meaningful project I have directed. While everything I have created carries special memories, this film was borne out of impossibility. The scope seemed daunting when I wrote it, and the period of my life when I made it was particularly tumultuous. But rather than hindering the film, these conditions fueled its mania. I wrote WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOUR TEETH? around the same time that I wrote my previous film, Scraps, and have always considered the two as situated in the same conversation. This makes it difficult to talk about one without referencing the other. After deliberating which film to shoot first, I decided to go with Scraps because I knew the second one would require considerable resources and preparation. The delay also gave me plenty of time to contemplate the latter’s aesthetic direction. Read more>>
Chvsinn
My first ep “Paper Chvsinn” is the first independent project I’ve dropped and I’m so grateful for my team helping me thru it all , Don Fu , Michelangelo and Young Dreaded I worked so hard on so many songs and to have successfully finished this is so huge and I can’t wait to showcase what more is to come. Chvsinn Up 2025!! Read more>>
Taiji Kuroda
This summer, I held a solo exhibition in New York titled “The Price of Convenience,” which stands out as the most meaningful project I’ve undertaken. I designed this exhibition was not just about showcasing drawings. it was designed as an immersive, multi-sensory event. Read more>>
Jesse Solomon
The most meaningful project I’ve ever had the privilege of being part of is serving as the creative director for Pink Cloud Coffee. For me, success isn’t measured by the car in your driveway or the size of your house—it’s about the number of lives you can impact. Pink Cloud Coffee has given me a chance to give back to the very community that, without exaggeration, saved my life. Read more>>
Ethan Hoffman
Corona was my first painting, created in collaboration with my “padrinos” who introduced me to the world of art. I moved in with them during COVID, and while the world was in lock down we started creating paintings with leftover house-paint in a Jackson Pollock inspired style. The way Pollock dripped paint and made himself an instrument for painting with his pulse really spoke to me. Also, I wasn’t well versed with a paint brush yet, but I am deeply connected to my body. The process was therapeutic, taking it one layer at a time, and having a way to express the pain, fear, and uncertainty we felt as a family and society. We felt from the beginning that Corona was a once in a generation moment, and as time has passed it has become even more meaningful. The pandemic was my pathway into art, and Corona gave me the confidence that I had the creative spirit within me. The more art I create, the more grateful I am to have gone with the flow and engaged in this meaningful project. Art has become a way of life for me and has enriched my spirit 10 fold. And now, thanks to my business degree, I’ve turned Corona into a textile for our brand’s golf shirts. We turned a negative into a positive. Read more>>
Deane Gonzalez
My last project, Quince Candles, was filmed in my hometown of Fresno. We used primarily local actors, hired local crew, and filmed in locations I had known all my life. It’s a story of my mother’s and my family was a huge help with putting the film together. I don’t know that I’ll ever have an opportunity like that again, so it was very special. Read more>>
Caitlin Weaver
I started my writing career by writing both practical advice and deeply personal essays for various parenting websites. It was through these pieces that I was discovered by the lead authors of Maternal Hope, an upcoming anthology on pregnancy and loss. These two incredible women were curating a collection of essays about finding hope again after the unimaginable, and they needed an editor to help shape the stories. It was an immense honor to work with the authors who contributed their raw, vulnerable narratives. Helping to craft their stories of how joy and hope can return after profound loss was one of the most powerful experiences of my career. It reminded me of the resilience of the human spirit and the quiet, unexpected beauty that can emerge from the darkest times. Read more>>
Justus Henry
One of the most meaningful projects I worked on was a food beauty series. During the pandemic, life pretty much stopped for everyone. For me, being a creative who works with people, most work stops, and the creative flow dries up. I would search for inspiration, but nothing stuck. I reached out to a food stylist I worked with in the past, and we bounced ideas off each other for some time and finally came up with the idea of combining food and beauty. But not you stand beauty shot with a piece of fruit but a more elaborate setup with a set design, multiple models, food stylists, makeup artists, clothes stylists, and videographers because we wanted it to be worthwhile. Generally, trying to get this many people available in one day is pretty much impossible. Still, we were about to make it happen and keep everyone safe with masks to take every precaution. Everyone was so happy to be creating again, and the shoot went perfectly, giving everyone hope during the hard times of the pandemic. It meant so much for everyone to show up and give their all to make this vision come to life. I couldn’t have done it without them. I am forever grateful to them. Read more>>
Phwoar
Three years ago, we released our first EP, Just Matter. At that time, we didn’t know much about the process and we were pretty much out of our depth. Although we love the resultant collection of songs, we didn’t want to release another until we knew we could make something better and until we had something more cohesive to talk about. For three years we worked at getting better at being musicians and live performers, as well as refining our songwriting craft. It was so much fun playing around with ideas and discovering our voices, both individually as musicians and together as an alternative indie rock duo. Read more>>
Chad Atkins
My sophomore record, “A Momentary Ray of Joy” came from a long musical drought after my first project, coupled with a fair amount of depression and inner turmoil. Years would pass and I would find that I was getting in the way of my own happiness. It took sobriety and putting in the work and self-care to push me in the right direction and finish the record. My hope is that it might be a reminder to others that we’re all stronger than we give ourselves credit for, and that the sun always shines even when things feel overcast. Read more>>
Elizabeth Gorcey
I acting in films for several years. One day in the make up chair I was sitting waiting for my hair and make up and though there has to be more then me sitting in this chair. After that film I started an Art Program, titled Project Caring Strokes for HIV+ children and disadvantaged children and teens. Using art as a means of expression while they were waiting for a doctors appointment or trying to break-free from gang or just pure expression. I loved to see these kids after they created something. Their entire being changed – they became lighter and more positive about their futures. Read more>>
Ace Jorek
My most meaningful project has definitely been my recent Senior Capstone thesis. I graduated this December from undergrad with a BFA in ceramics, so this show is what I have been working towards for the past few years. My relationship with gender and body dysmorphia is a topic that I struggle to express most times, but in my recent work I have branched out of my comfort zone and made it the main topic of discussion. These works have allowed me to have a space where I ask questions that don’t have answers. I explore these themes in a somewhat abstract fashion because these feelings are somewhat abstract in nature. As a 3D artist, it is satisfying to have my work exist in the world in a similar way that my own body does. Unresolved and unrelenting. Read more>>
Leandre Witcher
The Most Meaningful Project That I’ve Worked On Has Been Myself Honestly. Developing How I Showcase Myself As An Artist Is More Specifically What I Mean. Everything That I’ve Done, From Working With Stylists And Rappers On Music Videos/Shows, To Being In The Trenches In Dance Training Programs And Sessions Have Helped Create Who I Am. I Think About Aesthetic A Lot. I Think About Being On Brand And Undeniable A Lot. The Stylist That I Assisted Was A High Fashion Streetwear Stylist That Worked With Rappers. I Brand Myself As A Hip Hop Dancer So I Was Able To Pick Up A Style Sense From What Rappers Wear, By Dressing Them. That In Tune Helped Me Develop My Own Style. Also I Got To See How Things Look On Camera, And Helped Develop My “Photo Eye.” My Training Programs Helped Me Sharpen My Talent, And Confidence With Dance, And Allowed Me To Tap Onto Sides Of Myself I Was Unsure Of, Including Being A Choreographer & Working With Artists. The Production Work I’ve Done Has Allowed Me To See Things Through A Directors Eyes. Which In Tine Helps Sharpen My Choreography Skills. Read more>>
Phil Scott
Creating and working on my podcast has been wonderfully meaningful to me. I’ve wanted to be a radio talk show host since I was a pre-teen, so brainstorming the idea of doing the podcast early during the pandemic, then having the courage and determination to do it and keep it going through some challenging times has been especially meaningful to me. I enjoy talking to people one on one, learning their backstory, and learning more about their careers, their passions, and what drives, inspires, and motivates them is a fantastic thing for me. It’s a privilege and honor for me to do the podcast. Read more>>
Braidie Waite
The most meaningful project I have been working on has been creating content for my autism advocacy page. It is such a wonderful feeling to have people reach out with questions. I enjoy helping them brainstorm ideas, provide information or find resources. Often, when someone receives an Autism diagnosis, they feel alone. What do I do next? Who can I talk to? Where can I feel accepted and supported? Read more>>
Jhordyn Auguste
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date is the work I do with Hi.Res model agency. I originally met the founder Ria (@channelria on Instagram) at a bar called Paramita in Detroit. We connected so fast with both of our professions being in the fashion industry. From there we followed each other on Instagram and fell into our crafts, so we didn’t really keep in touch. That connection was not in vain because a couple of months later we ran into each other at a house warming party of someone we didn’t even know we both knew! We couldn’t have reconnected at a better time, everything happens for a reason!! Even though I’ve only been apart of the team for a short while, being around genuine women that actually care about what they’re doing and intentional about how we present our work to the world has been so healing for me. That’s why being apart of meaningful projects and working with genuine people is so important. It shows in the work! Read more>>
Pretoria
You only get one shot to make your debut album, and we feel endlessly proud of 2023’s “Where Will the Night Take Us?” as the culmination of our work so far. Most of the project was recorded in a home studio where we had as much time as we needed to arrange and perfect every song, choosing only the tracks we were most proud of for the final product. Many of our favorite Pretoria songs to date land on this project, and it’s been an honor to see listeners respond positively, with the album amassing nearly one million total streams in its first year. Read more>>
Night Shade
We are currently on tour with WHITE KNIVES which is our shadow puppet’s death rock band. This project plays out like a punk zine with handheld lights and hand-cut illustrations that conjure imagery to follow our existing character Necro Nadia as she resurrects her boyfriend using panty gravy and now she and Dead Mike have a band. NIGHT SHADE is our shadow collective and this project has been most meaningful because it allows us to use our own original songs. We have always created original scores but this music allows us to compose through our character’s personal perspectives instead of our own. Read more>>
Dr. Susanna Paik
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on has been creating a space for Miclot Arts & Culture to flourish and finding my voice not only as a musician but as someone who can help others share theirs. Miclot started as a dream to build a community around music – a space where musicians and audiences could come together in meaningful ways, where diverse stories and perspectives could be celebrated. Read more>>
E. C. Kanko
The projects that hold the deepest meaning for me by far are the memorial portraits, which actually make up a large percentage of what I do. It’s always sad to hear that someone’s furry family member has passed away, but I’m honored and more than happy to memorialize them to the best of my abilities. Each one of these paintings are unique and significant, and I understand that they mean a lot to my clients. I never fail to take the job seriously, while at the same time approaching with a happy heart. This portrait is not just any image of a pet, it’s a celebration of a life that blessed someone for the short time they were here. Read more>>
Somali Student Association
One of the biggest projects that the Somali Student Association at Michigan State University embarked on was our event to host a basketball charity game to raise money for Somalia, particularly to build two wells. The problem of access to clean water is still a huge one in many parts of Somalia, and we felt deeply obligated to make a contribution toward this issue. The idea of combining a community-oriented activity like basketball with a cause close to our hearts was what made the event both special and meaningful. Read more>>
Anne Mccune
One of the most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on didn’t really start out being a project at all! During the first few days of our 2020 lockdown, I went into a tailspin. Always used to driving daily to my studio, I felt a huge loss and lack of purpose and motivation, but on realizing that we were in for the long haul I got to work converting a spare bedroom to my new workspace. Every day I would walk around the 5 acres that we live on, taking photos and noticing the smallest details of nature. We are surrounded by active farmland, and even Land Trust acreage. I began taking my easel with me on my daily walk, and painted smallish studies, which then often became larger, or more detailed pieces back in my makeshift studio. I noticed nature with more intensity than ever before, reveling in the ever changing milkweed pods, teasels, shrubs and scrub. I felt very connected to the land and created a body of work over that isolation period that has resonated with many people. I continue to walk that land with an artist’s eye, and 4 or 5 years later I am continuing to produce work inspired by the seemingly ordinary landscape which served as my four walls. Read more>>
Lutin Karau
I am a webcomic author for a decade, now, and I’ve been showing my work during IRL events. Sadly, having a webcomic when you are showing your art offline is frustrating : people will not have internet at the moment so reading the comic is impossible, they will most likely forget to check it, a paywall is always a big step to take for the users… Comments on my work are few and far between. I always try to find ideas to share extracts of my work during events (dlyers, homemade zines), I even show my processes and technics on Youtube so I can have more eyes on me. It’s a lot of work and seeing other artists with cooks on their booth is impressive. Read more>>
Anis Roohi
It’s tough to choose a meaningful project I’ve worked on because every project I’ve done has held so much meaning to me. The one comes to mind now though is a project I had the honor to produce and co-perform with an artist in Senegal named Ahmad Ahsai. We recorded the whole mixtape in The Gambia, which is a western country in Africa. We recorded it at a school called Starfish International, which is an all girl’s school there that gives girls the opportunity to graduate and get higher education in the U.S. If you saw how important it was to use education as a tool to fight poverty and continue to share the knowledge with the youth, you’d see why this project was so meaningful to me. Read more>>
Michael Steven-paul
The most meaningful project that I’ve worked on would have to be my new Christmas film “A Christmas Lost A Christmas Found”. I have always wanted to be part of a Christmas film in some form one way or another. Christmas is my favorite holiday. Although Christmas is my born day, it has always been my favorite holiday. I remember the first time i seen films like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, Miracle On 34th Street and Its A Wonderful Life, these films made me want to make my own holiday film. Read more>>
Tink Lockett
As a photographer I have always loved the process of making imagery, like having props made versus using photoshop/Ai, so have had a few fun projects doing so, nothing big as of course comes with expenses of doing so, hence why i see others using Ai and the likes. So inheriting old slides (transparency film) that my great grandparents had shot on film camera on their travels overseas, i started to digitize the better ones, and then came to the idea that i could incorporate both their imagery and someone from my work to create an art piece. For me this was perfect to join family artistic visions together. Read more>>
Studio Luna
In 2018 our ensemble had been moving around between rehearsal spaces, hosting meetings at cafes and ensemble members apartments and pretty content with being an itinerant company again for the first time in a long time, but when artistic director, Alexandra Meda was attending the Latinx Theatre Commons: Maria Irene Fornes Institute Gathering at Princeton she bumped into legendary playwright, director and founding artistic director of Casa 0101, Josefina Lopez, their short but sweet exchange changed the future trajectory of the ensemble in powerful ways. Josefina asked Alex if she was looking for a theater space, to which she replied, “I never ever want to operate a space again, I’m over cleaning toilets all the time… But, I know my ensemble is interested- what do you have in mind?” With reluctance and with an already upset stomach at the math in her head, Alex proposed to the ensemble the idea of moving into the space that was known as Little Casa in Boyle Heights. The ensemble was enthusiastic and after touring the space we were honored to move into the space and the neighborhood with the blessing of our friends and now neighbors at Casa 0101. Read more>>
Tikiri Shapiro
Before I put a show into motion, I try to answer a few things: What do I have to say? What do I want them to take away from this work? And why would they come to see it? a.k.a why would they buy a ticket? If I can sell myself on the answers to these questions, I usually move forward. Read more>>
Kosta Vasiliou
I believe every project is meaningful. Even if it is a failure or unfinished, it carries some lesson that can be taken into your next project. Growth is always valuable. Read more>>
Ben Root
A project I’ve worked on most important to me thus far is my new album, ‘Surgical Approach’. It is a collection recordings I made between 2021-2024, channeling an intensity I have not honed in on with any previous project. I play all the instruments/record all the vocals on it minus a few select credits here and there, with most of it being recorded to cassette tape. Read more>>
Rowan Faris
Here’s a refined version of your response for improved flow and clarity: The most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date is SNIP, my first narrative short film as a director. This project holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, but primarily because of its powerful story. Read more>>
Sid Faze
Back in April of this year, I assisted a few friends with their exhibition, UNITY, in Echo Park. Amin is a self-taught, Palestinian fashion designer, and Lev Diamond is a multidisciplinary Jewish artist. The show was born from a personal request when Lev specifically reached out to Amin to design a bespoke garment for him, around October 2023. This led to the creation of a hand-crafted denim set adorned with olive leaf embroidery, pearl buttons, and motifs inspired by the Palestinian Keffiyeh, all representing peace, harmony and solidarity. The denim set became the centerpiece of the exhibit. Read more>>
Dani Keen
The most meaningful project for me was the release of my debut novel, Chasing Dust. Firstly, I adore this story. It was one I felt in my soul I needed to tell. But the meaning in Chasing Dust came from the literal years I put into writing it. I’d started novels in the past but struggled to finish them. I didn’t know why but I knew it was something I had to change. That’s when I decided to take a break and really hone my craft. I need to learn how to write well if I was going to have any success. After a year of my self-instructed master class, and a lot of work on myself, I saw a clear path forward. Read more>>
Vlxlyiie
This past year has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the good, the bad, & the ugly its been like the sun telling us we’re headed straight into its last good eye. Any more closer we might just ask if its got a spare… but that’s what has been helping achieve focus on breaking-ground for this year long project named CAUTION! A set of distinct sounds to enhance & encourage the walk of life we thrive in. Read more>>
Mamta Singh
The most meaningful project I worked on was a story I did on Kat-Katha, which means story of puppets, an NGO based in Delhi that engages with women who work in the brothels at GB Road, which is the red-light district of Delhi. Meaning also came from my own learnings as a storyteller. Prepping and working on this story taught me so much not just about the women and the challenges of the NGO but how to look for profiles and film with dignity. Read more>>