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?

Jamie Lammers

It’s honestly hard for me to decide on the definitive meaningful project for myself because every project I’ve worked on has inspired me and resonated with me in different ways. With the various plays and musicals I’ve acted in, the songs and other projects I’ve written and/or arranged, and the ideas I’ve pursued on my own, there are so many reasons why the majority of the projects I’ve worked on have been meaningful. If I had to pick a definitive one, though, the one that’s coming to me off the top of my head is reading a play called Fool’s Gold. The play, written by Tristan Skogen as a Western adaptation of Don Quixote, was first read in spring 2023 for CU Boulder’s New Play Festival. I was cast as a band leader for that reading, and to me, the most fun aspect of the show was how Tristan decided to incorporate music. Read more>>

Black Baccara

“It’s a hard choice between our newest released song, ‘Before You Were Sorry’ and our newest unreleased song, ‘Static Dreams’. ‘Before You Were Sorry’ was a very emotionally vulnerable song to write. The original lyrics were just a vent song because I needed so deeply to get the words out of my system in some way. Then I found this painting at goodwill called ‘Swan Lake’ (it is featured on the artwork for the song), and that caused me to go down a whole rabbit hole of swans, longing, attachment, and found myself relating in the way of unconditional loyalty, for better and worse. This inspired what are the current lyrics, along with other imagery and topics such as smoke, comparison, and lack of communication. Read more>>

Ting Zhang

The most meaningful project is my collage illustration, Let’s go Volcano trip. This project was inspired by a trip to a volcano in Hawaii. My friends and I went through three turns at night and finally overcame the collapsed road surface, the dark and long walk, and the weak light. Finally, we overcame these difficulties and saw the volcano. I felt the heat of life and understood that friendship made me more courageous to explore and not afraid of difficulties. I also understood the meaning of travel. Therefore, I created this collage work about volcanoes. This is a diverse community. Different people appreciate or explore and enjoy nature in different ways. We are all receiving the hot and warm enthusiasm and energy from the volcano. Read more>>

Thea Kirkpatrick

I wrote, animated, voice acted and edited 3 episodes over the span of 8 months, each one running about 70-90 minutes. The most meaningful project I’ve worked with others on was the Valentine Special. I got to work with more people from more countries. When you’re communicating all the time on a lucid yet hurried schedule, we all make deep connections – And I think that adds a lot of meaning to what we do. Some people get into relationships, some even happen to know each other at school or live in the same area, it’s a small world full of funny coincidences! Read more>>

Henry Taylour

My debut LP which I have been working on for the last couple of years is probably the most meaningful project I have worked on. That having been said, I hope that I will always feel this way about each project during the creation process, although that may not be the case. The album is titled ‘A Relentless Pursuit Of Happiness’, and I guess it aims to cover most broadly what I have learnt about people and life so far. More specifically, as usual the album probably became more autobiographical than I had initially intended, covering topics such as mental health, grief and the cross roads that we often come to as we grow up and have to make decisions. Read more>>

Ali Mills

All of the projects and opportunities that I have been involved with have held special meaning. From creative inspiration, to cathartic necessity- every band, album, and performance has helped shape who I am as a writer, singer, and performer. So as a collective whole, every project has been meaningful. The most important project to me though, is the album I am currently writing, and recording. What sets it apart, is that it is 100 percent my own. All of my past projects have been major collaborations, which are beautiful and important experiences on their own. But, finally writing an entire album on my own was something I always dreamed about. Being able to take the reins as an engineer, producer, and playing multiple instruments has been incredibly empowering, and a major lesson in self discovery. This album has taught me to trust my own instincts and be my own cheerleader and advocate all along the way. Read more>>

Two’s A Party

The most meaningful project by far for us has been the formation of this group. This is definitely a passion project for us and has been a long time in the making. We’re just two childhood best friends who enjoy playing together and connecting with others musically. We started band together in the 6th grade, and stayed with it all the way through middle and high school. We both then decided to pursue music as a career, attending Victoria College and Texas State University both majoring in Music Education. We both became band directors in different parts of Central Texas, and have been performing professionally in our respective regions. Read more>>

Arthaus Vigil

The ArtHaus Vigil team is currently working on their debut theatrical production: The Saga of Lady Miss. Written by co-founder Magdalena Pogue, and directed by co-founder Cléo Flores (aka Cléo la Muñeca), this project is a labor of love, and an exciting new chapter in the ArtHaus Vigil journey. Read more>>

Dj Tlynn

My most meaningful project I’ve been working on is my “True Mashup: African – American -Caribbean Party”. The story of how True Mashup has come about isn’t overly complicated. It is honestly an event that embodies myself whilst also building, influencing, and supporting the community around me. Personally, I find myself immersed in many cultures, primarily pertaining to but not limited to Caribbean, African, and African American cultures. That being said, I notice that while I am blessed enough to be involved in these different cultures, majority of other people have not been exposed to many cultures outside of their own. Read more>>

Jennifer Pickering

I am very particular about the brands I work with. I am in the sustainable fashion and healthy living space so I only work with brands that fit my niche. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of my favourite brands. Twice, I got to work with my favourite supplement brand and I’ve also worked with one of my favourite sustainable clothing brands before. And last year, the magazine I style for interviewed me for their July issue where I talked about clean beauty and sustainable fashion. I just want to educate people on the importance of both of these subjects. Read more>>

Allison Martinek

My current photo series, “Portrait Complexities: Dismantling the False Body Positivity Narrative”, is without a doubt my most meaningful project to date.

“Portrait Complexities” is a black and white photo series showcasing plus-size people in a manner beyond a generalized body positivity label. These portraits offer an intimate and authentic look into an individual’s reflection of self. The series not only provides body representation but also illustrates complex emotions, such as empowerment, vulnerability, and neutrality. Read more>>

Wayne Smith

My new recording is the most meaningful to me to date. I think this is because I had not intended on making a full record. I had just started recording songs that I was writing with a friend who was just learning how to use and operate his new recording equipment. I ended up being pleasantly surprised with the results, and after I played the music for some friends, I got some really positive feedback from what I thought was just demos. Read more>>

Cassie Waits

In the summer of 2024, I went on a two-week family vacation to the New England Coast, visiting Maine, Massachusetts, and New York. Naturally, my camera was my constant companion, allowing me to capture the stunning beauty of the landscapes and the special moments shared with my family. While the experience of photographing a new place with loved ones was deeply meaningful, what truly made this project transformative was the creative block I encountered along the way. Read more>>

Joris Hoogsteder

I had the pleasure of co-producing the music and songs for the GRAMMY-nominated video game Stray Gods: A Role-Playing Musical. Growing up, I always composed music for theatre and musicals, and producing music for this video game felt like two worlds colliding, and was an absolute blast. “Stray Gods” is an RPG at heart, and players make choices that influence the scene’s outcome and story. Read more>>

L.c. Henderson

Picking just one project is like picking a favorite child. So, I’ll share two examples that come to mind.

The first project is “The Four Daniels,” which is a short I wrote and the first film I directed. “Daniels” is a sex-positive romcom told from the perspective of Sophie, who’s processing a traumatic breakup by dating multiple men…all ironically named Daniel. Writing and directing that film reaffirmed my love for the art of storytelling. We shot in 2021, and it was a healing process for the cast and crew to create together after a horrific year in the pandemic. I’m so grateful for that experience. “Daniels” is wrapping up our festival run, which has taken us to Los Angeles and Austin and even Athens, Greece. I’m so excited to release it into the world soon. Read more>>

Adam Gomez

The Punk Rock bands I drum for now are bands that I listened to over and over again as a young teenager, so it is very meaningful to me now being on the other side of the stage, actually playing in the band, rather than watching them. Read more>>

Teagan Stewart

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my upcoming music video for my single “Boys Club” that releases January 31st. The song is about the pain you go through during a breakup where you have to untangle your life from your ex. It’s about being buried in memorabilia of years with someone who is now a stranger. Read more>>

Very soon into plunging myself into painting, a local businessman asked me to do a watercolour painting of his childhood home. The reference photo was extremely poor, dating back to around the 70’s. I struggled with the painting but it had such a heart with the sentiment behind it that every effort was a joy. I needed to conceptualize in places, and when I did present him with the completed painting, we were both so astonished and thrilled to learn that the areas where I had conceptualized were just as it had been back in the day before the building was sadly demolished. It is a wonderful thought that he cherishes the painting as it is such a happy reminder of his childhood home. Read more>>

I think of my art as one large project with many different methods of exploration. At its core is the desire to understand how value is created and reproduced in various social and personal moments. To me, value refers to an individual or collective feeling about something that exists somewhere on a spectrum from “good” to “bad.” I explore values through painting, performance, video, and social engagement. Read more>>

Acari

I’d say my newest release “Call Me Baby” is the most meaningful so far. It took a long time to be released. I don’t usually use the word “alignment” but it felt like all these separate things aligned to make this song happen. Kenny had this beat a long time ago. It was supposed to be included in his latest instrumental album but it didn’t make the cut. His roommate and close friend Rey told him to hold on to it and save it for a singer. He showed me the beat and we laid down pretty much all of the lyrics and melody that night. It was one of the easiest songs to write. I didn’t overthink it much. And it just felt good. We laid down the scratch track at home, but we had to re-record vocals with our friend Amp Melo. Read more>>

Mae Rooney

Three days prior to my mom and I leaving for my brother’s wedding in Cambodia, I made a last-minute decision to sew an emotional support chipmunk friend. He was intended as a trial run, so I used chunky raspberry-colored embroidery thread to sew him up, to better see my stitch work. But in those three days working on his form, I fell in love with the wonky imperfections. Thus, Freddie Munk was born. Read more>>

Corii Diamond

My most impactful art project to date was my 2nd annual solo art show, “The Divine Feminine”, held on July 27th, 2024. This project was deeply significant to me because it was dedicated to honoring and empowering women through visual art and poetry while creating a safe space for them to express themselves. As a masculine-presenting lesbian, it was also a personal statement of my connection to femininity—a side of me often misunderstood or overlooked. I made it a point to collaborate exclusively with women poets and vendors, who performed and showcased their products, amplifying their voices and celebrating their contributions. In my opinion and from the feedback I received from attendees, the show was a powerful moment of unity, creativity, and self-expression. Read more>>

Monica Mangan

In 2020, during the pandemic shutdown, I started painting daily as a commitment to self growth by learning something new. As I began to play with a new set of basic supplies, I discovered my head was filled with a crescendo of ideas, my curiosity was exploding and I felt an immediate passion for creating art. I tinkered with techniques, blending colors and fearlesslessly embraced making messes and mistakes over and over, all the while learning. Improvement and satisfaction with my work came quickly and I was unstoppable. Read more>>

Stefani Daniels

My album called I Remember is a project that was done during a time when I earned royalties from songs released with another artist in Japan so I could fund it myself. I was feeling very alone and married young to my first husband. I was not in the right place in my life yet I poured all into my project that was dedicated to my Grandma. She was so sweet and gentle. I wrote my song I Remember about her. The project was also special because I was able to mix it with the mixing engineer and be a big part of the final product and all along the way. I produced the whole record myself finding the musicians which make up 90 percent of the album. I used very little electronic elements. Read more>>

Joselito Ortiz

My current journey is one big, meaningful project. What makes it so meaningful is my goal to show everyone that no matter who you are or what background you come from, you can absolutely succeed in photography if you want to. Most importantly, you can create amazing work with any equipment. The biggest issue in today’s society is the constant push for the latest and greatest technology with all the bells and whistles. In reality, you don’t need that. You can create something ten times better than someone with the best gear in the world simply by focusing on creativity and skill. Read more>>

Mia Hanks

The most meaningful project that I have worked on in my lifetime has been the memoir that I penned in 2024 titled Bride-Made. I was a victim of narcissistic abuse for 29 years. When I gained the courage to leave my marriage and the abuse, I was somewhat lost. I was seeking information about narcissism and narcissistic abuse. I desperately wanted to connect with others who could understand my pain and I was looking for books and articles written from a victim’s point of view. Most of what I found were works authored by psychologists and therapists. These books and writings provided wonderful, research based information, but they were missing something. Read more>>

Michelle Dantz

I was inspired to write the Sandy the Service Dog Series as a result of several interconnected experiences and life events.

For example, the first book in the series, Lost in a Hurricane, was written as a gift for my niece, Alex’s 9th birthday. Ever since I met Alex, she has always held a very special place in my heart. She loves reading and animals, and I wanted to give her the most special present I could think of. My husband and I came up with the idea for the story together, drawing inspiration from real life, as at the time I wrote the book, Alex also had an emotional support dog named Benny. Our goal was to create a “Homeward Bound” meets “Lady and the Tramp” feel. Now, Alex is 15 and still loves reading and animals. She actually had a summer internship at the Zoo in Ohio! Read more>>

Matt Consalvo

In the fall months of 2013 I was fortunate enough to get to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. While there, I was enlightened on the beautiful Spanish culture and language that I love so much. But beyond the adventure that was studying abroad, I was able to take the time to meditate on a story that had been slowly growing in my mind. Near the end of my trip I wrote my first screenplay, Translation – a thriller that follows a queer college student who is in a home-stay that slowly becomes dangerous when he investigates the elusive past of his host-mom. I developed the script with my producing partner, Matthew Appleby, through the end of college and into our young adulthood. Read more>>

Samvel Arutiunian

I worked on many projects, such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Moscow and creating hairstyles for models at Dubai Fashion Week. However, the most memorable event was a grand show where my colleagues from ARTEM/K/HAIR SALON and I set a California record by completing 100 hairstyles in 60 minutes. It was an unforgettable experience to personally contribute to such a colorful and fabulous performance in front of an audience of more than 400 guests, including famous bloggers, journalists, and fashion designers. Read more>>