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?

Falicia N. Cunningham

Hidden Falls is a project that began in the year 2019 and went into production the summer of 2020. My best friend had written a script and we intended to just shoot some footage with an iPhone for our reels but when I read her script, I saw too much potential in it. We decided to really breathe life into it and it ended up becoming an 8 episode mini series. We shot the pilot with no budget and it ended up costing us around $7,000 out of pocket. In order to give us a fighting chance, I taught myself marketing and crafted a plan that included a Kickstarter. Read more>>

Sophia Kunju Herrera

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on so far has to be my senior collection I created during my senior year of my bachelors degree. During winter break of December 2018, I was at my part time job brainstorming ideas for my senior collection and really struggling to come up with ideas. That is until when someone who was working at admissions came to me and said why don’t I create a collection based on the experiences I have lived as a person with a disability. Read more>>

Rachael Nerney

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was a mural installation I did last year. It was initiated by two Charleston businesses, a restaurant downtown called Park & Grove and local design firm Stitch Design Co. The two of them collaborated on a rebrand for the restaurant late last summer. I had connected with Park & Grove when they were formally known as The Park Cafe back in 2019. Through a couple of creative projects, we established a great relationship built on the common love for locally grown food. Read more>>

Valeri Bates.

The most meaningful and personal project I’ve worked on to date is Finding Joy, a feature length art film which I am producing, directing, editing and wearing so many other hats to make a reality. This thriller/drama follows Roni Gingrich, an aspiring artist in her 20’s whose buried memories from childhood come back to haunt her on a visceral level in the form of sleep paralysis. Read more>>

Jennifer Plotzke

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was the very first film I produced. It was for a 72 hour film challenge. I desperately needed reel footage because I had none and I figured that the best way to do that would be to join a film challenge. So I signed up and and was assigned to a group and was then cast in one of the lead roles. The person coordinating the film challenge then asked if I would also produce the film. I said, “No way. I have no idea how to do that.” He simply said, “You’ll learn.” Read more>>

Jessica Shafer.

I started Knoxville Parent as a way to share ideas and activities with other local parents, and I recently had the opportunity to utilize the Knoxville Parent audience to serve families in need. Helping Mamas Knoxville provides assistance to local families, including help with obtaining clean diapers. One in three families has to choose between diapers and food at some point, and Helping Mamas Knoxville does a huge diaper drive each September to help stock their warehouse for families in need. Read more>>

Jessica Saunders

The most meaningful project I have worked on was a song cycle I commissioned from my good dear friend Lisa Neher that uses the text from voicemails left by my deceased mother and grandfather. My mother passed away suddenly in 2017 6 weeks the week I graduated from my DMA program in Vocal Performance and 6 weeks before my wedding. After she died, I looked for any recordings and videos of her. Sadly I only had a few short voicemails still on my phone and very few other ways of remembering how she sounded. Read more>>

Karmen Scott

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date (beyond my blog) is publishing my first novel “Inexperienced”. I started and finished writing this novel during my freshman year of college in 2014-15. After observing my friends and some of the other students on campus, my creative juices were flowing so I decided to write a story with the main character based on myself and some of the people around me on a day-to-day basis. Read more>>

Lady Mekaella DeMure

When it all *clicked* I think every performance in my whole career became meaningful. Taking up space in the arts as a loud, Queer, Fat, Naked Nerd and using a platform for good is the most meaningful. Being Authentic and visible was it from the beginning for me, before it became a branding tactic for modern day influencers. I’m just an artist trying to make meaningful art for those who see themselves in my body onstage. Whenever i produce shows, Read more>>

Kari Roslund

In 2020, I was awarded a NYFA/NYSCA Decentralization Grant for a project entitled, Community Garden: discovering the roots and Resources within Cattaraugus County, New York. Having recently relocated to this rural region, my plan was to discover the people and hidden resources through a community-involved project. My goal was to invite individuals and clubs to contribute the raw materials from their farms and gardens. Read more>>

Hollie Davis

Exhibiting internationally and establishing networks of artists for exhibition are the most meaningful projects to me. For example in December of 2020 I did a virtual international residency that ended with an exhibit in France. I created pieces of historical leaders including The Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic and Malcolm X. I also exhibited in New York City and had a solo show very close to Times Square. I worked with a gallery in Portland and exhibited in several shows there. Read more>>

Kali Farrell

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever worked on was for a woman who had underwent a double mastectomy due to breast cancer. She had beaten cancer, however cancer had taken away a personal piece of her. The scars that were left had been very large and had taken away both nipples and breast entirely. She had reconstructive surgery and but the scars still remained. She came to me wanting to cover the scars and bring some beauty back to her breasts. She and I had a detailed consultation one on one and came to a decision to cover the scars with some beautiful flowers. Read more>>

Deidre Thornell

We all know what kind of year 2020 was, so I don’t need to go much into depth on that, but I can tell you, like others in this crazy world, I was feeling a little uninspired to say the least. At the top of December, I crossed paths with an Ohio Native, Liz Dorros. During this instant connection, I found out that she had a prolific creative and writing background. After “story-swapping” about our lives over coffee, it was quickly fated that we were in for some pandemic songwriting. Read more>>

Hab Oh

As I get older, I realize that I want to create work that has lasting value and impact versus being hot for the moment. This all started with a brush of tragedy in 2018. I tell this story often as I’m extremely open about this chapter of my life. Four years ago, I was at the lowest point of my life and had planned to end it. Luckily, that didn’t happen as I was taken into the care of my local hospital, spending time within their “hallowed halls”. It was, for lack of a better phrase, an eye opening experience they fundamentally changed how I viewed the world. Read more>>

Marisa Leilani

I think the most meaningful project I’ve done was painting a mural at Nucis Space in Athens, GA. Nucis Space is a non profit organization that helps musicians and artist that don’t have health care get help for doctors and therapy. They provide cheap practice rooms for bands to practice in and have helped me in so many ways. When I was asked to paint a mural for their entrance I was so thrilled to create a welcoming piece for my second home. Read more>>

Nix The Scientist

Our new EP “Chosen I”, which we accidentally spent 2 years making, is probably one of the most meaningful things we’ve ever worked on. Part of why it took so long was that we made a rule early on to push ourselves and never settle on a song until we were 110% happy with it. It’s also the first EP we all contributed to as songwriters and we recorded, mixed, and mastered everything ourselves. The concept came from a ska song our bassist wrote back in 2016, which was about a man waking up in a post-apocalyptic world and believing he was meant to be a new messiah. Read more>>

Peach Tao

Background: I have been working as a muralist who works on a lot of community-based mural projects. It’s always making me feel super emotional whenever I’m in a different neighborhood , school , or hospital and create the relationship with the people I interact with. And they are my audience. One of the meaningful projects was the one I co-founded: Chinatown Mural Project. Read more>>

Libby O

Thinking back, it’s hard to name the most meaningful project I’ve worked since each of them had their purpose during its respective season of my life. I’ve always been drawn to conversations that highlight the most raw form of a guest’s story while guiding the listener to discovering their own purpose, enlightenment, or simply peace of mind. My love for writing led to podcast production which led to on-camera work. Read more>>

Darren and Danessa Domingo

When looking back at the most meaningful projects on our food blogger journey, we can’t help but think about all the international cooking classes we’ve participated in. We’ve come to find a deep joy in experiencing the cultural exchange of food. So far, we’ve pursued culinary experiences in Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, and Spain. Read more>>

Christian Cline

The most meaningful project, for now, I have completed in my career would have to be the self-publication of my book, called The Teeming Universe: An Extraterrestrial Field Guide. In all honesty, the beginning decision to make a book period was kind of a fluke. For a lot of my life I always wanted to make my own book professionally, but never knew that you could actually self publish with the help of sites such as Amazon KDP. Read more>>

Teresa Graham

Some of the most meaningful projects I have worked on have been for Art with a Heart in Healthcare, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing personalized fine art experiences that enhance the healing process for patients at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville. Art helps patients and their families alleviate the fear, pain, boredom, and depression that can be associated with hospitalization. It helps empower a patient when they are feeling powerless. Read more>>

Charvis (Abasa) Harrell (Aziz ibn Horace)

My current project ” Stuck on Stupid”is a huge 15×4 foot board game that is part of an installation called The Games We Play and the origins behind them will be explored in the gallery space transformed into a toy store, where three huge board games that can actually be played will give the participants the experience of being stereotyped or having to deal with unfair circumstances that are beyond your control, with the intention of having participants experience things outside of their normal comfort zone. Read more>>

Jonathan Stout

The annual Lo Fi City compilation has been a really fun and rewarding ongoing project. Before we released many other albums by artists, it was the compilations that we originally became known for. They started out really humbly, with roughly 10 songs created by many of the same musicians, simply trading instruments. Through the years the lineup of the compilations has grown to not only include artists from all over the midwest but also from different countries! Read more>>

Kimberly Case

In the Time of COVID is a real-time journey through the pandemic of COVID-19, through the lens of a self portrait artist. When I realized the virus was going to have a real and global impact, I wanted to have a record, something I could look back on, that would remind me of the unfolding events as well as how I was feeling on particular days. I also needed something to help keep me busy and in tune with my art and with myself. I began going to my studio each week to explore, create and document. Read more>>

Ashley Epps.

The most meaningful project that I’ve ever created was my “Bmore Queer” Photography Zine. The Photography zine is an exploration of Baltimore’s Black Queer youth, and their experience’s growing up in the city. I made it originally as my final project for undergrad at Morgan State University. Overall the zine features local LGBTQIA+ youth and some quotes/stories that they wanted to share about how they came into their identity. Read more>>

Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda

The most meaningful project I’ve done is a recent work as a director and editor, Testimony of Ana (2021), which is a short documentary about Anaben Pawar, an Adivasi elder accused of witchcraft by her neighbors in rural India. She uses faith and perseverance to survive several monstrous attacks against her in the name of Witch-Hunting. The film investigates how her refusal to be driven off the land speaks of a struggle against patriarchy and capitalism waged on women’s bodies. Read more>>

nd Brittnee Doyle Hinkle

We are Brittnee and Doyle, a husband and wife indie Christian band from Asheboro, N.C. Our first album, “Ghosts”, was released in 2020. From the beginning, we’ve said that we want to reach people through our sound who wouldn’t typically be interested in Christian music or even really hearing about Jesus. We hope to be relatable and approachable to non believers. But we also want to target the Christian audience by creating music they can also relate to and love. “Ghosts” has a unique sound, something you wouldn’t typically hear in the christian sound waves- meshing modern worship with a hint of 70’s rock vibes. Read more>>

Haze Tha Ripper

My Anxiety EP. That tape’s full of songs coverin everything from suicide, drug use, love, meditation, anxiety, depression, to silk robes & a stoge of tha finest herb. It’s a collection of true life stories, wisdom, and questions, all wrapped up in an upper echelon exhibition of Hip Hop. I’ve had fans write or approach me with stories of how my expression through music has saved their life or inspired them in their darkest moments. Read more>>

Shanna Allyn

I developed a series of portraits, illustrating an abstract concept and visual metamorphosis of caterpillar emerging into butterfly through human portraiture. I studied Biology in my undergrad and my focus was human anatomy with an interest focused on Medical Illustration. I had an idea to document and photograph people and showcase the life cycle of a butterfly. Many of the portraits are documented in a “chrysalis stage” with natural and unnatural objects and fruit beside bold colorful staged backgrounds and natural landscapes. Read more>>

Zak Saltz.

First off, let me start by saying that I am a recovering Opiod addict. I’ve been clean for almost four years now, but that will always unfortunately be part of my life. Because of my past, the most meaningful projects I have worked on all involve giving back to a community that gave so much to me when I was at rock bottom. Most recently the Zak Saltz Band organized a free benefit concert called “Rythym & Racing” timed and themed around the annual NASCAR race here in Bristol, TN. Read more>>

Regina Carregha

El Otro Oz produced by Theater Works US, has been an extremely special project I’ve worked on. Being part of a Latinx adaptation of the legendary story of The Wizard of Oz, was such a gift. The cast was conformed by Mayelah Barrera, Gerardo Esparza, Rafael Hernandez, Juan Danner and Indra Palomo. All of our cast and crew were from the Latinx diaspora, and that is extremely rare. Our production embraced our culture, the rich accents, and passion we bring to the table. For me it was a celebration of my roots, my Mexican roots. It was a safe space to make mistakes, Read more>>

Kate Hooray Osmond

In October, I am traveling north to the Arctic Circle by ship to collaborate with an international panel of scientists and artists. We will study the sea ice and glaciers. I am bringing messages of welcome and acceptance to the melting ice from my home of Charleston. I have always lived on the coast at sea-level. My cultural experience and history is not one that my grandchildren will know. Their ecology will look different then mine and I practice acceptance and acknowledgement of my place in changing climate, my place in pollution. I cannot fight it, I must work with it. This is a difficult personal project for me and one of which I am very proud. Read more>>

Kadé Hill.

I’m currently working on a new series called White Rose. It’s a spinoff to the 2019 short film White Rose which highlights and brings awareness to child sex trafficking in the US. This is by far the most meaningful project that I’ve had the pleasure of working on because the film made such an impact to our audience and has gone on to win so many awards both nationally and internationally. Read more>>

Rich Henkels

Six years into what I tell my kids is “Rich Henkels 3.0”, the project I am working on now is by far the most meaningful! Workforce – The Pilot, represents the effort and inspiration put in by many people; I was just fortunate to be gifted the opportunity to lead this charge! Workforce – The Pilot, is a TV Episodic pilot filmed just a few miles from my home in Lansdale, PA. It was written by New Jersey native, Joe Fenico Read more>>

Nina Surel

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is “Gravida” 2019, a site-specific installation that comprises the first cut of a video, along with documentation photography and an installation of dresses intervened with red clay. Gravida explores the notion of fertility, pregnancy and birth. For the video, 400 pounds of red clay, 31 women of all ages and walks of life along with a doula, a healer, and a conscious mover participated in a ritual, all with a connection with fertility practices and healing. Read more>>

Lindsay McCulloch

The pandemic was really stressful for me and my family. We went through some challenging times, as I know many people did. In the midst of that, I was also teaching at a college and encountering students and community members who were really struggling. I was thinking a lot about the purpose of art and how it could serve as a pathway through difficult times. In the fall of 2021, I was fortunate to have been invited to show my work at Shockoe Artspace in Richmond, Virginia. Read more>>

Amanda Glass

So far, my most meaningful project I’ve worked on is the short film: UnOrdinary Love. UnOrdinary Love is a period piece highlighting the possibility of a love-triangle in 1950s Georgia. We were inspired by a true story in which a man meets his life’s love while hitchhiking home. My writing partner, Curtis Brown, and I collaborated on a fictional version showcasing some of the most outlandish events we came to know. Read more>>

Carolyn Dunne Repp.

My clients come to me with a variety of reasons why they want a custom signature fragrance, each with special meaning. I was particularly honored by a woman who wanted to make the perfume her to-be-born grandson would remember her by. But the project that resonates the most with me was designing a custom scent with a woman who was going through a divorce from the person who had always chosen her perfume for her. She was entering a new, unexpected, somewhat scary phase in her life and figuring out who *she* was and what made *her* happy. Read more>>

Kathy Pope.

My most meaningful projects are the commissioned pieces that I have done. People come to me with a project in mind like a house or room portrait or a map of an area surrounding their home. It’s always a place that holds deep meaning and memories like a home in which a family grew up or a dining room where people have gathered to share many meals and celebrate important events. I often hear some of these stories and so I think about them as I work to recreate their special place out of paper. I love being a part of preserving memories. Read more>>

Michael Girgenti

From an acting standpoint, the most meaningful project I’ve worked on was the most recent film I was blessed to be apart of titled “Reese Enterprises” that releases later this year 2022. I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic schools as a kid but got away from my faith and God as I got older, especially when I moved to LA. It’s interesting because, another nickname for Los Angeles is “The City of Lost Angels” and that’s exactly what I was becoming a Lost Angel like the majority of creatives or entertainers in Hollywood. Read more>>