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?

Thaís Mendonça

I believe every project is meaningful, but putting it in a general context, my meaningful current projects are photographing women in the water and creating poetry with that. The images are already some kind of poetry to me. The way I like to photograph is to feel present where I am and the water helps me with that. It’s important that the person I’m photographing also feels connected to the moment, which creates a fluidity, a certain peace that appears in the photos. That’s where my art begins. Read more>>

Jay Cooper

I can’t tell you the amount of times a person has come up to me and said, “I’d love to write a children’s book,” or “I wish I could illustrate a kid’s book” or the oft-dreaded, “So, I have this idea for a children’s book, would you like to illustrate it for me?” What they are really saying is: “I wanna break into the biz, but I’m not confident of my talents. I don’t know how to navigate the process.” And I very much sympathize, as I was on their side of the chasm at one point myself. The solution is not to think of the problem as singular: “a children’s book” implies a single book. Read more>>

Iman Rahman

The most meaningful project I have worked on so far has been my submission to a Queer Desi Zine. South Asian Queer Experiences: To Love Is To Hope. Being a queer Bangladeshi muslim it was healing to write a letter to my community. We get so much hate from our own Desi and Muslim community. The homophobia and islamophobia is expected. It’s part of the experience of being a queer muslim. It was incredible to work with my friend within a team of queer desi’s to share art from and to our community. Read more>>

Jamie Bodnar

It is silly to say but every piece of jewelry and accessory I have made is meaningful. They are all named after women who have impacted me but the very first piece I showcased has the top feelings for me. I named a set after my best friend’s late sister, Ally. My last conversation with her was about my little dream of creating Forty-Eight Creations and that this was going to be my moment. I haven’t been very successful in a career so I wanted to turn my hobby into a dream. Read more>>

April Grace Lowe & Craig Jessen

Craig and I have been making art together for 20 years, so there’s been a lot of meaningful work… but with our latest project, “Jaw Recorder,” we swapped our usual roles with me [April] stepping up as writer and director. This shook things up in the best possible way, because it’s so easy to take your partner’s skills for granted (and your own skills for granted) and so this was a lovely reminder of the many gifts we each each bring to the table, and helped us utilize those skills with fresh eyes. Read more>>

Gillian Rabin

The most meaningful project that I’ve worked on so far has been the project that I’m currently working on. It’s a short film called “L-8” and it’s the first time that I’m producing and directing a film. I have always known that I wanted to not only act, but write, produce, and direct. This is the first time that I put aside my fears of failure, what others would think, how it would be perceived, etc. and I just went for it. The topic is not for the faint of heart, but that’s exactly why I know it MUST be made. Read more>>

Karen Potter

I studied art at UCSC, mostly landscape painting. I also earned a teaching credential but, soon after, I started a second family (I had one daughter previously and soon had 3 sons) I had a lot less time! I also ended up homeschooling my boys. Around that same time, I lost my studio (renovations). I also ended up working as a teacher for a Charter school for homeschool families. Read more>>

Zaji Cox

A couple of years ago, I performed a contemporary dance piece that went hand-in-hand with a concept and poem I wrote about being mixed race and trying to find out more about your own family history. It meant a lot to me and led to how I might create more projects like it. Sadly, the performing series I presented this in is no longer happening due to Covid, but I am always looking for more opportunities to present this idea and, in general, combine writing and dance. I enjoy exploring what comes from combining art forms and different ways of telling stories. Read more>>

Jessica Sauls

I would have to say writing my first book. After years and years of abuse and struggles, I took a leap of faith and decided to write a book of inspiration. I had recently been through a world wind of years and need a way to release. I felt like with my career as a salon owner that me being brave enough to talk about some of the things I had been through would help others to talk about things as a way to healing. This world is a dark place and we need light. I just felt that if I could help one person, I did my job. Read more>>

Olivia Acevedo

As a writer, it is always important to find meaning in the projects that we undertake. The most meaningful project I have worked on so far has been my children’s book, Superthritis Girl. It allowed me to share my personal struggles with Juvenile Arthritis while inspiring children to see their own strength in the face of diversity. The process of creating Superthritis Girl was both challenging and rewarding. Through research and collaboration with an illustrator, I was able to create a story that had a positive impact on others. I hope that Superthritis Girl will continue to bring hope and empowerment to those who read it. Read more>>

Gabby Brooks

I’ve worked on a lot of super meaningful projects in my time being a hairstylist, but one story in particular sticks out to me. I had a young person come to me wanting rainbow hair. They described how it’s always been their dream to have rainbow hair but their abusive dad would never let them. They explained to me that their father had just pasted away and they finally got their chance to escape abuse and get the hair of their dreams. They explained to me how they planned on showing up to their fathers funeral with their bright rainbow hair as a last goodbye and overcoming of their past. Read more>>

Nikki Orlowski

By far, the most meaningful piece I’ve done so far in my career was my: Queer Icons mural. i was approached by Toledo Pride to do a mural for the new Pride Center located on Collingwood Avenue in Toledo. Once completed, the Pride Center would host monthly meetings and youth outreach opportunities. They said they wanted something Rainbow or LGBTQIA+ related. The finished mural was 4 feet tall spanning 25 feet. Read more>>

Snezana Saraswati Petrovic

The most meaningful project for me is the most current one, a curatorial exhibition at Wonzimer Gallery, Los Angeles titled “Zimmer Frei !” that is open from 03/03 until 04/08/2023. The exhibition is fresh look into the art practice of Los Angeles-based international artists who use whimsy and humor in their art while living the “American Dream.” The works selected represent the variety of voices examining their place in a new culture, while searching for an identity and points of connectedness. Read more>>

Manju Agrawal

In April 2021, I had a near-death experience with the delta wave of COVID. This experience and the impact it had on my physiological and mental health, I restarted painting as a therapy for recovery. Today, I work with my daughter who is a sustainability and climate scientist to create sustainable artwork. In the past 1 year, we have shipped more than 100 paintings across Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland, India, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and France. Read more>>

Milena Bennett

A recent passion project titled, “MODVIXEN”. “MODVIXEN” is an immersive portrait exhibition aimed to disrupt cultural norms by showcasing women who have shattered stereotypes in the reclamation of their narrative, released as a 3D virtual gallery for the duration of Women’s History Month to encourage representation and accessibility for women, who make up just 13% of fine art. Read more>>

PrüLiX

The creation of our original music that touches on the emotions we all experience in this life journey is very meaningful. Each band member has gone through difficult times in their life and now to be able to share music that speaks to the souls that hear our music is an honor to us. We are always amazed when he have people who attend our shows say how much they enjoyed and loved our music. Read more>>

Katie Eu

I created an Instagram post titled ‘How To: Be Alone’ in April 2022. The popularity of this post, garnering over 2 million impressions, started my infamous ‘How To’ series which surrounds topics of emotional intelligence. Some of my most popular posts include ‘How To: Comfort Others,’ ‘How To: Love Yourself,’ and ‘How To: Feel Better.’ Read more>>

Faith Marlow

It’s difficult to pick the most meaningful project because each have been wonderful experiences and learning opportunities. If I had to pick just one, I would have to say “Being Mrs. Dracula” because that is the story I started my career with. It is also the story I am most bonded with. I felt like the brides of Dracula had been largely underrepresented, so I took great pride and worked hard to be responsible and respectful to the source material- Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Valeria and all the characters in “Being Mrs. Dracula” have been with me for over ten years and will always be very special to me. Read more>>

Amy Schultz

In nearly every job I’ve ever had, I’ve had opportunities to work on at least one project that was meaningful. Sometimes the project was meaningful to a broader community, and sometimes it was just meaningful to me. Regardless, I developed a craving for that combination of working hard, building a sense of community, and feeling like I made a difference in some way. Read more>>

D.A. Medina

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on lately has to be the El Camino N’golo rehabilitation center in Buellton California. This project is the love child of another faith based organization called Beyond Sycamore. Beyond Sycamore was established as a graphic novel ministry that found its place in correctional facilities, juvenile facilities, and foster homes for abused boys in California and Texas. Read more>>

Shay & Geovanni Johnson & Hood

High Point Fashion Week HPFW is a meaningful project because it is the first of its kind. HPFW was created to merge the collaboration of fashion and furniture in an artistic manner that opens up future professionals in these industries. Having the opportunity to showcase it for the worlds largest world furnishing expo was just an added bonus. We love what we’ve created as it’s not only fashion, it’s community, it’s collaboration, and it’s art. Read more>>

Ace, Mike, and Leah

In 2021 during the pandemic, we were lucky enough to start working with The Oracle Management after they heard some of our music and saw tons of potential. They wanted us to develop our sound a bit more and start adopting a more “cohesive” sound as our early songs were a bit all over the place. We are 3 people who love all styles of music so back when we were writing our first songs, each song would sort of sound like a different band! Read more>>

Walid Chaya

As an Acting Coach and the Director of Studio For Performing Arts LA, I have been fortunate to work on many meaningful projects over the years. However, I must say that producing and directing the MENASA Diversity Showcase stands out as one of my most fulfilling endeavors to date. The showcase has become an annual event that highlights the talent and diversity of MENASA performers, and it has been a privilege to see these actors shine in front of industry professionals. Read more>>

Jaz Cotharn

The most meaningful project I worked on recently was my apparel line fashion show. On March 11th in Santa Monica at the Barker Hangar my brand “Vi$ionary” showcased its third runway show. I never would’ve thought that my brand would hit a runway show and now it has unlocked many opportunities for me especially learning new things about myself, the people around me that has been there for me, and the brand itself by creating a reputation to uphold. Read more>>

Kevin, Ricky, and Vladjimir Fervil

It was 9:05pm Chicago time, we were sitting at the kitchen table when Ricky gets this dm. “Yo bro did you see this yet?” … next thing you you hear is “OHHHHHHHHH” – Ricky SCREAMING at the top of his lungs. Vla looks at him and says “what what what???”. Ricky then shows Vla the phone and the next thing you hear is “LETS GOOOOOOO!!!” We immediately look at each other take 10 steps back, run and jump into each other as if its a pregame hype routine, We proceed to do that about 5 more times. Read more>>

Linda Ganstrom

Deeply Rooted Friendship. Asked to create a figurative ceramics sculpture as a gift to a university in China, I sculpted two over life-size female figures, one featuring the face of a female student with German heritage and the other of a student born in South Korea. The two figures rose from a shared skirt/trunk textured with tree bark, rooted in a base of stone made of figures as their firm foundation. The two women stood side by side, arms wrapped around each other in friendship and support. Read more>>

Taylor Mason

I live in Oregon where lush greenery is plentiful, but sunshine during the winter months is not. Last year I was able to take a painting trip during the rainy season and visit Arizona. I had felt drawn to the desert for several years and wished to paint with a new color palette and take in scenic views of cacti and red rock. The pandemic delayed plans for a while, but when I saw an opportunity to travel to Arizona for a workshop by Plein Air Painters of America, I knew I was ready to go. Read more>>

Adam Westerman

I just got back from berlin where I produced an album over the course of 3 weeks, then did shows around berlin promoting the material. it was my first string of international shows, and i got to record with artists from Syria/Lebanon/Dubai/UAE. i was flown out and housed by the lead singer of the band. I got to play shows abroad that were attended by friends from high school and summer camp, surreal experience. Carla and I met 5 years prior doing open mics in berlin, we built a friendship that became a work partnership over COVID, and she suggested we finish the work in person. Read more>>

Shawn Reeder

I’ve always found inspiration in sharing the beauty of nature with others. Towering mountain peaks, sheer granite cliffs, the feeling of the forest, the power of a river, the meeting of land and ocean, the awe inspiring expanse of the night sky. And humanity’s interaction with all of it. In the early years of social media, there was such a beautiful sense of community in the online inter webs. And this feeling that life was opening up in ways that would have never been possible before. Read more>>

Beth Bathe

During the Covid-19 lockdown, I went from being on the road for four to five months a year painting on the Plein Air Competition circuit (juried and selected artists participate in festivals where they paint landscapes outdoors, usually for a week and then are judged and for sale. These competitions are over the country). Well now I was stuck at home in my small 10’x10′ studio. Even my larger studio/classroom was shut down, no classes or instruction. At my large studio I had been conducting an artist open studio with a hired model usually on Fridays. Read more>>

Matcha Munro

One of my best friends died, pretty suddenly, about a year and a half ago. He was someone that expanded my view of the world and held space for me in a way that no one else ever had. Shortly after his passing his family held a traditional wake and after that there was a small gathering, that was similar to a quaker funeral. His mom spent all day preparing trays of snacks and small bites to eat and the people who came were of the most precious in his life. Something about Aidan was so special that I never took our relationship for granted. Read more>>

Jannah Wasiyyah

The JannahFIT brand has been the most meaningful project I have worked on since I began in the Fall of 2020. As we all know, that was the year of the pandemic where everyone was in survival mode. If you could have worked a miracle, you should have; my miracle was JannahFIT. While it only sounds like a fitness and sport brand, it’s meaning is multi-dimensional. Jannah translates to “Paradise” in the Arabic language. Paradise, for me, coincides with the most ideal & peaceful state of being. Read more>>

Joslyn Sky

I have a lot of meaningful projects as all my songs are soundtracks to something that occurred in my life. I would say it all starts with my first non amateur song “LOVE MYSELF” and the music video I dropped in 2015. It was about loving and living with a drug addict but learning how to love yourself and have that confidence to let go. I won’ R&B female artist for the music video and single. Once I uploaded it on YouTube I received 1k views in one day. I lived in upstate New York at the time so it was a small town lol but it was amazing to see people loved it and repeated to it. Read more>>

Lee McVey

A recent project very meaningful to me was participating in “Painted Stories of Abiquiu,” a 5 person show at Abiquiu Inn Gallery (Abiquiu, NM) in September-October 2022. We are a group of 5 artists who joined together as “Milagro Painters” to support each other in marketing and reaching our goals. We are all professional serious artists. We choose “milagro” in our name because in Spanish it means “miracle or surprise” and people often use milagro trinkets as symbols to wish others good luck, hope for the future and good health. Read more>>