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?
Lunna Pigatto
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is Vainana, an artistic initiative that uses digital photography to expose food waste and raise awareness about climate issues. The project originated during my Master’s in Design Strategy at Politecnico di Milano, where I became increasingly aware of the interconnectedness of food systems, sustainability, and creativity. The backstory of Vainana is deeply rooted in my Brazilian heritage and my passion for promoting environmental consciousness. Growing up, I witnessed the stark realities of food insecurity and waste in my community. This experience fueled my desire to find innovative ways to address these issues. Vainana aims to transform perceptions around food waste, turning it into a powerful narrative that encourages sustainable habits. Read more>>
Denise Santos
My most meaningful project has been as the Founder and Producer of Latinas in Media Atlanta. A highlight for me has been producing and organizing the Comunidad Mixers, which create a space for Latinx talent to connect, collaborate, and share their stories. It’s inspiring to see the creativity and resilience in our community, and how the connections made uplift everyone involved. This has reinforced the importance of representation and the need for spaces where diverse voices can thrive. Motivating me to push for more initiatives that empower and elevate Latinx talent in the Georgia Film and Television industry and beyond. Read more>>
Vincent Rubio
For me personally, (Vinny) It had to be our newest EP, ‘Intrinsik’. This was a project that I had every emotion that I had at the time put into. I felt like every little crappy thing I had ever done came back to haunt me. I believe what I felt was human nature’s way of showing growth. Growth comes in all different forms, up and down, it’s all apart of life. The word Intrinsic, means naturally belonging or essential, to me that’s human experience. This is brought to life because of this band, my friends. They are my inspiration for bettering myself. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today mentally. To that, I love this project the most. Read more>>
Danica Novgorodoff
I just finished working on a nonfiction graphic novel about youth climate activists and the climate crisis. I began exploring this topic in 2016, so it’s taken me about eight years to complete it. There are few things more important to me than fighting the climate crisis, and making art and stories to inform people and inspire them to take action is the best way I know how to do that. I created this book, titled A Better World is Possible: Global Youth Confront the Climate Crisis, in collaboration with environmental journalist Meera Subramanian. Read more>>
Tracy Silver
I’ve had so many meaningful projects. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to propose my own projects and have them suported and fulfilled with fabulous collaborators.To date the one that is standing out is the full length evening of dance based on Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms and her journey with ecstatic dance. It was something I dove into in Graduate school as I was looking to understand and develop freedom within heavily structured movement. What I didn’t expect to find was the clear trajectory of becoming an artist that the 5Rhythms outlines. It was meaningful to me because it revealed and illuminated my own journey, as well as the young artists I work with, who are currently experiencing the natural order of thier own maturity in real time. Read more>>
Lady Mgmt
Our most meaningful project has been working with our artist, LaDarryl, on his upcoming release. Truthfully, any project we do for LaDarryl is meaningful to us. We all went to school together so it’s been special to see him evolve throughout the years. We all feel incredibly passionate about LaDarryl as a person and as an artist. Working to show the world the LaDarryl we know and love is the best project we could be assigned. Read more>>
Aileen Bennett
A Little Book About Fire In 2019 I was diagnosed with cancer… I know that’s a the start of a story you hear all too often these days. I went through 6 months of chemo, and found myself a little lost. I’d always relied on my quick creative mind and English wit (and sarcasm) and I was scared of losing them. I remember showing up at my Oncologist’s office with 6 pages of research into chemo brain and lots of questions. Read more>>
Brianna Chanel
The dance film I created called “Energy is Everywhere” was the most meaningful project that I have worked on so far. During my senior year at college, I had to complete a capstone project for my Communications: Film & Media major. I was tasked with finding a communications theory that could relate to the project that I chose to do, and I instantly knew I wanted to expand on the idea that energy is everywhere, therefore learn more about energy theory. Read more>>
Vicky B. Ouellette
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is le Festival Ctrl+Alt, a micro-festival dedicated to the underground nightlife in Montreal. It was our first edition, entirely public-funded through a 30K grant from the City of Montreal, and we had only four months to bring it to life with a small team of three people. Despite these limited resources, we were able to distribute 18K to the six collectives we hosted over the span of three days, each representing a different facet of Montreal’s diverse DNA. Read more>>
Tiffany Ford
The most rewarding project is my Free Resume Revision Fridays service. Witnessing the transformative impact it’s had on the lives of countless job seekers has been amazing. The idea came from stumbling across Miles Johnson’s resume who is the founder and host of Real Talk With MJ. His impressive qualifications and experiences were immediately apparent, yet I couldn’t help but feel that his resume wasn’t fully showcasing his potential. Drawing on my background as an ex-recruiter, I took the initiative to revise his resume, ensuring it aligned with industry standards and effectively highlighted his unique strengths. Read more>>
Hyde Ebright
As a designer who focuses on adaptive wear, creating clothing for people who are differently abled, I have been able to create these meaningful garments for people. When doing custom garments for people with specific needs, I am able to communicate in a one on one setting, getting to know each person differently. Now I have recently worked on a 4 look up-cycled collection for a non-profit called NC4K. This organization focuses on helping families who have a child with cancer. Their vision is no kid fights cancer alone. I have known many people with cancer in my life but importantly my grandmother. As a child I know what it is like witnessing a loved one deal with cancer. Read more>>
Chase Lewandowski
The most meaningful project I have worked on was prompted by a question I’ve been asked a lot throughout my life, and that is, “What is like to be a twin?” I mean, what is like to not be a twin? That’s always my response, and I wanted to create work that carried that same sarcastic, non-answer tone. Read more>>
Lynn Solar
I am my most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on! When I decided to pursue a life as an artist, the journey was of self-discovery, growth and transformation. Up until that time, I felt I was living a life of making life choices based on the suggestions, direction, opinions and limited beliefs of others versus what I felt in my heart. In order to become the artist that I envisioned myself to be, I had to discover my authentic self. It was a hard process that involved lots of introspection, challenging conversations with close friends and trusted people in my network, allowing myself to be vulnerable in ways I had never been and create without being hard on myself and unnecessarily judging my work. Most of all, the journey involved being honest with myself and facing my emotions and my own perspectives and limiting beliefs! I had to 100% own every part of my story… I had NO idea that this is what I was signing up for! Read more>>
Carolyn Hancock
I had earned awards in portrait painting and created a body of portrait/figurative work for several solo exhibitions. When Covid precautions closed galleries and live model sessions and photoshoots, I turned to my life-long love of water. But how to paint water that looked like you could walk right into it? That became my goal and most meaningful project, painting an ocean wave in stop action. It was like starting over again on my art journey. The ocean is dynamic, in constant motion, so it required studying and practicing, hours at the easel. I’ve learned to “look through” waves, to paint elements of a wave that we normally cannot see but that add so much beauty — and emotion — to a work of art. Read more>>
Blck Bird String Ensemble
The members of Blckbird String Ensemble have been incredibly fortunate and grateful for all of the performance opportunities we have been awarded this entire first year of business. We have performed in the Hip Hop Symphonic Experience, events for the Music at the Intersection. Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, and a Juneteenth concert with the Gateway Festival Orchestra. We have also done outreach work with students who are in the pursuit of being musicians and wanting to perfect their own musical crafts. All of these events have held great meaning for what we do, and why we do it. We think the outreach work that we have done with children is so instrumental for their creative skills because we want to show them that there are musicians from their hometowns with similar backgrounds that also look like them. We strive to be the positive role models that encourage them to keep working hard and living out their dreams in being performers, educators, or whatever else they desire to excel in. Read more>>
Joachim Moore
The most meaningful project has been a historical/theatrical project I do annually that highlights three legendary leaders of American society. It’s meaningful to me because it educates children and adults alike on people/events they may not have learned in standard education. I had the honor of premiering the piece to the residents of Palm Springs, which garnered solid reception and praise for not only the performance, but the amount of knowledge taught and applied. This particular play, Medgar X’n James is a solo-actor show that tells the story of each historical legend, act by act (Medgar Evers, Malcom X, and James Baldwin). Read more>>
2amature
Our most meaningful project is when we played our first 4-piece set at Stardust where we started the newest era of the band that has been taking off since we are now in our final most powerful form. Before that show, the band was liable to not be a thing anymore so to see us where we are now makes us all happier than words can describe. Read more>>
Nadia Tarzi-saccardi
I am currently the director of Terra Linda Ceramic Artists, located in Terra Linda, San Rafael, California. For the past ten years, I have had the great joy of serving the community at large, including youth, seniors, and artists of all levels—especially those just beginning their exciting ceramics journey. For several years, I have envisioned creating another studio that increases potential and offers something distinct for ceramic artists deeply rooted in their work. Recently, I embarked on establishing the CACM—Ceramic Art Center of Marin. Read more>>
Raquel Trujillo
My first project as a playwright, “The Last Verse” which premiered in Spain in December 2023 and it’s currently on tour. It was actually the first feature script I ever wrote – I adapted the script into a theatre play – and, as we all know, the first baby is always special. It was such an enriching experience in all senses. I learned a lot, I suffered a lot. And I was able to tell a story about one of my favorite Spanish authors of all time, Federico García Lorca, and his rushed, unfair murder. His plays – which I was lucky enough to perform in – were an essential part of my teenage years and my awakening as a storyteller. I feel like I owe him much in both my personal and professional life, and it is truly meaningful to me to play this tribute to him every night on stage. Read more>>
Jared Oates
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on? Hands down, my debut EP On This Road. It’s not just music—it’s this unpredictable, personal journey I went through. When the pandemic hit, it felt like I lost everything. Employment, projects, plans… all gone. Everything was out of my control, and for the first time, I had to really look at myself and figure out what I was made of. I kept waiting for the perfect scenario, for someone to come along and make it all happen for me. But the pandemic made it clear—that wasn’t happening. Read more>>
Media Tafreshi
My best friend, Stefania Marzelia, recently launched her own company, Sips, and I’m thrilled she thought of me and asked me to run her marketing, events, and PR. It’s been an incredible experience working alongside her—our creative synergy allows us to bounce ideas off each other and map out strategies seamlessly. Sips officially launches in just a few days, and we’re both beyond excited about this journey and the opportunity to grow the brand together. Read more>>
Seyeong Ji
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is taking a photo shoot for the sight of people’s backs in their daily lives. I love to take photos on days, like a landscape based on every day, a day around natural moments, or cinematic moods on the streets. Also, my photos include almost one storytelling for a moment of people’s every day. I love to harmonize between art and life, closer to the meaning of the word for time in people’s lives. Therefore, the title of those projects was “Did you know that a moment of your back in a day was recorded like the cinematic moment in the movie for me?” Read more>>
Gerardo Castro
I just recently put out my debut album “Sonder.” and to this date it has definitely been the most meaningful project I have created so far. A while ago I came up with an idea for an album that’s centered around the theme of different perspectives in life, so I started looking for different and new words that have to do with “perspective” . I came across this book called the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. In that book there were a ton of new and interesting words that describe certain feelings you get in life but they’ve never quite actually had a word to describe it. I saw the word Sonder. Read more>>
Munus Shih
I recently showcased a collaborative project, Duty Free, with Nikki Makagiansar at WSA. The piece is a speculative e-commerce platform that challenges how our labor as designers is valued under capitalism. Inspired by time-banking and the solidarity economy, it reimagines time as currency, offering a transparent way to outline the labor that goes into our design services. Read more>>
Ezgi Arslan
When the coronavirus pandemic first began, as I was still adjusting to the new reality, I quickly realized how hard it was for us artists, especially for musicians and the entertainment industry. While considering what I could do to help, I came up with the idea of creating a solidarity platform. The idea was that we, as artists, would volunteer our time and skills to design single or album covers for musicians completely free of charge for a certain period of time. I brought my friends together, and we all organized and launched the project. It went so well that some musicians even offered to provide free samples for the artists to use in their animations. It was a beautiful time, full of solidarity, as the worlds of music and art came together. Read more>>
Linda Vallejo
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was a series of earth-based sculptures that I produced from 1980-1990 entitled “Tree People.” The Tree of Life is a symbol found in many cultures of the world, from the universal family tree, to the Mexican tree of life, to the Biblical tree of life found in Revelations. I began working on a Tree of Life Installation as a response to a community invitation to participate in an altar exhibition. I am not an altar maker but hoped to respond to the invitation with a work that would share symbols from the Chicano/Mexicano cultural and ceremonial calendar. I invited friends to decorate a tree I arranged in a community gallery. I received objects in the mail along with offerings from visitors during the installation. After the installation of this first Tree of Life, I began receiving gifts of branches and trees. In my work, I do not judge or make decisions which confine, so I took the gifts and began my series of sculpture. Read more>>
Lily Seavey
The most meaningful project I have worked on so far has been a one act play called Lucky Boot, which I wrote, produced, and starred in. I wanted to write a one act play for the community and have people I knew involved. I was able to collaborate on the project with my dear friend Sharon. She was my lovely co-star. On paper my concept of a community play looked super easy. However, there where challenges I didn’t initially see such as scheduling, set design, and promoting the show. I had been traveling when trying to revise the final script and had to hold myself accountable when deadlines weren’t met. What made Lucky Boot so meaningful was not just being able to learn from it but also to have fun with it. Ultimately, the show was a success! I couldn’t have done it without my co-star Sharon, as well as friends and family. Much love to the people who came and saw the show it wouldn’t have been a show without them! Read more>>
Cecilia De Jesus
I’ve worked on many projects that I feel very passionate about and that had really important messages, so it’s no simple task to choose my most meaningful project. I recently finished an animated short called Back to Normal that I created through the LatinX in Animation Spark grant and seeing how it has touched people has been unlike anything I’ve ever done. I directed and wrote Back to Normal based on my experiences during the pandemic and it was a cathartic experience for me. I was feeling so many complex emotions about my time during the pandemic and quarantine, and making this short helped me work through a lot of those feelings. Read more>>
Harper Dhadde
Genie In A Bottle is about being overlooked. It is based on a true story. I had a crush on a man. And whenever I’d converse with this man, he’d make me feel insignificant. I was willing to lower my standards to receive his affection, but instead of pining for him I wrote ‘Genie In A Bottle’ about deserving “magic” because I am “magic”. He was more interested in the other girls in his life that would provide the bare minimum, men like him don’t want a driven and independent woman. I had to realize that I didn’t need him in my life. In fact, he had more to gain from a relationship with me. Furthermore, men in the music industry tend to brag about themselves to “prove their worth” to me, as if they’re a stepping stone in my career. Women are assumed to be insecure, so people don’t expect me to be so confident in my artistic vision. There are things that I could provide, in a relationship and a career, that men don’t see when they think they’re better than me. Read more>>
Anna Hite
All things considered, I think the most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far has been a piece called “Recovery Position.” It’s a to-scale cyanotype print on a twin bedsheet that sits on top of a bed. I printed it by coating the fabric in cyanotype emulsion and then physically lying on it in the sun. I made it during grad school at Ole Miss, the semester before I started thesis. I was investigating the intersection of COVID and disability, and it referenced how I would lie in bed during my third bout of COVID, trying to find a position I could breathe in. Read more>>
Leo Von Sol
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has to be writing my first single after changing my artist name. The song, Even the Darkest Flowers Still Bloom, marked a significant moment in my journey as an artist. For almost six years, I made music under a different name (Jxckson), but after participating in a songwriting program called SongCraft here in Austin, I discovered my more authentic voice. It was during that time that I wrote Even the Darkest Flowers, and I’m incredibly proud of its poetic point of view, which mirrors how I felt about the transformation I was going through in my own life. Read more>>
Pink Light
Jonny: The most meaningful project to date has been the completion of my first album – Your Gravity Belongs To Me Now. Creating and releasing an album has been my dream since I’ve been playing and writing music. The lessons I learned throughout this album creation journey gave this process the most meaning. The inspiration for the album came after I had accepted that I was no longer going to write and perform music. When the pandemic hit, I had the opportunity to take a look inside myself and reconnect with my creativity. I came to the realization that I was queer. Once I accepted this about myself, I embarked on a new path that was led by authenticity. Read more>>
Clayton A Ashcraft
Starting Step x Step Dance came at a time when I was in one of my most difficult stages of life. Having been laid off and losing my grandma in the same week near Thanksgiving 2010, it took me a few months to wade through the strife of mental, physical, and emotional difficulties. Most importantly, I held onto my faith in these moments and sought prayerful guidance to find direction in my life which led me to using my experience and talents in dance, promotions, and marketing to give street dancers the opportunity to be highlighted. I remember a couple times (Phoenix & Las Vegas, 2011) the idea of starting Step x Step Dance as a means to build a media organization giving Hip Hop, street, and choreography dancers the opportunity to tell their stories through events, interviews, and more. Read more>>
Kat Haney
As a teenager, when asked about my dream job, I’d say that I wanted to be the artist who gets to create the Google homepage logo art. It seemed like the perfect fusion of my artistic spirit and my fascination with the tech world. People chuckled, but I wanted to be a “Doodler,” the artists who bring a touch of whimsy to the Google homepage each day. That fusion fueled my passion as I pursued graphic design in college. I applied to every Google design internship I could find, but wasn’t successful. After art school, life took me on a detour. I graduated with an MBA, traded my paintbrushes for spreadsheets, and spent four years navigating the world of tech sales. But the dream of Google never faded. Read more>>
Carina Foreman
I’ve always had a wild bohemian in me. My love for snowboarding started when I was a kid after I was gifted one of those plastic snowboards from a Walmart. I would ride it down the hill in my backyard. Eventually I learned how to snowboard at my home mountain, Blue Knob. A small ski resort located in central Pennsylvania. My deep-rooted love for snowboarding was planted there. Read more>>
Amy Delp
The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on began in a corner of my garage, with a dim light and a space heater. It was December in Indiana. I decided to tap into some creative juices and trim out new Bible’s for my daughters for Christmas. This is not a gift they had asked for. It was more of a stirring in my own soul, in the wake of a global pandemic and world-wide fear, to equip and fortify them in something unchanging, steadying and True. I began to discover the power of The Word of God when I was a young woman, gripped with anxiety and cluttered by the conflicting messages all around me. It has transformed my life and continues to direct me each day. Read more>>
Leonard Crofoot
Nijinsky Speaks – A one person show that I wrote and performed in. Work had been slow and I needed to jumpstart my career.. I had just completed a job portraying Vaslav Nijinsky for the opening of an art exhibition entitled “Vaslav Nijinsky: Art of the World’s Greatest Dancer” at the Severin Wunderman Cocteau Museum in Irvine, California. My friend visual artist Robin Palanker knew I was looking for a project that would display my acting and dance abilities in order to get work. But it never occurred to me that Nijinsky Speaks would become my bread and butter for ten years. Read more>>
Marisa Martinez Marquez
In 2019 I attended MetFilm School in London at thirty-eight. I shifted everything in my life – new city and a new career I was unsure about what exactly I wanted to do. It was a 6 month course that culminated in writing and filming a short film. Because I was also acting in this little two hander rom-com about a one-night stand with a younger man, I wanted to make sure I found the right human to play the part of the lovable awkward British bloke. In walks Timothy Mylechreest, 6ft plus blond-haired blue-eyed nugget. The kinda a guy any girl would be lucky to have a coffee with…or spend the last 6 years with – as a creative partner! He thought the little short I wrote wasn’t a film but a TV show. Read more>>
Antonio Di Iorio
Without hesitation, I can say that among the many exciting and fulfilling projects I’ve worked on, the most meaningful one is undoubtedly “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” This monumental film hit theatres worldwide on March 29th and represents a significant milestone in my career, especially as I stepped into the role of a credited co-composer alongside Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL). Being recognized as a co-composer on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinematic history is nothing short of incredible. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is not just another movie; it’s a cultural phenomenon that has captivated audiences worldwide. Read more>>