Working on something meaningful is a common desire – but how? We started asking folks to share the story of how they ended up working on a project they felt was meaningful because we wanted inspiration but also because we wondered if hearing from people from across a range of industries would help us identify patterns making it more likely for anyone to be able to find and work on projects that they would find meaningful.

Joseph Puleo

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my documentary, <i>Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam</i>, which is complete and currently seeking distribution.

The film examines the often-overlooked Black experience at home and abroad during the Vietnam War.

This wasn’t a story I ever imagined telling, and the journey began in the most unexpected way. While waiting to get new tires at Costco, I struck up a conversation with Edward Drew, a Black Vietnam veteran. Over the next hour, we talked about tires, life, and eventually, the Vietnam War. Read more>>

Sofia Cozzolino

It all started at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, when I was asked by my high school Holocaust teacher if I would be interested in collaborating on a project to honor Kristallnacht, a commemoration remembering the “Night of Broken Glass” for the Jewish community. The event would include a live performance to honor guest Holocaust survivors. Miss Schamis knew I was a dancer, training vigorously in classical ballet every day after school, and remembered we had spoken about my interest in choreographing one day. I accepted her request, feeling honored for the opportunity to create something heartfelt, respectful, and real. I was given the track to a recorded song specifically written for the performance by the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. Read more>>

Susan G. Weidener

I created the Women’s Writing Circle in suburban Philadelphia. The Circle was started in 2009 to offer women a place to share their voice and tell their stories through creative writing. We began in a bookstore with three people. The group grew, sometimes to fifteen or sixteen women meeting at the local bookstore. We had so many that the bookstore could no longer accommodate us, so I rented a hotel conference room for us to meet. Then we moved to a church for a while. Now we meet in a library in a historic town dating back to the Revolutionary War. Over the last 15 years … minus two years when we didn’t meet due to the pandemic … the Circle has broadened to writing workshops, author signings and talks in the community. Read more>>

Mat Smart

Many years ago, I decided to travel to all seven continents and write a play set on each one. It still feels wild to say that I’ve done it.

I believe a playwright’s job is to take an audience on a journey – and I believe one of the best ways to do that is to go on a journey yourself first.

Usually, people’s first question is: “You’ve been to Antarctica?” I was lucky enough to spend three months living and working at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. It’s pretty hard to get a job working in Antarctica, so people do all kinds of things just to get down there. For me, it was my first (and last) foray into being a janitor. In the Antarctic summer, McMurdo has about 1,000 people living there. Germs can travel fast in the petri dish of “MacTown,” so it’s essential that bathrooms and work areas are always kept clean. Read more>>

Zihui Jia

For me, the most meaningful project was the last work I did before I graduated from the college. That work was the costume of a character in the Elden Ring, the Queen of the full moon, Rennala. I presented the design that only appeared in the game to the reality. At that time, I was not in a particularly good period. My Family, school work, and my own life were all in trouble. But I had to force myself to complete this project because I needed a bachelor diploma. So I worked hard to overcome many problems. Now I think that my pressure at that time was the one of strongest after I got into the adult life. Read more>>

PORSCHIA DANIELLE Dixon

The most meaningful project in my artistic journey has been creating a portrait of Paul Rusesabagina, the humanitarian whose courage saved over 1,200 lives during the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. This opportunity emerged from an unexpected source — a simple conversation at my neighborhood coffee shop in 2024. I had begun frequenting this cozy spot just minutes from my home while working remotely on my day job, and during one of these coffee shop work sessions, a friendly stranger struck up a conversation. As we continued to cross paths over the following weeks, our casual chats evolved into more meaningful discussions. I found myself particularly resonating with his personal philosophy and approach to life. Read more>>

Hyperius Blake

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever done was my senior thesis in undergrad, where I explored the concept of hip-hop as an extension to jazz music’s legacy, and its status as high art. I presented many arguments comparing sampling to “referencing” in classical music, and proved my theories using musical examples, both live and recorded. It was a combination lecture and recital, and was the founding spark for my music collective. I would like to present an updated version of this idea as a concert sometime. Read more>>

Susan Houseman

Working with Remy Cointreau USA as a gold leafing artist for the Louis XVIII de Remy Martin Grande Champagne Cognac during the F1 race in Las Vegas 2024. This was an in studio commission with many moving parts, including communication with other countries and time zones. After having an interview, I was sent two coffrets to complete as a test to verify my skills with gold leafing. Gold leafing is an ancient art that is having its own revival recently. I was learning old and new skills and subsequently passed the test and in the process found the it all very meaningful. I ultimately completed over 67 coffrets and look forward to many more! Read more>>

Zelly Ruskin

Creativity sought me out. An innate trait. Whether painting, sketching, or viewing the world in a unique way, it brought satisfaction. Learning to paint with words, creating an entire story, letting strangers read it was a surprising turn. Yet the expression in the written word, the freedom to sculpt characters and determine outcomes and the mix of personal experience sprinkled in, is hands down the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on. Read more>>

Naomi White

<b>Excavations</b> The socio-political ramifications of our species are ingrained in rocks. Like a camera, rocks record and bear witness to our collective past. In the gasses they trap, every environmental change is stored forever, cataloging the unending story of the destruction of our planet and its inhabitants by a dominant class. They hold an undeniable truth in a world of shifting disinformation. Read more>>

Thea Tullman Moore

In 2022, I volunteered to help with my daughter’s middle school musical. She had just started 8th grade at a new school in a new city, and she and her classmates needed a music director for their production of Honk! JR. I had no idea at the time that this experience would help shape the next several years of my life and propel me down a new creative path. Read more>>

Cynthia Green

The most meaningful part of writing my books is that they are in honor of and inspired by my son, who was born with a severe hearing loss. Through my stories, I aim to bring attention to the fact that our differences may shape us, but it’s our shared spirit that connects us all. My books serve as a tribute to those who are navigating life with challenges, celebrating their strength and resilience while fostering understanding and inclusivity. It brings me joy when children with similar challenges as Martell see themselves in his character. Read more>>

Cheryl Cheatham

During Covid I was unable to see my 3 little granddaughters. I started drawing and texting them pictures daily. The pictures were mostly of cute animals to make them smile and show them I was thinking of them. After about 100 pictures, my middle granddaughter said, “Yaya, you should make a book”. So, I did. 5 years and 12 books later, I now collaborate with all 3 granddaughters on children’s books. I am most proud of giving back to my community. I donate books to my local children’s hospitals, schools, and daycares. So far, over 1500 books have been donated. Read more>>

Levelle Salter

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was donating my services to the Chris Hope Foundation to help raise donations to ease the financial and emotional burdens families face when their child is in treatment or hospice care. We hosted a karaoke for a cause two years & it was a huge success. The first year done it a family had an urgent need & we raised donations on the spot to help this family in need. Read more>>

Xye

It pushed me to write beyond myself—because in games, you’re not just composing a song; you’re building a world. Every theme needs to carry not just emotion, but identity—the essence of a place, a culture, a memory that hasn’t yet been created.

Game music is nonlinear. It’s unpredictable. It demands a deeper kind of storytelling. You have to ask: What does this world sound like? What do they hope for? What do they fear? And how do you write for a character who hasn’t yet made the choice that will define them? Read more>>

Logan Jackson

Wither is, without a doubt, the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on. The story has grown from something that started as a simple concept to something deeply personal—something that feels larger than just the act of making a film. The urgency and importance of the subject matter have made every step of the process meaningful, even in its early stages. Read more>>

Carly Fraser

The most meaningful project I have worked on so far in my creative career has been completing my capstone film “The Cryptid and the Crawdad.” This story is more than just the grand finale of my college experience, it’s also how I have come to honor and mourn my grandfather, who was the core inspiration for this film. Read more>>

Alex Davis

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was documenting the opening of a playground park (that hadn’t been renovated in 50 years) in my neighborhood of Lincoln Park, San Diego. For decades, families in my neighborhood — predominantly Black and Brown — had to leave the community just so our children could experience something as simple and vital as structured play. Read more>>

Esteban Selva-Castillo

Honestly, it’s hard to pick just one. Being in the wedding and elopement world, every project holds meaning for me. I know it sounds cliché, but someone’s wedding day is one of the most significant chapters of their life—and I get to be the one preserving those memories. Read more>>

Daphnie Sicre

A couple years ago, I was asked to direct, “Sama Sama: Solidarity in the Fields” for East West Players Community Arts and Youth Program. This play tells the story of three high school students, who come to understand their own identities by learning about the histories of the Manongs and the Bracero Program. It’s a trilingual piece, using English, Spanish, and Tagalog to reflect the rich cultural intersections between Mexican and Filipino communities. The play incorporates narration, poetry, music, movement, and Eskrima, and was designed to be an immersive and interactive experience, drawing inspiration from the theatrical traditions of Teatro Campesino and Theatre of the Oppressed. Read more>>

Kerry Stamps

Our current band, supersonic symbiotic, is meaningful for both of us. When we started this band, we were expecting to add more members but decided that there was something special happening in our duo that we didn’t want to tinker with. Read more>>

Amy Kelly

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was the transformation of a family-owned beach house in Blue Mountain Beach on 30A, Florida. The home had been in the family for decades, but over time it had become tired, outdated, and no longer functional for the needs of a growing, modern family. While my clients were deeply connected to the space, it no longer reflected their lifestyle or the elevated experience they envisioned for their future gatherings. Read more>>

Lorie Marsh

Every project I’ve worked on has been meaningful to me, because I’ve always felt the desire to live a life without regrets. I’ve never wanted automaticity; I’ve wanted intentionality. I have a family history of alcoholism, victimhood, and bitterness. Close family members have gotten stuck in regretful self-imposed, or self-worsening situations. They’ve railed at their fates, or quietly succumbed to them. Their gifts to me have been to want to drive. I’m behind the wheel; I have the power to choose, always. If there’s a situation for me that sucks, I can make a different choice. And, learn from the choices that led me to the sucky place. Read more>>

Sarah L. Yoon

My entire art process centers around healing, and, as you’d expect, my work ends up being themed similarly. My most recent project is the I Am Enough coloring book. It’s a coloring book that’s full of affirmations and little additional encouragements written as asides. While I did create this book for anyone who needs support, the book started for my own sake. Read more>>

Shelley Thomas

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is the one I’m working on right now! I’m making my first full studio album of original music, creating a new genre called World Chamber Pop. Blending my passion for spirituality and healing through creativity, alongside elements from Balkan, Arabic, Pop, Soul, African, and Classical music styles which I’ve studied and performed over the last twenty years. Read more>>

Abigail Savitch-Lew

Since 2014, I’ve been writing—and rewriting—a novel titled Livonia Chow Mein. Simon & Schuster acquired the manuscript in 2024, and it will be published in the spring of 2026. I’m so excited to share this baby with the world! Read more>>

Miraya Burka

I recently finished making my first short film out of school, “Luminosity,” which I directed, produced, wrote, and starred in. It is slated to begin its festival circuit later this year.
“Luminosity” is an 11-minute feminist-horror short about a young couple who venture on a seemingly romantic weekend trip. The truth about their partnership is slowly revealed as the couple perform increasingly destructive Marina Ambramović-esque acts of endurance in a twisted attempt to strengthen their bond. Read more>>

Marie Chan

My debut children’s book, Mamie Takes a Stand: The True Story of Mamie Tape, a Chinese American Girl’s Fight for School Rights (Ten Peaks Press, 2024) is the book that I wished I could have read as a kid. When I was a child, I rarely saw Chinese American women represented in the biography section of my school or public library. This sense of invisibility and omission of my cultural heritage in children’s literature muted my voice and affected my identity formation. I often chose not to speak Mandarin at school and tried to assimilate into mainstream culture, instead of embracing the unique way God shaped me and valuing my cultural background. Mamie Tape’s story inspired me because she and her family courageously stood up against injustice during the time of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and fought for her right to have access to a public education. Read more>>

Bradley Somer

I’m not sure there’s one project that’s more meaningful to me than any other. I think, someone who is working in any art form has to find meaning in the form itself, more so than in any singular work. Otherwise they are just creating a work of content. Read more>>

Maya Alia

Love has always been the core of my artisan brand, AIRI Jewelry & Gallery. So, the opportunity to design custom wire accessories for a friend tying the knot has been the most meaningful project yet. Read more>>

Roy Barker

My show Don’t Get Carried Away which I am performing June 10-14 at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne, Australia’s CBD. The most meaningful thing to me about DCGA is the overall theme of “never give up”. No matter how old you are it’s never too late to pursue a dream. We are fortunate to live in a great country. We have an abundance of opportunities if we choose to see them. Read more>>

Marian Beaman

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is writing two memoirs. The first is the story of my early life as a Mennonite girl in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The second, a sequel, tells the story of my long marriage to artist husband Cliff in Florida. Read more>>

David Vito Gregoli

I was honored when Ayurvedic author Lissa Coffey approached me several years ago about collaborating on Song Divine: The Bhagavad Gita Rock Opera. We share an interest in Eastern philosophy, and to be offered to adapt Lissa’s translation of this ancient sacred text to music with near-total creative freedom was an amazing opportunity. Read more>>

Keith Harris

My most meaningful project took form in 2023. From providing opportunities and resources that weren’t available for me, to being the big brother that not everyone has, I have always been driven to help establish a sense of direction and appreciation for those who may feel lost, as I have grown to understand that we all need someone, but, it wasn’t until I had to close my storefront “NOWHERE” in Hyde Park where I saw my potential for a larger impact. Read more>>

Cory Bilicko

As a teaching artist in Long Beach, I’ve had the pleasure and honor of working with individuals of varied backgrounds on numerous projects.
Of those undertakings, the most meaningful one was the project I did for my Creative Corps Fellowship from the California Arts Council in 2024– I mentored 37 Cambodian non-artists ranging in age from 5 to 98 to help each one share a personal story through a visual art work and a written piece. Those creations were all featured in a traveling exhibit titled The Un-Invisible Project. Read more>>

Ibrahim

In 2021, I was part of Theatre X’s International Performing Arts Festival in Berlin. Due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, I wasn’t able to attend in person, so I created a short film titled Tra-sh, inspired by the performance we had developed. The title plays on the word “trash” to reflect the lived experience of a trans person in a world that both discards them and is itself in decay. Read more>>

Lori Morris

I write meaningful songs and create landscape paintings based on my faith in God, (the creator of the ends of the earth) My songs are often inspired by first connecting with Him. My latest song called “You Love Me & I Love You” started with a prayer on my couch one day in 2022. I was distressed and I was honest with God about it. As I prayed, I felt like he was telling me to just keep my eyes on Him. Some of my words to him in the prayer happened to rhyme and because the words also comforted me, I wrote them down. God often gives me guidance and revelation this way and I write songs about the wisdom he gives. Read more>>

Lizzy Alejandro

In 2023, I had the opportunity to exhibit in the rotunda of the Lehman College Art Gallery. For those unfamiliar with the space, the gallery is centered around a beautiful, rounded rotunda, with rooms extending on each side- a lovely and beautifully designed space. Read more>>

Ruby Yang

One of my most meaningful projects actually came together by accident— I called , a small animation-illustration hybrid I made about two years ago.
At the time, I often stayed out late drinking with friends (for the record, the area I lived in was very safe!), and I’d walk home slowly by myself afterward. I loved those quiet, empty streets—the shadows of trees under the streetlights, the soft breeze whispering through the leaves. I imagined myself as a ghost—free, unbound, drifting through the midnight woods with nocturnal creatures as my only companions. Read more>>

Sage Gonzalez Velazquez

The most meaningful project I’ve participated in is creating House of Dirt with my partner Ezra Schweitzer. In 2022, we moved to Puerto Rico to live closer to my family and make a living from our joint love of ceramics, community, and teaching people how to safely have a ceramics practice. I was born in Puerto Rico in 1996. In 2004, when I was 8, my family moved to Jacksonville, FL. When we moved, I experienced being a minority for the first time. I was placed in what was then called ESL. In this program, I was constantly bullied by my teachers, telling me that the only way I was ever going to learn English was to stop speaking Spanish, my native tongue, in school and at home. From then on, I had my two lives. My home life was where I felt love, connection, community, and where I spoke Spanish. Read more>>

Justin Katz

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is The Edwardian Ball, now approaching our 25th year in San Francisco. In the summer of 1999 a small group of ambitious musicians and theatrical performers hatched the idea of creating a party in honor of the art and stories of Edward Gorey. A collaboration with the owner of a legendary SF goth dive bar gave home to the first edition of The Edwardian Ball (in homage to Gorey, not the King as many assume) that December, with around 200 people showing up in amazing costume and character. That hasn’t changed, only the scope, size, scale, and creative collaboration that now welcomes nearly 4,000 people per year across a winter weekend, from all over the country and all corners of the world. Read more>>

Marzenka Kwintera

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is called “Space Escape,” which was published in Dazed. It was a surreal, emotionally charged shoot inspired by space exploration, sci-fi stories from my childhood, and the idea of escape into imagination. Read more>>

Kaayla Lee

During my senior year in college, I started “Going Further Down,” an ongoing illustrated series based on the prompt: “childhood exploration void of adult supervision.” It is an allegory to the vastness of the internet and how children have innocently found themselves in online spaces not meant for them. Read more>>

Marcquis Evans

The most meaningful project that I’ve worked on is a project that I just recently released on Christmas Eve last year called Wherever Life Goes. That project still to this day means a lot to me. It means so much to me that I could barely listen to it nowadays because of the fact that I feel as though listening to the project brings me back to a very terrible time in my life. Last year I was in a two year relationship that ended by month three. And then shortly after that I lost my job. I tried to preserve the two year relationship that I lost right when I lost my job and it ended up falling through the cracks. I also got my first major injury in between all of those things I was walking home one day from work and some guy with a moped ran me over and I have this giant scar on the back of my leg now which looking back is very funny because I was listening to Michael Jackson on the way home. Read more>>

Manne Von M

In the last few years, I have fulfilled my dreams, and they, in turn, have brought new dreams. I have had many projects, among which I would like to highlight some concerts held in Florida, USA, where my performer was mezzo-soprano Madison Mcintosh. Writing specifically for her voice was a great pleasure for me, because the colours of her voice are inimitable. We started working on ”Letting him go” ( duet for piano and voice), The lyrics to this, I may also call it a romance, were written by Armando Maysonet. The text was sad at first glance, as it was dedicated to someone’s memory, but as I studied it, I realized that even here there is a small glimmer of hope and light. I tried to write this as a requiem, but where there are good memories of human love that keep it alive. Read more>>