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.

RobenX

Creating my first childrens book; The Colors Of Olleh and The Mental Interlude EP.. has to be top of the list. Alongside working with the United Nations. The power of my words and creativity leaving my mind, and echoing from the muddy city’s of Memphis TN. To nation wide. Healing kids all around the world! I feel it speaks for itself Read more>>

Taylor Avazpour

I recently released my first music video for the song I wrote called “H.O.E.” (Heaven On Earth) back in June and this song and music video was a milestone for me in my career. I was so proud of the work of all artists involved. From the producer/co-writer of the song to the music video director, choreographer, videographer, dancers to the photographer who captured the album artwork. It took all of these people to help bring this vision I had to life. Read more>>

John Riesen

Last month, at the end of August, I had the great pleasure of joining a group on America’s Got Talent to perform for millions of people on national TV. Every step of the way was surreal, and like living out a dream! Together with tenor Daniel Emmet, and counter-tenor Patrick Dailey, the 3 of us sang the famous opera aria, “Nessun Dorma”, while our faces were transformed into the faces of Terry Crews, Simon Cowell, and Howie Mandel. The group was Metaphysic, who ended up taking 4th in the finals of America’s Got Talent, represented by Chris Ume and Thomas Graham. Read more>>

Angela Perez

Most meaningful project was for Sony Alpha Female+ and it was showcasing the beauty, strength, resilience and impact that our elders have in our community. This project focused on telling the stories of people embracing their age and how their wisdom helps the younger generation. It was a story to highlight a demographic that is often under represented and forgotten about in the media. Read more>>

Kulava Kulava

The most meaningful project that we worked on was on a dance video called “You’re The One That I Want” by Doja Cat. We released the dance video on valentine day of this year. It meaningful because it was the first time we all choreograph a section of the song individually. We all took part as a choreographer and create our vision to life. The theme that we went for was girly but fun at the same time and we wanted to potray that vibes in the dance. Read more>>

Karen Peterson Corash

Recently I have been awarded several foundation grants, national touring opportunities and alumni recognition after 30 years of directing my dance company of physically integrated dance. 1. KPD received a $150,000 2018 Matching grant award from the John and James L. Knight Foundation to raise seed money to support “The first and second Forward Motion DANCE FESTIVAL and Conference OF INTEGRATED DANCE”. Read more>>

Michael Andrews Jr.

That’s a difficult question because I cherish every project I’ve worked on. Even when it doesn’t always come out the way I envisioned it, I still value the experience and the wisdom that comes from each project. I feel like I’m always learning, and a specific project comes to mind where I truly acknowledged that fact–a project where I learned the most about myself. It was an original project titled “Hair Care,” and it was a foundational step in my success as a model and as a creative director. Toward the beginning of my modeling career, I remember sitting in my living room and thinking about different tactics I could employ to push myself further in my career. Read more>>

Joe Palma

The most meaningful project that I have worked on was my my train worksheet. In the fall of 2019 I took a leap of faith as a new graduate to transfer to the Enrollment Team at Colorado Christian University. Little did I know how the next year (and the whole world for that matter) would change me for the better. While I was training and still in office, I needed a call checklist in order to get my call total up as an over-the-phone salesman. Read more>>

Bronle Crosby

Subject matter attracts me if it feels important. Perhaps the most recent and meaningful project is my ongoing Pollinators Series. In it, I focus up close on insects and birds and flowers doing what comes naturally: feeding and procreating. Inadvertently, the fauna help the flora by spreading pollen and furthering the species as they feed. It is a miraculous loop of interdependence, and one we used to revere and nurture by agricultural practice and a deep connection to nature. Read more>>

Johanna Yukiko Haneda

I started sharing the idea and how I maintained my well-being when the pandemic hit in 2020. I have been implementing the idea and methods into my craft of art performances as a singer, actor, and now writer. I call this project “Millin Breath.” I remember feeling spiders crawling all over my body after the babysitter read the story of spiders. I suffered from illusions for some time, seeing doctors and therapists who had no clue about the cure. Read more>>

Erica Moomey

2022 MIDWEST HAIRSTYLING AWARDS RUNWAY SEGMENT || END THE WAR ON WOMEN The creative side of the beauty industry is what I am the most drawn to, I strongly believe art is the truest form of self-expression. This year I was asked to lead my first ever runway segment at the Midwest Hairstyling Awards (@midwesthairstylingawards), something I have been dreaming of for about 10 years now. You see, my life goal is to rethink and ultimately change what we think and know of as normal beauty standards. Read more>>

Lo Lo Eat’s

The most meaningful project has definitely been being a counselor! Working with clients on their treatment goals just makes my heart so full! I love seeing the client make positive changes in their life. Read more>>

Cynthia Fails

The most meaningful project that I’ve had the chance to work on this far? Well, there are two books that come to mind. The first is the book, “So Okay…” is about my grandfather. Just before he turned 94, I noticed how much he enjoyed telling us, his family, some of the stories from his life. We’re talking about everything from growing up in small town Missouri and moving to the big city, to raising a big family, starting a business, going off to war, and a lot of stories in between. Read more>>

Sol Tr!be

Everything we do has meaning for us, but if we had to pick one, it would be Sol Tr!be Hippie Edition: Festival is one of our most important projects to date. Any valuable thing is worth fighting for: We planned The Spirit Bomb for months and communicated extensively with the people who could help make it a success. We ran into a few communication issues along the way, one of which resulted in the cancellation of the original venue only a day before our event. Read more>>

Marcus Smith

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a song called “UONEVNO” that I wrote with my band Black & Broke back in 2013. I was severely depressed and spent a lot of time alone in my apartment. The only times I really left were to go to work (3rd shift at a hotel) and to go to band practice on Sundays. One particular Sunday, my guitarist came up with a riff that was beautifully tragic. I felt like this chord progression and riff fully encompassed how I was feeling. So I recorded about 8 bars of him playing it on my phone and over the next week I challenged myself to expressed all of my thoughts in song form. Read more>>

Johnathan Brown

There have been a couple of songs that have been very meaningful to me. It would truly be a tie between “In My Element” and “Puzzle”. I released “In My Element” on Jan. 3rd of 2022 and it means a lot to me because this felt like me becoming one with my style of music. With the creation of this project, I began to develop this upbeat, happy style of lofi hip-hop that incorporates these infectious percussion sounds that can bring out the rhythm of the song. I really think that this is one of my best projects because this feels cohesive to me and it feels like one solid work of art instead of a bunch of random songs thrown together. Read more>>

Margaux Rodrigues

t’s hard to stick on a specific project because I worked on several meaningful projects. If I had to pick one, I’d talk about my personal serie “AVES” that means “Birds” in Latin. It’s a serie of portraits photographs. The model I shot wore different make ups inspired by endangered birds species feathers. In order to produce this serie, I worked with very talented models and my amazing Make Up Artist and friend, Lauryn Samama. We shot about 20 models during 3 days. “Aves” takes the following form : One portrait, one close-up and a board with a map of species distribution as well as informations about the species. Read more>>

Natalie Davis

I don’t think I could pick one single project as the most meaningful, there have been so many over the last 6 years of tattooing! It could be as simple as the way a client looks at themselves in a new, more positive way after the tattoo is complete. It could be a memorial for someone’s loved one or pet that they’ve lost, or a moment in their life that impacted them positively or negatively. I love to hear each person’s legacies, their best memories, & their hardships behind the designs. Read more>>

chelsea reeck

I think all my work is centered around processing significant things in my life. In that way they are all the ‘most meaningful’, in that they are were an invaluable tool to get through my harder moments in life. I have an ongoing series titled “House Hunting” that has been evolving off and on over the last 10 plus years. The series initially was in response to my parents’ messy divorce. Read more>>

Lisa D. Adams

Help Me Help My Son the Ongoing Conversation television show is the most meaningful project that I have been blessed to work on. It is a sequel to Help Me Help My Son the documentary which debut March 8, 2020. The shift came when a concern parent visited my table during a vending event seeking a book for her African American son. Although, I had books that pertained to both the young ladies and young men it made her upset. She was upset because her desire was to purchase something to tailor made for young African American men only and I did not have that to offer. Read more>>

Alan Locher

I created The Locher Room at the start of the pandemic to cheer daytime television fans up. We were all in the same boat and stuck at home looking for connections. My initial idea was to host an interview or two on Instagram Live, but when an actor suggested I use a streaming platform the rest as they say is history. To date, I have hosted over 300 episodes and interviewed more than 700 guests since I launched the show on April 3, 2020. Read more>>

Khay Renee

Eight years ago, as a freshman on the campus of Fisk University I met a classmate by the name of Malik Yant. At a campus with a small population, it was normal to run into the same people quite often. We instantly became great friends, connecting over may things we we were both passionate about— sports, youth, and inspiring people. Malik had even asked if we could start a business or something together and he jokes about it now, stating that I’d turned him down on the offer because I was working on something of my own. Read more>>

Valerie Lowe

Making the labels for my Va’Luminous Wigs & Weaves hair products was the most significant undertaking to date. That was the first project I would present as my brand’s visual identity and something I did all by myself. I started my business as a single mother with no prior experience in content development, and I lacked the extra cash to hire a content or social media developer. I can now easily create my own ideas and save money to invest in other aspects of my business thanks to Canva’s platform. Read more>>

Ploy Rujirawanichtep

I feel like all of my embroidery art are meaningful for me ( I treat all my work as my baby hahaha). But the most meaningful work I’ve create is “The garden of in-between”. It is the projection I’ve truly found myself who I am both in artistic ways and as a person. This project creates the conversation of being a hybrid person. I was born and raised in Thailand by a Thai-Chinese family. I’ve never felt it is difficult for me to live in two different cultures because there are so many Chinese people in Thailand. Read more>>

Sandra Davis

The most meaningful is definitely creating mahjong jewelry. I had never been familiar with mahjong, didn’t know it was a real game or anything. I stumbled upon beads that I thought was cool and started making earrings. The demand was overwhelming. As I researched I realized that there were tons of people interested in the game and almost anything relevant to that theme. Over a course of 20 years I sold to an explosion of customers all over the world who wanted mahjong jewelry. Read more>>

VOSS & THINGS N/A

The most meaningful project we’ve worked on is In The Bag Productions. With nothing but passion, vision, and a desire to do things differently, we forged a beautiful community and boutique event production company based in San Diego that focuses on creating one-of-one experiences. Larger than a line-up, and much more than a dancefloor staring at a famous DJ, In The Bag puts the focus back on the people, whether they are dressing up to one of our outrageous themes, or connecting with like-minded individuals to the backdrop of a diverse array of house music genres. Read more>>

Olga Adler

The most meaningful project I undertook to date was a preservation and restoration of a 1925 historic home in downtown Delray Beach. It took a long time and an extra effort but it has been very gratifying as it allowed me to gain a special understanding of the history of Delray Beach and its first residents. It is simply very special to be able to contribute to the fabric of a historic neighborhood while also making a project environmentally responsible. Read more>>

Asjah Nero

As a non-profit art organization, the word “meaning” translates to a plethora of definitions all accumulated from the compilation of artists’ perspective to behind the eyes of every viewer and admirer. We strive for authenticity and maintain integrity by ensuring purpose being present in every form of art we collaborate with. When we originally launched, we primarily executed visual arts projects. As we have developed and grown deeper roots into our community, we are grateful for the variety forms of artistry and expression exuding from our network. Read more>>

Cheryl Stauffer

In 2020, we collaborated with 8 local designers who each designed and furnished a room for women who are survivors of trafficking. The goal was to create a sanctuary space that promoted restoration and healing for these women. Read more>>

the ToNe Atlanta

Well as of lately/recent, I’ve partnered with 2 of my guys, Street Sweepa & Stovun Fula, to create the dynamic production trio, “Da Vault.” We’ve been working with a lot of Atlanta’s artist, new and old. Other on than that, I’ve released quite a few projects and an actual “Music Album” mini series: “Lock,” “Key,” and releasing October 15th, the finale of the trilogy, “Lock & Key” Read more>>

Cam Allen

At about seven months into doing our podcast, Apple Juice For 2, we had interviewed only a couple of musicians briefly. None were really from our local scene here in Charleston Sc. But that changed when we moved our podcast “studio” out of my parents house, where it had been started, and into our own apartment. With our set having a new and refreshed look and us feeling afforded a new level of creative freedom, we began to truly grow into our own. Read more>>

Carrington Kelso

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on to-date is my newest album, “First, We Fall” dropping September 22, 2022. The world has been so strange over the past three or so years. Between a global pandemic, a government hell bent on sending the USA back to the Stone Age, the increasing racial tension within our nation, and the economic state of the world, it’s a wonder how ANYONE is surviving let alone thriving in this climate. Read more>>

Jamie Grippo

I think the most meaningful project I worked on is a piece I made for a grieving family. I was contacted by one of the family members and asked if I could make something that showed their departed loved one playing with their baby. In life they couldn’t meet so they wanted to see a picture of them together. I was fortunate enough to bring that too life. Read more>>

Sara Ermisch

Like most millennials, I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of inspiration via Instagram and Pinterest. A few simple searches of textile waste and upcycling led me to see how much textile waste is generated each year. As someone who has been a knitter since I was twelve, I started to see that all the projects I was making could be misconstrued in this way. The sheer amount of new yarn I was going through was just so much. I found an amazing supplier who sells upcycled kantha blankets that were made in India. Read more>>

Viana Valentine

Oh yeah, it seems like the perfect timing for this question! I’m in the middle of writing my first solo album right now, and it’s been one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever worked on. After kind of emotionally shutting off after the shit show that was my 2020, I finally feel like I’ve been able to process some of the things that happened and sort those feelings out with a pen and paper. Read more>>

Isaac Kirk

The most meaningful project I have worked on thus far in my career, is a project called Docents. Docents is an indulgent dark comedic glimpse into America’s lineage, the ideas surrounding cultural morality, identity, and classism. set at the intersection of historical reenactment and modern day progress. The show explores the everyday world of the south through the lenses of historical actors employed at Andrew Jacksons “The Hermitage” located in Nashville, Tennessee. A community on the verge of national relevance. Read more>>

Sultan Zeshan

I’m excited to announce that celebrated talent, Desiree Anna Ross and I are launching a collection of books about untold American history for various age groups. This is just the beginning; we have many more launches planned in addition to other creative media. This is certainly the most significant project I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ll see it through to the end. It’s a sports-related project about horse racing athletes and trainers, as well as Major League baseball players in the United States. My motivation for this project came from a speech I heard when I was just 9 years old, by Nelson Mandela. Read more>>

Ashley Benham

I would say the project that brings me the most meaning and joy is boudoir photography. It’s more of passion project because it means that much to me. I’ve had the honor of photographing people of every gender, of all ages, and orientation. I love making people feel empowered and beautiful through my work. The pure joy in people’s’ eyes when I show them their photos is incredible. Read more>>

Eva S

In dog rescue, sometimes it is hard to maintain a positive outlook because we see a never-ending stream of heartbreaking cases. One of those heartbreaking stories happened right in our small neighborhood in Troncones, Mexico. We heard that a family had some Husky puppies and that they needed help. We rushed over and what we found was devastating. We found the mother dog and eight severely malnourished puppies crawling around in a huge pile of trash that contained splintered glass, broken planks with nails exposed, and traces of rotten food. The mom was tied to a pole on a 1 meter leash, standing in her own feces. Read more>>

Crook Brown

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far is my last project titled “Inspired By True Events” that released in June of 2021. It’s meaningful for so many reasons. It’s my first full project that I recorded and released during the pandemic. It represents a culmination of experiences and memories all rolled into one complete body of work. Read more>>