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.

Lisa Quiñonez

The Wild Noodle sculpture at Garfield Elementary in DC is one, because it’s a piece that kids get to interact with every day over a period of time. It becomes part of their environment, unlike something you see once or once in awhile. That piece is also special for me because it was a chance to expand into outdoor sculpture. Read more>>

Jeremy Love

What made Hard To Explain especially meaningful was the collaboration with a fellow artist whose perspective deeply shaped the outcome. He came in not just with technique, but with presence—someone who didn’t try to “fix” the piece but helped me see its truth more clearly. His insights challenged me to simplify where I overcomplicated, and to lean into emotion when I tried to play it safe. Working alongside him became part of the healing process. That collaboration reminded me that creativity doesn’t have to be solitary to be authentic—it can also be shared, vulnerable, and profoundly connective. Read more>>

Laura-Jane Fenney

The most meaningful project I worked on was choreographing “The Village” for Britain’s Got Talent. The piece was a true celebration of diversity and inclusivity and showcased that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can achieve anything you want to if you work hard enough. The group is called “unity” because we believe that we are at our strongest when we truly support and lift each other up. We also performed this at the National Diversity Awards and it was a truly emotional moment for me, to use my creativity to push boundaries and tell a story, to make people across the world feel deeply and maybe even alter perspectives. Having Simon Cowell push the golden buzzer for us was a moment I will never forget. Read more>>

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend time in a dedicated studio space as the 2025 Winter Artist in Residence at Pink Noise Projects in Philadelphia, PA. Finding both the mental and physical space–as well as the time–to complete a large project can be daunting, especially as a parent working a full-time job. This opportunity allowed me to expand my practice in new directions which I see myself continuing to dig moving forward. Previously, I had been making sculptural assemblage paintings. This residency opportunity allowed me the space to push my practice into the realms of sculpture and installation. I have been exploring themes of early parenthood and the anxieties of a tumultuous world through paper mache and assemblage sculpture. Read more>>

Carl Rimi

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was creating the feature film iPossessed—from writing the script all the way through to a 25-city theatrical release.

Making a movie independently is a major undertaking, and I took it on with my girlfriend and producing partner, Tami Boothby. We self-financed the film, and also had some help, which meant we had full responsibility for every part of the process—from creative development to production logistics to distribution. Read more>>

Jose Santos

As soon as I moved back to Mexico from England I started working on a project called ‘Perros de Azotea’, this piece involved researching the subject of the mistreatment of ‘Roof Dogs’ and how back in 2015 animal rights still was not a thing of serious significance in my home town of Oaxaca.
I had printing project in mind but seeing this animal abuse I just couldn’t help but to raise awareness of this injustice. Read more>>

Isobel Graham

]\We will rebuild is the name of my latest, newest creation. A powerful song that sounds like a war cry from an old celtic movie. It is about getting up and rebuilding no matter how many times your home and your hope may be destroyed. It’s about us reclaiming our sovereignty as one people, the human race and building our homes and communities again how it was before the English Anglo Saxons destroyed communities and before native aboriginal people got forced out of their lands.  Read more>>

Kaveh-Michael Amiri

Most of my art projects are meaningful to me because they come from a place of reflection on human tragedy, misfortune, and social justice. I’m always trying to understand the weight of these larger issues—war, displacement, inequality, grief—and then find a way to capture just a small fragment of that in a single image or painting. Read more>>

Kaysha Siemens

It is hard to say what my most meaningful project has been. Meaning and impact are often unexpected, in surprising and wonderful ways.

A few years ago, I had a mentor who planted the seed of a huge new direction in my work. Before working with her, I had painted a couple tiny studies of cloudscapes in a paint medium I specialize in, egg tempera (truly tiny, just a few inches in scale). During the mentorship, she suggested I pursue these studies as a series. This was a little unexpected, as the mentorship was under the umbrella of a portraiture organization, but I happily pursued what honestly felt like an indulgence, alongside other program projects. Read more>>

Lauren Wods

Starting LitBox, Washington, DC’s first book vending machine, has been incredibly meaningful to me. In a time when support for the arts and literature is at a low, when many people aren’t reading books, and when those that are read are so often mass marketed, I have found that investing in local authors, mostly small presses, and connecting with readers has been an incredibly fun and rewarding project. Read more>>

Alvin Cobb, Jr.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on was my debut album, “You’ll Need This Later,” which was released in 2024. There’s a common sentiment that a musician’s first album carries a unique type of weight because it takes that person’s whole life to create it and I completely agree with that. During my freshman year of college at Florida State University, I was having some difficulty navigating the transition and was recommended for a counseling program that was provided on campus. One of the exercises we had to complete was centered around what advice we would give to our younger self. Read more>>

Clayton Creech

My most meaningful project I’ve worked on has definitely been the first photo shoot I’ve ever directed: Life Chapter 1: Curiosity. It was my first year at college and I was lost and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. Growing up I had been planning on pursuing theatre and becoming an actor. However, after experiencing burn out my senior year of high school I realized that I no longer wanted to pursue that route. So I switched to fashion. After being surrounded by so many others interested in fashion, I felt bad and as if I didn’t know as much as my peers. I felt so out of my comfort zone and considered switching majors to something else. Read more>>

Luke Brimhall

This topic spoke to me because I just released my most meaningful project and it happens to be my debut release as a leader. I have been a professional musician for nearly 20 years and I had yet to release my own music until now. When I set out to do this project, I knew that I wanted it to be less about myself and more about the people in my life who have inspired me. I selected the album title, Dedication, because the work is a tribute to those in my life whom I love, those who have passed, and those who have shaped my musical journey. Dedication represents who I am as a musician and the things to which I am dedicated: my faith, my family, and my craft. Read more>>

Andre Brown

The entire company as a whole. As a company, we are proud to represent the first shared cinematic comic universe in Virginia. Our platform is built on a foundation of collaboration, creativity, and cultural diversity. We believe that bringing together characters from different backgrounds and walks of life not only reflects the world we live in—but also elevates the art form itself.

This isn’t just important for Virginia—it’s essential for storytelling everywhere. Read more>>

Sadie Levine

Everyone who knows me has heard my dating horror stories. My first kiss got back together with her ex the next day, in high school, I was asked out as a joke by someone I had a crush on, and the first person I dated in college revealed he was “practicing” on me until he met someone better. When I started using dating apps, things only got worse. I felt dehumanized by the people I went on dates with, and many of the men lacked basic social skills. Every so often, I met someone wonderful. But for the most part, dating was hell. Read more>>

Matthew Krause

My upcoming album, Love & Other Drugs, is the most meaningful project of my life. It’s been a long time coming. These songs are drawn from relationships I’ve been in, my lifelong struggle with addiction, and my journey toward sobriety.

I’ve been a musician for most of my life—starting in bands and performing solo back in my home state of Michigan at 16, then making music around the SW Florida scene since 2016. I’ve always wanted to make a solo album, but I think I needed to truly live first—to gather the experiences, heartbreaks, and hard lessons that shaped the songs I’m most proud of today. Read more>>

Dr. Emily K. Gray

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is the creation and growth of Campus Dance Academy. The idea for the company was born out of my time as the Dance Director at Jacksonville Country Day School, where I saw firsthand the transformative power of bringing dance into a school setting—not just for the students, but for the entire community. Read more>>

Arthur (Peiyao) Wang

I am the composer for the VR game Zong. Zong is a first-person VR novel that immerses players in ancient Eastern history and culture. As an interstellar traveler, you must help save this civilization from the corrupt rule of the Five Clans of Corruption, guided by four Supreme Commanders. Along the way, you will cast spells, summon magical creatures, solve puzzles, and collect rare items to complete your mission. The game blends elements of traditional Chinese culture with a contemporary, international sensibility, creating a unique cross-cultural experience. Read more>>

Alberto Ramos Cordero

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is building what I’d call a circular, community-based economy through our cultural programming. Our goal has been to create an ecosystem—not just a series of disconnected events. The deeper we dive into our practice, the more we find ourselves tying threads together in unexpected, powerful ways.

We teach dance, we train as musicians in our community orchestra, we host a jam series, we support local businesses, and we platform local artists. Each of these is a strand, but together they weave something stronger—a community network where value circulates between people rather than being extracted from them. Read more>>

Jenny Hillenbrand

Over twelve years, I had the pleasure of working with more than a hundred artists who participated in an ongoing project called salem2salem. It remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my career and directly inspired my involvement in future projects. I worked at Salem Art Works (SAW), an artist residency in Salem New York, from 2014 to 2024 as the liaison for salem2salem. Read more>>

Nahshon Dion

Over the years, I’ve worked on dozens of meaningful projects. In 2024, with support from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and Community Partners, I organized the 25th anniversary of Transgender Day of Remembrance through the TRANSBRATIONS Art Collective. We honored Meraxes Medina, a victim of gun violence, and dozens of others lost to transphobia. The event was emotionally charged and healing, bringing our community together in grief and solidarity. Read more>>