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.
Claudia Apaid
The most meaningful project I have worked on has been the non profit foundation I started back in 2004. Growing up in haiti I had seen poverty everyday around me, on the streets, in my neighborhood, in the countryside and all around. It was not until 2004 when my brother got taken as a political prisoner in Haiti that I got up close and personal with the poorest and most vulnerable of all, the Restavek children of Haiti (slave children). Read more>>\
Stephanie Haavik
My very favorite project was my debut EP, Posture. The process felt sacred, from beginning to end. I had clear vision and direction, the best team to support the vision and to breathe life into it in a way that I never could have done on my own. Gratitude is what I most feel looking back on the entire experience. Read more>>
Katie Flack
One of the greatest projects I’ve worked on was illustrating Gus’ Special, Magical, Most Favorite Hat. I had had a desire to illustrate children’s books for a while when Madeline approached me about illustrating the story she wrote about her son Gus. I knew it was the perfect opportunity to fulfill my desire. Madeline is a good friend of mine from Clemson and her story is about her son, Gus, who has autism. Read more>>
Giovanna Gonzalez
My most meaningful project is the one I’m working on right now- writing a personal finance book for the First Gen and Latine community. The reason this project is important to me is because when I went through my own financial literacy journey a couple of years ago, I felt the void of not reading books that represented my money story. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, my money story is very different than what you read in the traditional personal finance book written by a white, cis, men. Read more>>
Juliana Child
Recently, I had the privilege of coordinating a choral performance as part of FemFest, an annual celebration of intersectional feminism in Pensacola, Florida. Proceeds from this year’s event benefitted the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. The performance was entitled “Her Roots: A Southern Woman’s Song,” and it combined communal singing with storytelling to highlight the lived experiences of Southern womxn through the lens of their diverse intersecting identities. Read more>>
Josh Neufeld
I photographed the last 19 days of my Dad’s life. I had been planning to create a photo project about facing our mortality and after brainstorming the idea with my dad and him giving the idea for the name, he ironically became the subject. After sharing that essay on my website, so many people reached out and shared their own story of loss, life and love and I found a lot of comfort in the shared experience. I went on to build a website called Grief Narratives. It’s a community resource for those to share and read stories of grief and loss, and hopefully, find the similar comfort in the communion. Read more>>
Erin Schmerr
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio but spent many of my summers in Mexico when I was growing up. I was in love with the vibrancy of their culture and the resilience and strength of the people I met. I would volunteer in the local children’s homes and help take care of the children as there were many kids and few staff at each orphanage. I spent some of the most beautiful days of my life in Mexico but many of those days were also very sad. Eventually, one by one, I had to say goodbye to all the children I had loved. Read more>>
Ryan McLaughlin
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on would have to be one of my most recent pieces titled “Lost Cause” by the infamous Sam Weston Bedichek, a.k.a., Weston B. himself. I had the honor of filming and directing the official music video and it hits hard for me. Read more>>
ShaQira Smith
The most meaningful project I have ever worked on to date would be my “Rebirth Collection”, created in the Spring of 2022. I have done several collections in the past for my business, but this one in particular marked a new chapter in my business and personal life. At the time when I was working on this project, I was going through a lot of changes and reconnecting with my faith in Christ. Read more>>
Doctor Junior
Our most meaningful project is definitely our Inaugural Friendsgiving event on Nov. 12, 2022! We (as a band) have always wanted to host a massive event to celebrate music, art, comedy, & friendship. This event was our Magnum Opus of 2022. We curated an amazing lineup of musicians, comedians, live painters, lighting designers, photographers, & glass blowers. There are so many people that worked tirelessly behind the scenes for months to bring life to this event. It’s really cool to see all that hard work come to fruition. Read more>>
Sophia Valentina
My newest single, Born Ready, is my most meaningful song yet. The song was written specifically for me, about me, and about the journey I am currently on, pursuing my dream of being a singer. I had a lot of input from the very beginning with the beat, all the way through to the writing process. I am very proud of the outcome. Read more>>
Tyler Langhorn
The most meaningful project that I’ve been a part of is actually my next release. My friend Lennon, aka Lo-Fi Lenny, created a track called “I hope this saves you.” The song sat on my hard drive for several months until I found myself in a place where I pressed play and the track just spoke to my spirit. I had gone through my car being broken into and being scammed out of a good amount of money on the internet. Read more>>
Kerri Nasser
Honestly every project is meaningful to me. My tagline, ‘Capture the Moments that Matter’, represents this. My understanding is that no matter what type of photography a client is seeking, it matters to them. So it matters to me. There was a time I struggled with memory due to medical circumstances. Read more>>
Terry Squyres
About six years ago, we began working with Berks Nature, whose mission is to be the leading agent for the conservation of the environment in Berks County, PA. The client hired us to expand one of Berks Nature’s work sites, an unassuming, single-story structure with a history of use as a recreational boat rental center and for gatherings on a rooftop overlook where Berks Nature hosted a summer camp. Read more>>
Brittany Veney
One of my clients once referred me to a single-mom with aspirations to start her first business. I’ve worked with amazing entrepreneurs of all backgrounds with some of the most inspiring stories, but this prospective business owner moved me beyond words. As a corporate leader, she worked tirelessly after-hours to plan and strategize her brand with me. Her goal was to execute and she did just that. Read more>>
Dominique Sharpe
The most meaningful project I have worked on is actually a current work in progress. I used to stream on Twitch and one of the biggest things I noticed was just how performative the support was for small streamers and POC streamers. Sure they “promoted” Black streamers during Black History month but then it felt like crickets afterward. I also just didn’t see a lot of support coming through from bigger streamers. Read more>>
Chantay Wright
Making my black and brown dolls are very meaningful to me because representation is so important. I know when a child gets my handmade dolls that they see themselves in their doll. I believe that the toys that kids play with matter and I feel like I am making a difference one doll at a time! Read more>>
Alison Gallagher
I do a lot of projects where I add relatives who have passed or relatives who you can’t be with in a picture with you. I recently painted a wedding portrait of the groom and his mom but his mom passed away 6 months before the wedding and couldn’t actually be there. I also have painted live weddings and added grandparents who have passed into the audience. I love being able to recreate a memory and adding loved ones to those special days. It makes me feel so good just knowing I can recreate a memory into something that never could’ve been. Read more>>
Ben Loiz
During the pandemic, my wife, noticing the lack of diversity in the beauty market, began to research and list out as many Black-owned beauty brand as she could find. The list quickly grew to a few hundred brands—most of which you couldn’t find in department stores. She shared the list on social media and received an overwhelming response of support and even more suggestions. Read more>>
Yana Lev Daw
I recently collaborated with another artist (Dasha Jamison) to create a meaningful art project Dying/Drying inspired by the current ecological catastrophe happening in Southern Nevada and our neighboring states, particularly, the drying/dying lake, Lake Mead, and the catastrophically low level in the Colorado River. The impacts of this issues are enormous: economic, natural, and governmental. Read more>>
Nick Baxter
Every song I make is meaningful and as I grow more as an artist and individual it feels like each song i’m working on becomes more meaningful. I just released a new song called “Sidewalk Slams” and I made the entire music video myself using some of my animation and visual art skills so that was definitely a pretty meaningful and involved project as well as milestone as I would like to continue having full creative control over the visuals for my music. Read more>>
Callie Himsl
Meaningful work can be subjective. We can sometimes do work that means something special to us. Maybe it was the birthday card we made our mom in grade school. Maybe it was the nonprofit work we did pro-bono last year. Maybe it was using your talents to support a cause. For me it was discovering social entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Gage Wayne
I have been very fortunate to have a few projects that were very meaningful to me, but the two that stand out most were a personal project that I created and also working on the first ever live commercial for “The Greatest Showman”. Starting with the greatest showman, it came right around the holidays in the winter of I believe 2018! Very little work happens in those last holiday months and it was a direct booking for the x amount of dancers that got back to the agency! Read more>>
Beth Neff
My current project is as the co-founder/organizer of a social arts practices laboratory in St. Louis, MO. My oldest daughter and I, along with a few other collaborators, founded MARSH (Materializing and Activating Radical Social Habitus) in 2018 to design and explore emergent models of human scaled generative social practices. We were curious if and how creative/artistic projects, practices, performances, Read more>>
Ann Flemings
As a contemporary abstract painter, I always had visions of painting “big”. In 2017, I was in a small studio, and I didn’t have the space to easily paint at a larger scale. I decided to undertake a self-designed residency. I planned to rent a large painting space and work on ten, 4-foot by 4-foot canvas. My plan was to use 8 weeks of focused time to learn how to scale-up to larger sized paintings. Read more>>
Delivering Light
Delivering light is a passion project whose inception was felt by the reggae music producer Alex Cirilo (aka Orbita Muzic) who has worked with many reggae artists; in a secular environment. “The desire and motivation to make Christian music was always present in me”, said Cirilo. Joining together with the singer-songwriter Germán Benítez made perfect sense given his background, talent and shared vision. They decided to join forces and embark on a journey to create something with a very clear intention in mind. Read more>>
Rietta & Connie Boksha & Maslan
The Podcast has been a meaningful project for us. We have talked to some of the most inspirational people, who have opened up and shared some of their intimate moments. One of our guests was wrongfully convicted of murder at the age of seventeen. He spent sixteen years in jail before finally being exonerated. His ability to turn such a loss into an amazing gain was incredible to hear. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t sad. He was just on a mission to make sure it wouldn’t happen to anyone else. Gave us a real perspective on life and the reminder that every moment is precious. Read more>>
David Liban
The most meaningful project, to me, is my latest feature film, Publish or Perish. Aside from being a filmmaker, I am also a film professor and have been deeply ingrained in bureaucracies of the pressures that exist in academia. The idea of this film surfaced early in my teaching career as I was first hired as a tenure track professor. Read more>>
Jessica Burkhart
Every book I’ve written means something to me, but the one I’m finding the greatest joy and authenticity in is my upcoming middle-grade series, Saddlehill Academy, which is a series featuring a queer 12-year-old equestrian that debuts in May 2023 from Simon & Schuster. Read more>>
Jatahj Griffin
Im actually working on a project called “Feast With Hu1c”, come have a feast with me and my producer overseas, he’s from the UK. Feastythaproducer and I have been working & perfecting this tape building a bond more and more each day. FeastyThaProducer believed in me while i was facing one of the hardest times of my life, i recently beat cancer and in every song i will be promoting awareness for it. I’m on a journey to spread awareness for this because you will never understand the pain and thoughts u feel unless you are the one dealing with it… i have a before cancer tape coming out soon after. Read more>>
Brianna Yung
Every single one of my sessions has been meaningful for its own reasons. When I look at the (now very long) list of all the appointments I’ve ever had, I can remember the face of each one and what it was that brought them to me. Sometimes it’s something very happy, like falling in love and wanting to surprise their partner, documenting a long-awaited pregnancy, meeting a fitness goal, getting a promotion at work, celebrating a birthday, etc. Read more>>
Malik Fabian-Mahmud
A meaningful project that I’ve come to work on as of recent is FIVE DOLLA CAM (@fivedollacam) with my partner Ryan Gipson (@ryangipsonii). It originally started after I had bought a $5 camera from Goodwill and started taking photos of my friends just for fun. I love documentation and the look of old digital cameras and their likeness to film. It grew to taking behind the scene shots of videoshoots for music videos and going to local art events and documenting what was going on. Read more>>
ADAM SPELLS
My First Published Book “ Dear God” A Collection of Poetry from my Thoughts and Heart. The Book means a great deal to me. I went on a journey inside myself to write poems that reflected some of the things I had endured leading up to the work such as incarceration, grief and brief bouts with Depression. Publishing made me feel accomplished and built confidence within me to perform in front of audiences. Read more>>
Ingrid Wells
T W I R L: A Decade of Artist Interviews came about in the interest of developing an archive of artist stories comprised of interviews and visual imagery. This project is for those both curious to see how this select group of artists will persist in making art despite life’s unforeseeable challenges and eager to watch their artwork continue to progress over time. Read more>>
Justincredible” (Justin Lang)”
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been my 2nd album, ‘Art Imitating Life 2: Sending My Love’. It is a concept album that I have been writing off and on since about 2004. Every track has to deal with love in some way, shape, or form. Teenage/Puppy love, self-love, romantic love. breakup love, parental love, love for your haters, God’s love, my love for the less fortunate, my love for Latin culture, my love for my craft/line of work, my love for South Florida, my love for my future children, etc. I think this project will be a pillar in my field. I really had fun recording! Read more>>
Kara Warren
My favorite projects I’ve worked on have been the most unexpected ones. Starting out in the business, I thought the more high-profile the shoot, the more I would love the work; however, it is interesting that reality for me is the polar opposite of that expectation: in fact, the most meaningful shoots are the ones I do for no monetary value or business gain. I have come to discover that the saying, “you find yourself when you give yourself away,” holds surpassable wisdom, and it has reshaped the way I run my business by grounding my work through service and giving back. Read more>>
Christina Hultberg
A day in June 2021 I was sitting in a meeting at Mustards Grill when I got an email from a client on Etsy, it was a designer from Auberge Luxury Resorts asking me if I would be interested in designing a charcuterie board for their new hotel in Napa Valley that would be in every cottage’s mini bar. I almost fell out of my chair, knowing this would be the project that would change the trajectory of my business. Read more>>
Cee Wurld
When I arrived in Miami in 2011 I literally knew no one or had any resources available to me at that time to do the things that I’m able to contribute now. I was more focused on getting my personal life in order more than becoming and instrument in the entertainment business. I went through periods of homelessness although I still kept a work ethic that allowed me to take advantage of many opportunities working with people in the entertainment business that got me to where I am. Read more>>
Hans Isaacson
To date, one of the coolest projects I have been able to be a part of was creating content for the launch of Unsplash+. It pushed me creatively and opened up some really unique opportunities! Read more>>
Cecilia Fanning Mitchell
One of the many wonderful things about jewelry is how personal it can be. We can keep a part of something so precious and carry it around with us everyday. When people comment we get to re tell the story and it brings us back to that person, place or time. Jewelry is timeless, compact and it can be worn daily or on special occasions. There are stones that are hardy and able to endure the everyday knocks and scrapes and then there are the more delicate pieces that are built for the once in a while wears. Read more>>
Kash Weinber
I’ve been raising funds and awareness since I was 8 years old, now I’m 13. I’ve donated over $20,000 to animals in need and also children/women in need. I’ve done a lot of meaningful projects but I would say the one that means the most would be rehabilitating my dog Lola after she was abandoned in the middle of winter. She was found by Quinte West Lost Paws in a dilapidated barn and she was freezing and starving to death with all the physical and emotional signs of abuse. Read more>>
KJ Lee
The project I am currently working on is a very important one to me. Most of my comedy has been more satirical and punchline heavy. This one is a show about the struggles of a young black man battling poverty. Its special because it was me lol, I spent a long time expecting things to come my way and waiting which is a huge mistake many of us make in our quest. Read more>>
Dail Chambers
The most meaningful project I worked on, was forming Yeyo Arts Collective. Asking my friends, colleagues and professional peers to accept a social idea was scary. The most vulnerable aspect of it all is that I knew little to nothing about business. Starting a brick and mortar business, as a collective had a major impact on my life and career. Read more>>
DeAnna Brown
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on I will say was the first play I wrote, directed and produced “Grandmas” in 2015. Looking back, it wasn’t the best production, but it was the one with the most passion I’ve ever had for the arts. This production gave me the confidence that I could lead a group of artists to the finish line. We had so many 1st timers and dreamers on stage, that our production may have suffered in the eyes of perfectionist, but to us it was sheer magic! Read more>>
Leah Mariner
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on as the director/founder of AVA Dance Company is the performance showcases we put on for our dance community. Adult dancers of all dance abilities in the DC area were welcome to join us for the opportunity to perform on stage last spring 2022. Several dancers signed up and they spent 8 weeks rehearsing together to prepare 17 dance routines to perform for an audience. Read more>>
Shawn Coggins
My most meaningful project is a stage play named “Gladys” that I later developed into a feature screenplay. I named this project after my grandmother, Gladys Blake. I got the ideas for it while sitting in her living room listening to her and younger sister share memories about when they were young girls living in Mississippi. Listening to them talk about the trials and tribulations they faced was interesting yet devastating. Read more>>
Torrey McDowell
I’ve had the pleasure of working on several music projects that hold so much meaning, but I personally feel like the value comes from those I get to work with to create the music rather than a specific song. There is something unique about songwriting with people who start out as perfect strangers. The more you write, the more you learn about one another and the trials they’ve faced. That is extremely personal and I am thankful for every writer that opens up and allows me to do the same. Read more>>
Justin and Devon Cotton and Neisen
Our most meaningful projects to us have been our inclusion of our community. Having Steven from We Rock the Spectrum gym reach out to us to hang out and discuss fatherhood was a really encouraging experience. Devon was able to meet up with friends who do a the Rock Block radio show. We’ve starting to get interest from members of our community with wanting to be a part of our podcast. One of our main goals of our podcast is to create a community for dads. Having other fathers wanting to be a part of this journey is really energizing and encouraging. Read more>>
LiviJanae
Since I began my journey as a movement artist, every project that I have done has been extremely meaningful to me because I often create choreography in response to my reality. If I had to chose a work that has been most meaningful to me, I would probably choose my dance work entitled Relations. Read more>>
Kristin McClanathan
Throughout my time being a photographer, I have a lot of meaningful sessions where families share with me their past that has led them to become the person(s) they are today, or individuals going through those milestone celebrations in their lives that are once in a lifetime memories; but the most meaningful project I have worked on is working with the Jacksonville Miracle League. Read more>>
Jacqueline P. Hilton
London & Bridges This is the best project I could’ve ever written acted in and produced. And this is why first I want to thank my other team of writers on this project. This project is not only my baby but it’s about menopause. A subject that is ignored when we go into our doctors offices often. I am actually going through pre-menopause right now. Read more>>
TreAlise
A really meaningful project I worked on was a “singles release” goal in 2019. Starting in January 2019 I made a goal to release one song each month. This resulted in the songs: Everlasting, On Your Own, and Bouncin’ (Stream Here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2TdU1C85OUB4t3GKrTEdkS?si=bCOWSxglQk6godsauQX8_A). Read more>>
Jeffrey Ampratwum
I developed 2 fashion incubator programs in the South Bronx for middle school students. The program utilizes fashion as a vehicle to promote self-development and nurture the artistic talents of our children. All areas of fashion and fashion students are covered, such as photography, styling, design, hair & makeup, production, modeling, advertising, marketing and buying. Read more>>
Lynn Woods
The most meaningful project(s) that I work on are the products from The Safe Purple Collection. With this collection, 25% of sales are donated to the non-profit organization that Back to the South Bling partners with, The No Woman No Girl Initiative. This organization’s mission is to provide hope, essentials and education to women and girls in the Triangle area, regardless of the circumstances of life. Read more>>
Angela Daniela Godoy
My mom moved my older brother, sister, and me from Ecuador to the United States when I was 7. My dad followed us a few years later. I grew up in parallel cultures between the Hispanic/ Ecuadorian world and the Anglo, Caucasian English-speaking world in school. It wasn’t easy at first to find my place between the two cultures and for me to find my place within them. Today, I’m ok with not fitting into either one perfectly now because I’ve come to celebrate and integrate the parts I like about each. Read more>>
Robin Landa
My new book, The New Art of Ideas: Unlock Your Creative Potential, is a step-by-step guide to generating, crystallizing, or amplifying worthwhile ideas. After many years of teaching university students to generate good ideas and advising CEOs, CMOs, and entrepreneurs to do the same, I decided to share my idea generation system with the world. Read more>>
Wave Magnetik & Rowanne Atallah
All the music that we write has a deep meaningful message. One of them that come to mind is our song Light Night. We wrote it as a commentary about the 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. It talks about Rowanne’s personal experience during the explosion. While she was there, she thought her and her family was going to die. Read more>>
Khyneesha Edwards
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on recently has been the rebrand for Troost Market Collective. Troost Market Collective is a Kansas City-based organization that creates equitable economic opportunities for creative entrepreneurs, inspiring future generations through innovative partnerships and programming. One of their most notable initiatives was KC Art on the Block, which resulted in 6 ‘Black Lives Matters’ street murals being painted across Kansas City. Read more>>
Xavier Lawrence
In January of 2020, I began writing a book about my life story. My decision to write it was motivated by a desire to reach people everywhere and inspire others to allow their dreams and ideas to become a reality, no matter what your past or current situation looks like. Growing up, I was a quiet child and faced many challenges, addictions and struggles. Read more>>
Gary Walker
Gary and Trish Walker have both experienced the benefits of the healing practices of art, meditation and mindfulness to combat the trauma of their own PTSD. After being self-employed for over 30 years, Gary and Trish are on a new journey to help Warriors find their calm…This is their passion project. Gary, a disabled Air Force veteran and artist, practices art to deal with the crushing anxiety and depression caused by this PTSD. Read more>>
Chelsea Smith
After three years, I am finally on the homestretch of one of my most meaningful projects. It is a venture I believe a lot of designers would have passed on for a multitude of reasons. The goal was to renovate a farmhouse overlooking the Mississippi, about thirty minutes out of town. The property was originally purchased by the client’s grandfather in 1918 to escape the Spanish Flu and coincidently I was hired in February 2020. Read more>>
Nicky Rodriguez
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far would definitely have to be The Unlucky Ones and the Edge of Nowhere, my webcomic that I’m also currently adapting into a graphic novel. It was a story idea I started noodling around with right when the pandemic began, but that I hadn’t begun writing and translating into a webcomic until late 2020/early 2021. My friend Sierra, who just recently had her interview posted, was actually the person to convince me to start the project as a webcomic and see where it would take me. It’s been a wonderful experience wherein I’ve learned and grown a lot as an artist, and it’s also what landed me my agent. Read more>>
Michael Stockert
Starting my small business as a creative has been one of the most meaningful projects I have ever done. Not only has it built up my confidence by being able start and maintain a successful business, but it has brought me a lot of joy to connect with and hear my customers stories. Read more>>