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.

Melanie Lee

it fills me up to see actors fulfill their goals. as a director working with actors it bring such joy when they find, discover and allow themselves to be vulnerable. Read more>>

Max Berlin

On June 16 (2023), I release my most personal project to date. A full EP for my indie artist concept, “Berlin w/ Strings,” featuring explicit lyrics, a neoclassical strings instrumental, a trancy disco track, and a moody ballad sped up for TikTok cooking videos. It’s film music, music theatre, and art pop rolled into one. My favorite review of this project has been “a perfect mix of symphony and chaos,” which is exactly how it felt to make. Read more>>

Whitley Nabintu Marshall

Having faced multiple near-death experiences, including two full-body recoveries, chronic illness, homelessness, and food insecurity all before my 21st birthday, these experiences were the fuel that formed me, ignited my passions, shifted my perspective, and guided me to the purpose-driven life that I lead today. Read more>>

Lily Taylor

‘Amphora’ is the highly anticipated album by vocalist and musician Lily Taylor, set to release in July 2023. The album was recorded at Elmwood Recording, a renowned studio located in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. Co-produced by Alex Bhore with Lily Taylor and Black Taffy as the main producers, ‘Amphora’ promises to be a well-crafted album that showcases Lily Taylor’s artistry and musical talent. Read more>>

Imani Nuñez

I have worked on many meaningful projects because there are so many formidable people that have given me incredible opportunities to support them. One project that I will never forget is being able to Art Direct Essence Festival of Culture 2022. Read more>>

Shreyans Zaveri

The most meaningful project for me has been my short film “If Only.” I was learning some new software with my friend and this film just presented itself to me, fully formed and ready in my head. If Only is a short film that follows the journey of a dead whale. The whale rises from the waters and flies away towards the skies. It rises above it’s previous life and goes upwards to be united with it’s family. Read more>>

Elisha Belden

Perhaps the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on was the Walk of Arts. The Walk of Arts debuted in 2022 and was instantly a hit in our community. I live in a rural, sports-oriented community where there is limited access to arts-based events, education, etc. We launched the Walk of Arts to give the performing and visual arts kids something for themselves — something they could participate in and feel a connection to their community and their peers. Read more>>

George Miadis

Once in a while, there come a few artists whose creative vision transcends the boundaries of music. Such a music is not merely a collection of songs or a fleeting moment of artistic expression; rather, it is a purposeful endeavor that seeks to ignite change, inspire compassion, and elevate humanity. My personal goal is to have such a music project that will leave a footprint like that. Read more>>

Matthew Johnson

I run a one man art and clothing brand called Seventh.Ink that has been around for over 15 years now. One of the reasons I run the brand is to do fun and interesting artistic projects that are meaningful to me. I find that when these projects really connect with other people it is incredibly fulfilling. To have an artistic vision and see it come to fruition and be well received is an indescribable feeling. Read more>>

Leeanne Brennan

My card deck, The Epic Bones Affirmation Deck, is the most meaningful project that I’ve worked on to date. It started in an unexpected way, and was not supposed to be a card deck at all. The origin of the deck was me simply wanting to return to a personal daily creative practice after 10 YEARS of not doing any art for myself. Prior to the deck the only art I made was for my day job as a motion designer for an innovation consultancy. Read more>>

Abdul Sesay

The most meaningful project that I’ve worked on thus far would have to be my film The Pushover. This is a project that is currently in production. There are several reasons why, but the first would be that it was one of the first scripts that I had ever written and completed. I wrote the first draft back in 2015. One year later, I fine-tuned it and reached out to a bunch of co-workers and friends, and asked if they would be willing to have a table read with me. Read more>>

Denton Adams

As an artist and a creative, we help shape the world with our projects. We have a responsibility to inspire and encourage through the performing arts. I know for me personally and professionally growing up in our nation’s Capitol, seeing performances at The Kennedy Center, AMC Theaters, and local events helped shape me to being the artist I am today. Read more>>

Mickt Flior

So, I’d like to frame this question like this: “how to make sure you’re creating meaningful work (or projects?) as a designer/ creative?” What does it even mean for it to be “meaningful”? 

If you label yourself as a designer, an artist, or a creative worker, the first thing you need to ask yourself is: Meaningful for whom? Who has the power to determine the worth of my work?

This question has many answers, but the first one thas to be “meaningful for yourself”. Read more>>

Tazzie H

Introducing the Inhale Exhale : The Project was the beginning of my musical career consistently. Pretty much underlining my life story and presences as an artist. Using actual voice-mails of the people who support me and wanted to see me in the space I am today. It means so much to be because it was the beginning of so much to come and I never looked by beyond that point. The hunger and hustle really showed in this project , showing the struggle of growing up without a father and just give my audience me. This project was definitely the most meaningful. Read more>>

Linda Ruel Flynn

The most meaningful project I’ve work on was creating a gallery wall of custom botanical collages and wedding photographs. My initial work with the client was to create a pressed flowers botanical collage on the client’s wedding guest book, create pressed flower botanical collage table numbers for the reception as well preserve the client’s bouquet to create a custom botanical collage piece of art to display in their home. Read more>>

Laura Sawosko

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been my sixth album. I have learned so much as a singer-songwriter in Nashville and have put every aspect of myself into this album. It will be my first official album release with the assistance of Olivia Management and a Publicist. Read more>>

Kaydelis

In awe of the inspiring musical projects and artists that have inspired us our whole life, we’ve always wanted to be able to emulate one key thing about their music. We want our music meaningful and thought provoking, intricate and explorative, while maintaining the appeal of infectious and catchy writing. This has led us down a path of almost overthinking our projects, as every endeavor we take is carefully plotted to have some level of meaningfulness that isn’t so obvious on the surface. Read more>>

Yinan Mao

This is a story that happened in 2020 when I worked on a smartphone advertisement project during the pandemic. Despite the challenging circumstances, we managed to complete all the work through online communication. The culmination of our efforts materialized in the form of a virtual runway. This collaboration opened my eyes to the countless possibilities in presenting and finishing clothing. As a fashion designer, I have come to appreciate the potential of exploring diverse techniques. Read more>>

Sasha Graham

My new deck “Tarot of the Witch’s Garden” is a deeply meaningful project which took shape during the turmoil of the 2020 pandemic. Gardens reflect the universe, its cycles, rhymes and patterns. Gardens, even new ones, are repositories of ancient knowledge due to the human relationship to cultivating food, flowers and herbs. “Tarot of the Witch’s Garden” takes place inside a witch’s secret garden. Read more>>

Barbara Schucko

I’ve been fortunate to work on many meaningful projects, including one that was particularly special to me. Recently, I wrote and produced a song for Songs For World Peace, representing Brazil, my home country. I created the music during the pandemic when travel restrictions made it hard to connect with people. Writing this song helped me feel more connected to my roots and to others. It was a healing experience, and my hope was that it would promote empathy and compassion through the project as a whole. Read more>>

Dean Collins

My new album “Land Where The Wishes Come True” Read more>>

Lunchbox Rachel

The most meaningful project I’m working on is a new single I recorded at the Spotify Noteable Studio in Nashville. Each time I show up to another session, I unveil a new layer of myself in the composition. My songs serve as landmarks or scrapbook pages because I get to look back on them over the years and listen to what was speaking to me at that time in my life. It’s like an emotional screenshot. Read more>>

Pamela Joy Trow

I recently received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, 
Creative Pinellas, and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. I created “There’s a Crystal Clear Pond–The Unseen World of Water Pollution Coloring Book” which uses art and science to explore water pollution. It provides a creative way to encourage individual responsibility in keeping our waters clean. Read more>>

Tristan De Liege

When I was first making music, I was really motivated and interested by sheer exploration of ideas on my own. So I wanted to try different instruments on my own, sample old tracks I found, create my own sound design etc. This is still all a part of my process, but at some point I realized what I loved most was the process of creating with others and having the musical and creative voices of others merge with mine in the process. Read more>>

Junyi Zhang

As an artist myself, I have experienced firsthand the joy and fulfillment that art brings to my life. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to share this gift and empower others, especially young children, to explore their creativity and artistic potential. Volunteering to teach art allows me to give back to the community, inspire young minds, and ignite a lifelong passion for artistic expression. Read more>>

Kirsten Volness

I love writing songs, whether for professional singers or amateurs, and I have had the opportunity to work on meaningful projects with both. Much of my recent work focuses on amplifying underheard voices. Read more>>

Natalie Anthone

After a year of writing, recording, and producing, vocalist Nyxia and producer Oddaub are releasing their debut EP ‘Opalite’ under the band name ‘Tantric Flux’ this June. The two female artists were introduced by a mutual friend in 2021 and began making music together shortly after. Within 20 minutes of the first time collaborating in Oddaub’s basement studio, the duo had laid the groundwork for their hit single ‘Embrace the Dark Side’. Read more>>

Wangare Aldridge

One of my most meaningful projects was creating a children’s book called ‘The Foodie Alphabet Book For Awesome Children’, that celebrates the wonderful world of food through the alphabet. This book is a visual feast, filled with vibrant illustrations of various delicious dishes, from edamames to nutmeg to zucchinis, representing each letter of the alphabet. Read more>>

ensemble vim

In January 2023, we received funding from the local AFM union’s fund “Music in Schools” to play for string students at the Title I Young Middle School in Atlanta. We played them pieces by Jessie Montgomery, Alice Hong, Valentin Silvestrov, and Paul Schoenfield, and we demonstrated some of the ways that new music is different from classical music, Read more>>

Frenzee Broadcasting

Frenzee Broadcasting is proud to bring you all original content such as ”The After Party Radio Show” Hosted by Fatell “The Outlaw Show” Hosted by E.D.I Mean Of (The Outlawz) “Elani Talks” Hosted by life coach / motivational speaker Elani Kay “Top Shelf” (Adventures of sports, music & medicine) Hosted by Chris Bruno & Dr. Cindy Pfeiffer Read more>>

David Csaszar

So many projects have had such a significant impact on my success, my artwork, and ultimately myself. It’s hard to pick only one. So here’s two… 1. I was recently was commissioned to paint my first mural in a commercial space. It was only the fifth mural I’ve ever painted so it meant a lot to get to work with another local small business owner who enjoyed my artwork and also had the faith in me to paint nearly 200 square feet of wall space inside their store! Read more>>

Lisa Jacovsky

Working with Brainstorm Productions on my most recent book. They are an amazing organization that employs individuals with autism. Each illustration in Rascal Cat brothers is a different style due to being done by a different individual with autism. The cover is as well and the company put together the book into the layout. It shows that with a chance and Guidance individuals with autism can do anything. They are amazing and talented individuals that prove autism is not limiting Read more>>

Pat Lang

I paint a variety of subjects, to include still life, landscapes, and seascapes, But over the past few years I have been working on animals, both wildlife and domestic. I love animals, all animals, and I have a goal to show the character of the animal in my work. Whether I am painting wildlife or a domesticated animal, it is intriguing to me how their character and feelings are shown in their expressions. Read more>>

Maxcine DeGouttes

The most meaningful project that I have worked on was the completion of a preschool in tribute to my maternal grandfather located in Jamaica WI. Before my mum’s death in 2019 my mother was building a school in her home town of Danvers Pen in the St.. Thomas parish in the Blue Mountain Valley of Jamaica WI. Before her death I made her a promise that I would complete the school. Read more>>

Tom Hiel

A few years back, I was asked by a friend and colleague to score the documentary he was working on for ESPN called “The 51 Dons”. I was brought into their editing suite in Santa Monica, and watched the first act. The story of the ’51 Dons college football team’s winning season, was the story of two African American players Burt Toller, and Ollie Madson, and the racism they endured, especially in games in the south. Read more>>

ACT FOUNDATION USA INC

Act Foundation believes in Uniting the world through kindness and compassion for all, our causes and projects are wide and varied, encompassing small initiatives led by an individual or small group, to larger projects carried out in partnership with other organizations. We have two unique and meaningful projects that we would like to talk about: Read more>>

Joey Skidmore

Although I’d had a couple of albums out with the retro garage band, the Red Headed League, I hadn’t really done my own thing in a while–actually since 2017. I basically felt like just a side-man with those guys. So I rounded up Tony Valentino of the Standells (one of the pioneers of the fuzz guitars, Mark Stein from the ’60s psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge, Read more>>

Christina Wen

Some of the most meaning projects I have been a part of in the past little while are documentary film ‘The Spellers’ and Searchlight feature film ‘Chevalier’. ‘The Spellers’ is a documentary film that discuss the Spelling method as a way of communication for kids living with autism as non-speakers. The film introduces several spellers and their parents’/families’ journey. I got to mix the music for this very powerful and touching documentary. Read more>>

Laura Elkus Gross

The Beatles Anthology was the most meaningful project I’ve worked on. I was lucky enough to experience the Beatles’ phenomenon as it happened, and I was in love with them from the start. I had worked with each of them individually, so when the most possible reunion happened (with the self titled “Threetles:” George, Ringo and Paul, with archival material from John) with The Beatles Anthology, I was privileged to be one of the team creating promotional materials for the project. Read more>>

Darlene Bender

I have had the pleasure and honor of being a part of so many meaningful projects. Almost every aspect of our business has some sort of hand in creating memories. The gift store and laser engraving side of the house allows us to help our customers give custom gifts that are heartfelt, special and unique. They didn’t just walk into a big box store and select something off of the shelf that is generic or that everyone else in town has. The gifts are as special to the giver as they are to the recipient. Read more>>

Kocaine Kay

I did a lot of projects but to me the most meaningful one to me is my first tape I put out on all platforms called Remember Everybody Ain’t Loyal. Even though I have many other projects that I love from start to finish, but Remember Everybody Ain’t Loyal is the one that gather alot of my new followers. Read more>>

Bum Roots Project

The most meaningful project for us is anything we find ourselves currently working on in the moment, whether that’s rehearsing for an event, playing a gig, or working on our next releases. We try to be as focused on current and upcoming goals as we can. Read more>>

Sherrell Jackson

Leading an industry in the whole hair business, I wanted to explore my love for home decor. Home decor is meaningful because it plays a crucial role in shaping our living spaces and environments, greatly influencing our well-being, comfort, and overall quality of life. Our homes are personal sanctuaries where we seek solace, express our individuality, and create memories with loved ones. Therefore, the design and decor choices we make in our homes profoundly impact our daily experiences. Read more>>

Rhea Carmi

A momentous occasion unfolded as Soka University bore witness to a retrospective exhibition that spanned three transformative months. Seventy-seven meticulously crafted works adorned the gallery walls, each a testament to the inexorable passage of time and the indomitable human spirit. Among these captivating installations, one stood as a beacon of remembrance and renewal—aptly titled “Full Cycle.” Read more>>

Jami Ramberan

To date the most meaningful project I have worked on was a film called “Vote.” As a filmmaker, I seek to work on projects that inject a message of social change into the center of popular consciousness. “Vote” a poem by Suzen Baraka did just that. After hearing Suzen perform her powerful piece, I couldn’t wait to help tell her story visually. Read more>>