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.

Ashley Rose Nicholas

I’ve always been in love with the art of storytelling. Since I was a little girl performing has been my first love. My inner child jumps for joy when i get the opportunity to perform. As of late I’ve dove head first into the acting medium. I had a comedy come out in March called “Who Invited Charlie”, an action film called “The Burden of Nine Lives” Previewing in September, and a sci-fi proof of concept about a HBCU. Through and through I love that I’m expanding versatility in my craft and will always put that above everything else. A focus on craft equals longevity which I prefer over just going viral. I’m looking forward to continuously diving into more roles and living through different character’s perspectives. Read more>>

Carina Blanton

As a wedding planner, I really do feel that all of the weddings I work on and relationships that I build with couples are meaningful in their own way. There are certainly visions, personalities, and particular design aesthetics that I find myself more naturally inclined to, but every single wedding – and the planning process that comes with it – offers something special and unique. There are weddings that I hold especially close to my heart and I’m so lucky to continue those relationships beyond the work – not because they were “better” or “more meaningful” than other weddings, but because I particularly bonded with those couples. Read more>>

Cassandra Donald

I think being an artist, in any field, is all about choosing meaningful projects. It’s about working on things that feed your soul. There’s a lot of work I turn down because it doesn’t feel right. If it doesn’t put a fire in your heart, and make you feel good, then don’t do it! I see so many people choosing artistic endeavors that aren’t for them, and when you force something, people can see it. The best engagement comes from authenticity. The era of social media needing to be perfect is a thing of the past. People want to see what makes you tick, what makes you come alive, what makes you relatable. You can create art and do all of these things while still being true to yourself. Read more>>

David Fields

Look out for the newest release now charting on iTunes by Cool Dave & Jerrell Dean called Moving On. Read more>>

Jordan Eagles

There are so many at this point. Every time I embark on a new work or series it feels extremely meaningful at that moment. There are projects–and certain works–that have had a lasting impact on me either because it taught me something new that I was able to incorporate into my practice moving forward or it forced me into new territory and there was no going back. BAR 1-9, is a large-scale work made of nine leaning panels that in total is 32 ft wide by 8 ft tall. I had never made a work with so many panels and especially at that scale. My Energy works express inner strength exploding and radiating outwards into the cosmos–or as though you are looking into the head of an erupting volcano. Energy works are fundamental to my body of work and something I will always return to when I need to be grounded and focused. They are a personal meditation in the studio. Blood Mirror was the first project I ever did with human blood–donated by members of the LGBTQI+ community–and brought a completely different point of view to the work. Most of my work has a spiritual and philosophical aspect, but Blood Mirror also has a crucial social message about the importance of science and equality. Read more>>

Sarah Laird

As an independent artist, I have participated in many different events. It’s always important to grow, whether in my craft or my perspective in life. I would say one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was the last solo exhibit I held in 2021, “Thirsty for Water”. Read more>>

 Late Night Creator

the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my piece called “Create You.” It’s a person sitting with a paint brush in hand, and the head is a canvas with a yellow smiley face. I created that piece because I went through a little journey in 2022 that took a toll on my mental health and confidence. I wasn’t happy and also struggling financially. Being an artist a lot of people can project onto you, and they can tell you that your art is just a dream, and it will always be a dream( in terms of selling art consistently, etc). during that journey on building myself back up, I started gaining the confidence that I am the creator of my life, and that no one can put their doubt on me. hence the artwork I did letting people know you are the creator of your life. you can paint however you want to be/feel/look. I decided that I was tired of being as sad as I was at that time. so, creating the smiley face lets my audience know If you want to be happy you can do that. Read more>>

Rebecca Ulmo

I was one of the first people on the East coast to use a gimbal on a Union Feature Film. It was 2016 and the film was “Fast & Furious 8.” It was my first job as a Gimbal Tech, which wan’t a position yet at the time. Read more>>

Kaci Hamilton

This spring I got cast in the musical “Menstruation: A Period Piece” by Miranda Rose Hall at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. It’s a queer love story about a lesbian named Claire in her late 30s who is contemplating having a baby with her partner. As a result she starts questioning, among other things, her period, and what it has meant all these years and what it means now. The play takes place in both the real world and in Claire’s uterus, and I played four parts of her menstrual cycle: a military leader cell commandeering the period, a peppy coach hormone inspiring follicle growth, a sultry follicle stimulating hormone, and a domineering progesterone intent on growing a baby. This description does not do the play justice. It was an absolute technicolor romp in and out of the female body and such a celebration of all forms of love and that there is no one definition of family, happiness or partnership. This play was so special. I truly adored my entire cast and crew and they have become a part of my village. It was also a lot of firsts. My first play since 2019 (gasp), my first musical, my first multi-character project, the first time I participated in telling a queer story. While Claire’s story may not be mine, I am a black immigrant woman, so it felt doubly important in this time, with so many rights being under attack, to make art about inclusion and representation, and to be an ally to a fellow marginalised voice. Read more>>

Chuchu Wang

I want to talk more about my children’s picture book that I wrote and illustrated, “Rus & Moose,” is a fictional story inspired by my experience, with an element of exaggeration. My husband Rus was a long-haul truck driver, and before we were married, he had been driving a 70-foot-long semi-truck across the United States. I also lived with him in the truck during summer and winter vacations. I thought life on the truck was interesting. I treated every day as a road trip. Thanks to his unique job, I have been to forty states in the United States and experienced many different cultures. Read more>>

Jane Anyanwu & JT Barrie

When Jane and I (J.T.) decided to create a podcast, we aimed to craft one with a meaningful purpose – something relatable, specifically targeted towards our generation (people in their 20s and 30s). Podcasts are ubiquitous nowadays, so we had to consider how to stand out and be different, most importantly, non-toxic.Read more>>

Michal Lifshitz

POEMET was born approximately two years ago. It is my dream brand of silk scarves, that I wished to create for many years. Before that I worked as a graphic designer for more than a decade, designing mostly brands and printed materials. Read more>>

Danja Danja | Artist | Publisher & Business Owner

My 2011 release of” Dark City” on DatPiff.com would be my most meaningful perfect to date. Every element involved with that make up,.. Artwork, cloth, location, etc. It was a hard time that’s still growing with me. Read more>>

LaTeisha Clément

The most meaningful project I worked on was writing my book, Behind The Face. It’s a memoir that navigates all the relationships that led me back to myself including the romantic and parental ones. I started uncovering layers of me that were affected by how I grew up and began talking about the trauma. I couldn’t heal from what I didn’t face. Through this journey, I identified patterns in my relationships that mimicked my upbringing or stemmed from insecurities developed during childhood. Writing Behind The Face took a lot out of me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I had to reread the book several times to make sure it sounded like me while reliving painful memories. But it was worth it because my story matters. Read more>>

Naomi Benson

For my most recent art collection “To The Sea” I put some thought into how to re-use different materials that would normally be sent to the landfill or recycled. You might be wondering why I am using “trash” in my fine art pieces. I have had a number of personal experiences that have shaped my relationship with waste in our oceans. Read more>>

Kyle Krauskopf

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on? Wow… well, there have certainly been a few. Perhaps it was my first year-long project in which I made a unique, small, wooden animal every day for an entire year. It could also be my most recently completed project – The Meantime Chronicles- where I wrote an original short story and created a correlating illustration every week for the year of 2022. These were all then compiled into a book- my first book- which I self-published. Maybe it was traveling down to San Francisco from Seattle to help re-open The Chinese Historical Society of America with a Bruce Lee retrospective exhibition. This being a result of winning a Lee-centric art competition. All taking place after a journey with his daughter Shannon Lee’s book. A tool greatly responsible for pulling me out of pandemic depression. Or possibly it was using the entire breadth of my life’s culminated skills and connections to help with the opening of Nuwave Gallery in Ellensburg, Washington, a mere six months ago. The point I’m trying to make is by indomitable resilience, pure luck, or divine providence I seem to routinely find myself in situations where I am meant to be or where I can be of great help- and that has been the most meaningful to me. To be of service, to have purpose, to help. Read more>>

Lincoln Bailey

My name is Lincoln Bailey I am full time actor and model people in the industry often say you can’t make a living from acting my response is you are right with that mindset and attitude so I got a job at a assisted living facility and wanted to work as little as possible on the weekends due to Boredom then a resident grabs my hand and says I’m so glad you are here I can tell you actually care so I started working nights because if you did you got free rent in the basement so then I started coming in on my days off and I noticed they were lonely so I started taking them out to lunch out of my own pocket and started to write them letters and make tik tok videos with them and I call it letters from Lincoln a lot of the time it’s not a physical letter but it’s a love letter and it’s so nice to see them alert and happyRead more>>

Nicholas Sinclair

I’ve been blessed to with as a professional drummer for the last 20years. I’ve been signed to three record deals, toured extensively and recorded 8 albums and worked alongside incredible artists. In 2021 I made the decision to take a new path in music as a solo singer/songwriter. . With the guidance of my brother, fellow musician / band mate Joshua Sinclair, I was able to learn guitar and hone my solo show. By 2022 I was performing over 70 solo shows a year and building a regional fan base. My current focus is recording a debut album. It’s been a fun journey to find my own style and sound and I’m beyond excited to share my music with the world. Honestly I love music and it makes my heart happy and that happiness comes out in my writing… the songs are upbeat and positive, acoustic reggae with some hip hop and R&B mixed in. I have gotten to collaborate with some amazing musicians on this record, from rockers to hip hop artists, country and even Afro-pop singers and producers. It’s hard to put the album into a musical category other than to simply say it’s Nicholas Sinclair Music. To bring joy to people around the world through my music is my mission and I can’t wait to see where this journey leads! Read more>>

 Cole Newman

I think this entire career over the last 3 years has been extremely meaningful but the biggest thing is the yearly milestones. Exactly one year from the first time I ever painted (February 22nd 2020) I had my first art show, two years after my first painting i had my first private live performance which is probably the second most meaningful milestone of my career where i live painted a massive 20ft painting as a commission. and finally this February where I announced my first ever Los Angeles art show which took place in early June. this entire process has been amazing and so fulfilling. the second I started this career I knew “this is what I need to be doing for the rest of my life”. Read more>>

Madison Thurman

Most of the money I make off my Art has been donated towards charities in Kansas City. I have donated over $83,000 from my Art. When I was in my teens I was homeless and was staying in local shelters as well as transitional living homes. Without those shelters I wouldn’t have been able to graduate high school or have a place to lay my head. I create my art with the purpose of giving back to the people who helped make it possible for me to be the young Woman I am today. I want the youth to be able to have the shelter and the supplies they need to survive and strive in life. Every piece I create has meaning to it. I hope to inspire and help people with my Art. Read more>>

Milyssa Rose

I work closely with a ministry called Woww ministries. The organization is run by Pastor Cassandra Greene. I have a song entitled Fierce and Fabulous. The song is about female empowerment, and being able to be you and living your life for you. Pastor Cassandra reached out to me and wanted to do a PSA on domestic violence and mental health awareness. Read more>>

Deneza Jadol

I am a first generation child of Filipino immigrants. My parents sacrificed so much for me to have the life that I have. I grew up without an Asian or Filipino community. I also was very disconnected from my parents and experienced a lot of trauma growing up as their youngest and only daughter. There’s such a disconnect between generations that as an adult, I can see how it seems nearly impossible for us to understand each other. It’s hard for our parents to even think of their immigration as trauma, and it’s difficult for us to understand why they’re so hard on us. But, they simply want us to have the things they never had. They worked so hard and gave up so much. They don’t want us to have to suffer as they did, and it translates into common traumatic upbringings among immigrant and first generation families. Read more>>

Brandon Burnett

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is probably my most recent single release. It’s the first song with new members of my full band and a realization of a project years in the making. My songwriting craft is, most often, concept driven. The new single “Coyote” was written in the summer during the 2020 pandemic as the seed to a greater overarching story. It tells the tale of a train hopping drifter who begins receiving very disturbed visions. He discovers his nightmares are real and he is seeing through the eyes of a deadly gunslinger in the gothic west. The song follows our main character as he must become the “Coyote” to face the ultimate evil. Not only is the song an anthem for the character’s transformation, it’s an anthem for my determination to see the thing through. It’s made all the more meaningful with a hand made stop motion music video that fleshes out the concept. Animated by Jared Popescu under The Greylands Studios. Read more>>

Rob Gs Aka Lucky

My New Album im working on called”Robert West Jr” a motivational album and showing my transition in life and music and sending messages for the youth to do positive things and be more productive in life and pass these positive messages ton their friends and family as well. Read more>>

Cynthia Lampkin

One of my meaningful projects was in 1990, I was asked to cater the food for a wedding reception. The bride was a close friend to my sister, and she asked me to cater the food for her reception. I love weddings, and it was a pleasure cooking the food for this occasion. I’d never forget the menu, Barbecue chicken, baked beans, potato salad, dinner rolls, with all the trimmings. The laughable part about this was I was serving guest food out of electric skillets. The bride, groom and all the guests enjoyed the food. Read more>>

Claire Turner

About two years ago, my husband and I courageously led a team of passionate ministry leaders into establishing our non-profit organization, Summit Outdoor Leadership. While I experience a lot of fulfillment from my position as the Director of Programs at Summit, I found myself hungry for a creative outlet in the midst of launching our new organization. Hence began my little side hustle of Summit Collective, where I get to express my creative side by teaching craft workshops and creating handmade goods. I started the Collective with the intention of promoting other artists’ work, but over time it has developed into more of an opportunity to empower individuals to embrace the discomfort of creativity out of their realm of experience and invite them into the creative process. While my main focus is on programs with Summit Outdoor Leadership, I’m able to intentionally dedicate time to teaching Summit Collective workshops in order to help fund the non-profit work we do. It’s exciting to know that even though I’m having a ton of fun crafting, I’m simultaneously funding our dream so we can equip leaders in the outdoors. Plus, seeing others create beautiful pieces of art brings joy to my heart! Read more>>

Josh Blanco

The most meaningful project to date is the full length album “Insensitive Plastic” by Ducky Neptune. The second verse in the song “Charlie” exemplifies my point ….“of all my art, I like the last.” Read more>>

Ally Bruser

As the Sou’wester Arts Program Manager, I plan, coordinate, develop, and refine all of the arts education programs of Sou’wester Arts (the nonprofit branch of the hotel, Sou’wester Lodge). These programs range from Artist-led Workshops, taught by artist-in-residence Instructors, youth art camps, after-school programs, a community clay studio, and more.Read more>>

Sarah Otts

Meaning is something that cannot go without discussion in an art career. I am a painter of colors for the sake of pretty colors, but without meaning and concept, that’s all it is, “pretty”, but it can go so much further. I think all of my projects have been meaningful, but my “Looking Up” series of paintings and my book, also titled “Looking Up”, have reached people in such personal and beautiful ways. My Looking Up series sprouted from grief. This work came from my own experience of looking up to the beauty of the world around me in order to heal from loss. This perspective awakened my heart to the true meaning of trust, of having hope for tomorrow, and, most of all, the significance of love in this lifetime. This body of work and writing has connected me to people who have been through terrible tragedy; people who needed inspiration, encouragement and perspective to pull through the daunting task of healing. I wasn’t prepared for how much I would encounter gratitude from others. It has truly been a beautiful thing to witness an artistic calling evolve into an expression of love that supports another (even a perfect stranger!) during an especially trying time of loss and pain. Read more>>

Kelly Frankenberg

The most meaningful project I worked on was a collaboration with 9 artists and one scientist we named, Mississippi River Pearl. We picked up trash along the Mississippi River, learned what the toxins do to the water, created a beautiful sculpture with the trash, and have gotten it in museums and places where we have hosted workshops and educational experiences with the interactive sculpture. Thousands of people of all ages have gotten to interact with it, learn, and take action to protect our waters! Read more>>

Alison Hamil

One of my favorite mural projects was completed at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Sandy Springs, Georgia. I was honored to paint a series of murals throughout the employee parking decks there as a tribute to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more>>

Heather Parker

The most meaningful project I have worked on thus far the Shades of Red Show earlier this year. Christina Dunbar, who facilitates the RED Writing Circles I am a part of, also produces this show. She is phenomenal as a Producer, Director, Friend and Guide. Writing within the RED Circle activated something deep within me that I could no longer make pretty for public consumption. My voice emerged from my soul like a fire-breathing dragon and I loved it. I felt every ounce of it in my entire body. The Show consisted of Christina Dunbar, Kristina Italic, Marianne, DeAnna Carpenter, Diahnna Nicole Baxter and myself. Each of us shared our own stories. The way our energy and stories wove like threads in the same fabric was AMAZING. We performed for a SOLD OUT Show, both LIVE and Livestreamed! I am not a performer or theatre person by trade. I am a Poet who braved her first open mic more than ten years ago. I love open mics, yet I was not going to put myself out there as a “Spoken Word” Artist. In fact, it wasn’t until I went to the Nuyorican Cafe in NYC 8 years ago, that I rocked the hell out of that mic. I did that again at my book release in 2016, where I shared 2 pieces without reading them. I admire Poets that spit their pieces from their dome and with so much heart, you can’t help but feel them. I aspire to that. I am doing that NOW and love how it feels. Read more>>

Liquid J

The project that has had profound personal significance for me is my podcast. It began a few years ago when a close friend encouraged me to share my voice with the world. Coincidentally, this was during the peak of the pandemic when people were grappling with intense feelings of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about the future. Understanding the prevailing emotions, I embarked on my podcast journey with a heartfelt mission: to become a source of solace and inspiration amidst these turbulent times. Read more>>

 Luísa Galatti

The most exciting part of acting in projects that I’m producing is the immense passion that drives me. I always knew that I didn’t want to be an actor just to perform. I’ve always known that only performing wasn’t enough for me. Don’t get me wrong, performing is a beautiful art form and my first love. However, my dedication to telling the story from multiple angles fuels my best work. My best involvement in a project is usually when I’m producing it – or I was lucky and got cast in something that I truly love. One of my biggest flaws is that I cannot engage in anything I don’t genuinely enjoy, which leads me to pursue only the things I love – it’s a blessing and a curse. Read more>>

Sharon Lee Villone

Great question! My debut novel, Harness The Storm, holds a special place in my heart, not only because it was my first book, but because of where I was in my life when I wrote it. I was married for twenty years to someone who was extremely mentally and emotionally abusive. I was in a dark place when I left the marriage and I desperately needed an escape. Harness The Storm gave me a place to hide and a purpose. It was such a cathartic release because I spent countless hours diving into the story and expressing my emotions through the characters. Read more>>

Aida Mandic

My books. I write about bullying, war, love, social justice, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ambition, courage, uniqueness, discrimination. violence, power, activism, beauty, rebellion, creativity, love, and critical thinking. I write about my past experiences of being a refugee and immigrant. I am a survivor of the Bosnian Genocide. Read more>>

Kim Hopson

My most recent series, Sweater Weather, is a very personal body of work and therefore very close to my heart. It is an autobiographical study of frustration, toil, resilience and all the ups and downs that come with parenting. Read more>>