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.

Cristina Hron

I am currently working on my next single that will be released later this year (2023). Not only is this a shift sonically from my previous work, but also contextually. I have recently come out as openly lesbian, and my music is set to reflect that moving forward. This single is going to be the start of a new era for both myself and my fans, celebrating sapphic love and empowerment. I have been working on this project for over a year, starting with the actual writing of the song in the summer of 2022, leading to the production and filming process a summer later. It is set to have an official music video and an acoustic live performance video. Read more>>

Macy Krew

With my newest release of “Raise My Voice,” I was so proud that it was chosen for multiple Spotify editorial playlists. I broke my highest records for a song, with it quickly reaching almost 60K streams on Spotify alone. To celebrate that, we released my brand new music video for the song last week. The video PREMIERED ON CMT!!! It has been one of my favorite songs I’ve ever released and written. The icing on the cake is why this song means so much to me. Read more>>

Virag Vida

For years, I’ve been working as a cultural journalist in Los Angeles, covering stories for Hungary. Throughout my work, I’ve encountered numerous fascinating people and stories. Unfortunately, some of these stories don’t just focus on the bright side of life. Being personally touched by these tales, not only as a journalist but also as a civilian, I tried to find a way to actively help. I realized I could leverage the connections I’ve built in my work, and I managed to do so remarkably! I asked celebrities (whom I work with) to provide significant assistance to those in need with a small gesture. As an American Goodwill Ambassador for this Hungarian foundation that helps premature babies, I have successfully connected these two aspects. Read more>>

Wayne Whittaker

I’ve spent most of my musical life in a supportive role. I primarily consider myself to be a bass player, and most of my time is spent helping other people shape their musical ideas, and then to hopefully have those ideas translate either onto a record or on stage. I find it incredibly rewarding, my dream has long been to be a “go-to” session guy and I truly love what I do. It really wasn’t until about 5 years ago, when I moved to Los Angeles, that I decided to record songs of my own. Read more>>

Leeandra Willis

I recently I’ve decide to follow a new path when it came to photography. As a photographer my main focus was always portraiture or conceptual portraiture. I wanted to take a break from it and redirect my eye to something I usually don’t and that was places and spaces that brought either a feeling of calmness or emptiness. Read more>>

Janet Mack

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on was a song I wrote for my sister. My oldest sister passed away June 2020 from Breast Cancer. At first I did not know why I was writing the song “Sunny Days”. I would go to work early and I would park in the front. I kept getting downloads so, I could not let up. I was writing on an envelope. I just knew I needed to get this particular song done. I wrote this song in 2019. I recorded “Sunny Days” January 2020. I was also going through a lot. My sister called me one day and told me she had cancer. As much as I wanted to break down I couldn’t. I had to stay strong for her. Read more>>

Shellsy Malveaux

My most meaningful (and current) project that I’ve worked on is my Intimate Conversations series. Intimate Conversations is a community-driven conversation series that brings sensitive topics into an intimate, comfortable setting for attendees to share their personal experiences. The backstory behind this project is solely based on my life experiences. In 2016, I had a mental breakdown and went into a deep depression due to the stresses of a rewarding (yet, draining) retail career and low self-esteem. To start over, I wanted to express and love myself more freely through solo traveling and blogging. Read more>>

Sarah Wallin-Huff

The meaningful project most on my mind at present is the August 11 release of my solo album, titled “SHARDS”, on the Navona Records label. This album is a compilation of some of my own more recent contemporary classical works, which have been steadily recorded over the course of the past four years. It represents “life, love, death, and the philosophy and mysticism that make up the in-betweens” (to borrow from the album description). Each piece on this album truly encapsulates deeply personal reflections of my innermost self. What makes this project particularly meaningful to me is the involvement of close personal friends who have graciously agreed to perform alongside me on this record. Read more>>

Jason Sinn

If I had to pick only one, then I would say it was when I created my photo titled “The Clay Man” and it was commissioned by Profoto for their national EDU poster campaign. At that time I was still finishing up my final year in photo school and I wanted to shoot something very emotional, yet also universally relatable. I called my friend and actor, Tory Scroggins, and after covering Tory in heaps of clay I used a very simple lighting setup of only one large octabox. When the clay dried on Tory’s face it drew out incredible, surreal features, and his ability to convey subtle emotions underneath it brought out a beautiful sense of soulful introspection. It looked natural and somehow symbiotic. It reminded me of the countless stories that we hear from multiple cultures – the ones that talk about how humans were molded from the very ground we stand on. Read more>>

Jo Bertini

In 2022, after viewing my solo exhibition ‘Deep in Land’ at GOCA at the University of Colorado, the Chairman and board of Taos Historic Museums invited me to make a new solo exhibition, at the historic E.L. Blumenschein Museum in Taos New Mexico. The Museum was once the home and studio of Ernest Blumenschein, founder of the famous Taos Society of Artists. I made an exhibition of paintings called ‘Mountain of the Watchful Heart, on view from May 27- 9th August 2023. I was very interested in this project particularly as the Taos Society of Artists was historically all men. Read more>>

Michael Janis

Public Art and Community. Glass has long been a captivating medium, seemingly untamable, constantly bridging the divide between art and craft. For those not well-versed in the art world, the distinction can be simple: if an object serves a functional purpose, like a bowl, it is often regarded as a work of craft, while those with no practical use are often considered works of art. However, the true essence of glass as an artistic medium lies in its ability to transcend these boundaries, becoming a canvas for communication and creative expression. Read more>>

Carol Prusa

One of my most meaningful projects was working with IS Projects – an artist run press based in Miami, to create through a Knight Foundation Grant, an artist book. As I had never done this before, it was a steep learning curve just to begin to tap the possibilities and processes. Collaborating with book artist Ingrid Schindall and her staff allowed me to expand my capabilities to utilize their expertise in realizing my vision for the book well beyond my capabilities. Ultimately the book I envisioned, titled “unknowing“, offers a liminal experience between knowing and not, calling on scotopic vision (night vision) to peer into darkness. This silk hardcover, laser and letterpress printed on black paper, book is a download of what I know, at least for the moment, before it resolves as something else. Read more>>

Evan

When I started my workshop when I was 10, I chose to support a children’s hospital foundation in Toronto along the way – SickKids Foundation. In addition to donating a portion of each of my woodworking sales to SickKids, you can often find me doing charity builds where I make different things, like tables, boards and other furniture pieces, and auction them off with all proceeds going to SickKids. For me, doing charity builds are my most meaningful projects because I know that I am helping kids in need and that every dollar makes a difference. I chose SickKids Foundation to support because as a kid I want to help other kids in need. Read more>>

ANTONIO MINISTERI

The most significant project I worked on was the release of my first Album entitled “In Bloom.” It was a work that took more than a year of between composing, recording and finally publishing. The album was released on various music platforms on July 7, 2023 by Little Symphony Records. Read more>>

Haley Bowen

As a full time artist, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many incredible human beings. I am a figurative artist, and I specialize in nude portraiture for women. My clientele are women who seek another portal to share their story and through the vulnerable act of nude portraiture, feel empowered to soften into exactly who they are, defying taboo and judgement. Over the years I’ve been a professional artist, I would say each client is extremely meaningful in her own way. Once I became a mother, one client in particular stood out to me, as she wanted to be drawn breastfeeding her baby. This was her last baby and thus her last time breastfeeding. Read more>>

Zach Adleman

Preparing for my debut album, which will be recorded on October 16, 2023. The album encompasses stories, musical insights, and performance experiences from the last 6 years of my life. I wrote most of the pieces on the album. Other projects include my recent work as a teaching/performing mentor fellow at the Stanford jazz workshop. Touring Israel w Elio Villafranca (last December). Read more>>

Ates Isildak

I am currently getting ready for my 2nd solo show. It will be at MTN Space Gallery in Lake Worth September 16. I’m really looking forward to this one because it will be my first time showing a large body of work. Digital prints, short films, and polaroids. I didn’t come up with a way to incorporate my music, but we do have a live set from Richard Vergez of Night Foundation. It’s going to be an immersive evening. Read more>>

Nofy Inman

The most meaningful project I had worked on was my song Celadon Skyline. It derived from a poem I wrote after my partner at the time was expecting and the child was stillborn. The experience at such a young age had left us both distraught. I took one of the lowest moments of my life to give hope to others who might be going through their own turmoil and need “something to believe in.” Read more>>

Anthony Fatato

It was hot summer day in 2008 and I decided to work on one of my commissioned paintings in Coffey Park to find relief from my sweltering loft studio. At that time I lived in Red Hook Brooklyn, which is home to one of the largest low income housing complexes in all of North America. My studio was located in what’s called the luggage factory which borders Coffey park to the north. The low income housing complex borders the park to the south and east. As I was painting, three young teens from the neighborhood approached me and asked if they could paint with me. I allow them to take only a few small strokes each on the canvas but promised that if they came back next Saturday that I bring a canvas just for them. Sure enough that next Saturday they were there waiting for me. Read more>>

Chanel Thervil

During the beginning of the pandemic I created “Warm Fuzzy Feels”, a solo exhibition celebrating multi-cultural friendship between women at the Boston’s Children’s Museum. It felt really good to bring joy by highlighting this topic during a hard time. I incorporated quotes from some of the women featured so they could share whats meaningful about their friendships with the museum’s audience. I think it was a great way to model empathy and celebration of differences for kids. Read more>>

Telice Summerfield

Turf dancing is such a radical and political expression of movement. Although we are well known culture bearers of the Bay Area, oftentimes Turf Dancers lack access to more mainstream platforms of opportunity. Experiencing this dilemma at every turn in my own dance career, in February 2023 I decided to hold space for my community by hosting a Black History Month dance battle, through which I was able to provide tangible rewards and reputable vehicles of story-telling for my community. This event was completely remarkable. In collaboration with the Oakland Museum of California, Oaklandish, and the Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network, I put together a space where Turf Dancers could truly embody the acronym of Turf: Taking, Up, Room, on the Floor. The event was PACKED! People were even watching from the windows of neighboring high-rises. Read more>>

Maureen Davis

I’ve been so fortunate in the last 5 years to complete TWO projects I’ve been dreaming of for a long time: SLEEPYLAND BAND – SONGS FOR BEDTIME (THAT MOM & DAD WILL LOVE TOO) A FALLING STAR AT BUZZARD’S ROOST – a rock musical based on a strange true story about a meteorite and my feelings about love, featuring fantastic TV, Stage and Rock stars. Read more>>

Siyi Chen

The project that has held the most profound meaning for me is undoubtedly our Chinese Jazz album “New Shidaiqu.” This innovative venture represents a convergence of cultural heritage and contemporary musical exploration, encapsulating both the revival of the past and the shaping of a vibrant future. Originating from the evocative genre of “Shidaiqu” that emerged a century ago in Shanghai, “New Shidaiqu” seeks to infuse new life into this historical treasure. The project is a testament to the remarkable interplay between tradition and modernity, and the potential for cultural fusion to create something truly extraordinary. Read more>>

Eddie Oppong

The most meaningful project in my current portfolio of work would have to be KIDNEY WARRIORS. I allowed myself to become extremely vulnerable in telling my health journey story. Allowing the world into my personal battle with Kidney Disease since birth, and my current moments being on dialysis for the last decade. This project was not completely about me, but every KIDNEY WARRIOR out there near and far. I just wanted to let the story be told through my personal experience, and hopefully encourage others to find the same strength. Read more>>

Rodrigo Butori

I believe in creativity as a transformational force. Creating something new taps into a core human desire to build, grow, and improve ourselves and our communities. Whether we express it through visuals, writing, or sound doesn’t matter. What matters is that we put it to good use. Growing up, I was a fan of the minds and the ideas that served a greater purpose. Then, as an advertising professional, I strived to create work that not only answered a business challenge but made that brief moment between the brand and the audience more enjoyable, memorable, and meaningful. Read more>>

DJ Evans

My most recent project was putting on my very first solo show as a visual artist. I was accepting earlier in the year to have a show of my own displaying my art to my community. My personal goal for this show was to understand who SNAVÉ is as an artist and why I specifically choose to mainly work with black men. The world sees black men as a collective: violent, angry and toxic but the men I surround myself with is the complete opposite and I want to capture it and create it as art. My great friend Darius helped me so much setting up for the show. Read more>>

Tiffany Grantham

My most meaningful project was relatively recent. As a Cohort in the Bellevue Field School, we documented Black Life in Bellevue and African American Cultural Landscape along the Chesapeake Bay. Toward the end of the program, I had to present what I learned from my expertise. So, I wrote Belle’s View, a short story about Bellevue and its residents from the perspective of Isabella Adams Ballard– a Black woman Captain who worked as an Oysterman for a seafood packing company in the same Village with her boat. Read more>>

Mona Wood-Patterson

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of having my own theatre. This first took the form of my parents’ garage and backyards and later led to my theatrical studies as a young adult. I began directing for church groups and community theatres and then had the privilege of building a high school theatre program where I created with students for over two decades. Along the way, my husband/tech director Charles Ford and I founded Merely Players, a non-profit theatre company. When we left the high school setting, we pursued Merely Players full time. Read more>>

Brittany Weldon

This past year I have written, illustrated and published my first children’s book, titled “Ellie Has E.O.E”, and it by far is the most impactful project I’ve had. This book is part of a series dedicated to helping young children understand medical diagnoses, whether it be their own, a family members, or a friends. It is the first art project where I used both my medical background as a pharmacist as well as my creative side. I have donated and will continue to donate these books to Texas Children’s Hospital to give to kids and parents who will benefit from them- and this has made the project very dear to my heart. I am currently working on the next book in the series, and knowing I can make a small difference in the lives of children at the hospital has been a huge inspiration. Read more>>

Osmundo Thompson

I’m currently working on an in-depth, historical documentary concerning the calendar and what changed; when it changed; who was responsible for the change(s); and how it affects us today. This project is a product of years of extensive research and study. I am needing to film various archaeological and historical artifacts in Egypt, England, Israel, and Italy, as well as interview qualified professionals to assist in telling the story, thus bringing this project to life. Read more>>

Gary Bertsch

The most meaningful project I have worked on is my song/album Hot Dern. The phrase “hot dern” comes from my uncle, Albert Bertsch. Uncle Al had down syndrome and he passed away in 1999. He was quite the character and the surrounding communities loved him. Among other things, Uncle Al was an usher at his church and he sold raffle chances for various organizations. Also, he smoked cigarettes for most of his life, however he quit smoking in the early 90’s. When visiting him one evening, I asked why he had stopped smoking and I will never forget his reply: “Because the hot dern government keeps raising the prices.” Read more>>

Jonathon Kimbrell

My most meaningful project to date is the work I’m doing for my non-profit organization, the Texas Jukebox Project. The mission is to archive, preserve, and promote Texas music and artists on phonograph records through design-centric solutions. There is a lot of great Texas music from the 1940-1970s that only exists on vinyl records, from country to rock n’ roll, blues to ethnic recordings. These artists and records, more than likely, had little to no national distribution, so many of these records are scarce and hard to find. The first goal is building an online library to make this scarce material accessible for academic research and public enjoyment. Read more>>

Felicia Liang

My projects have all reflected specific periods in my life so they all hold their own special meaning for me. However, the one that best encapsulates who I am today is perhaps my Taiwanese travel sketchbook series. It’s a project that started purely for my own enjoyment when I spent 3 months living in Taiwan in 2022. I use fun colors to draw food and write about my favorite places to go. I get to be specific about my love for Taiwanese culture and explore what being Taiwanese American means to me. I also get to hype up Taiwan, one of my favorite places in the world and a third home to me (after California and New York). Read more>>

Ira Sherman

Sherman’s childhood might be cautiously labeled happy if it were not for his childhood obsession with the holocaust. His Jewish father fought the Germans in WWII and was severely injured from land mine explosions. .(his rescuers also stepping on land mines) …. “watching the recovery of my father left lasting fears and apprehensions of war, and my identity as a Jew was burdened with a strong fear and infatuation with the holocaust, especially the medical experiments and mechanized methodical techniques the Germans used to experiment, dominate and destroy the Jewish culture of Europe.” Read more>>

Bailey Turfitt

With every project I do, there is some form of meaning behind them. When I started doing makeup/creative directing for photoshoots as an 18 year old, I took inspiration from music which was a huge part of my life at the time, as I struggled with a lot of mental anguish over my disability worsening. My deafness gradually became unaffected by the use of hearing aids, thus slowly taking away joy and hope I had as a musician and music lover. To cope with this, I used art as a way to visualize and interpret what music meant to me, bringing it to life as beautiful, colorful characters. As a kid, The Beatle’s music kept me company, even in the quietest hours of my life. Read more>>

Neil Gallagher

I have always been fascinated with Military History and especially the second world war. Both my grandfather had served during WWII but like so many of their generation, they never seemed to talk about their experiences. When they passed away, that history was lost forever. In an attempt to learn more about what my grandfather’s went through, I began speaking to WWII Veterans at my local American Legion. These men became my heroes and over the years I have been able to interview over 150 of them. One of the most meaningful interviews I have conducted was for a WWII Marine Veteran who was in end-of-life care in Hospice. Read more>>

Ayumu Hinata

Hello everyone! My name is Ayumu I am originally from Japan. I’ve never had modeling experience in my country. Our culture is more conservative and like to be blended. I started model 2018 after challenged bodybuilding competitions. Read more>>

Akeem Mair

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is “The Bold and The Beautiful!” I was booked as a Prison Guard on three episodes in Season 36: 206,207, and 209. This role has given me the first time I’ve ever had my name on a parking spot as I pulled inside the CBS Studios Lot. I couldn’t believe it, I thought I was dreaming so I rubbed my eyes to be sure haha. Right there I felt I was really important and said to myself, “I’m finally here after all this time!” I didn’t even parked the car yet, I just hopped out and started taking a bunch of pictures haha. All the stars of the show were nice and welcoming. I played along side the shows main cast: Kimberlin Brown, Ken Hanes, and Tanner Novlan. Read more>>

Tucker Farris

Nearly a year ago I lost my best friend suddenly and out of the blue. In the waking months following his passing, I found myself struggling to cope with the suddenness of his death and the void left in the world of our fields because of his voice stopping before he’d been able to fully commit to the work and intellectualism that he was so wildly good at. He was a theorist too, someone who exists in the stark eccentricities that allow us to explore the world in new and creative ways. Our work was often contrasting but mirrored in a way where we formed the perfect symbiotic relationship for the creation of new social ideas. Read more>>

Alisa Eykilis

I am part of couple meanigful projects that I feel very honored to be included. 1. Woman-Life-Freedom – Woman, Life, Freedom (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi) is the slogan for the women-led uprising against the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose brutal and murderous actions against women are only a portion of their theocracy. The Woman-Life-Freedom-DFW promotes awareness and expresses solidarity with Iranian women and all people fighting for civil rights in the face of authoritarian theocratic regimes that fuel violence, particularly against women. Read more>>