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.

Christian Haynes

I first came up with the idea for “Zack In Time” back in 2014 when I was a film student at Biola University. At the time, I felt like I wasn’t really expressing myself creatively, so one day, a friend of mine suggested that I should work on my own side projects to feel fulfilled as a creative. The next day, I headed to the student store, bought a notebook and pen and began writing down ideas for what I would like to see as a movie or television series. Three ideas stood out the most: Middle School, Time-Travel and Secret Agents. I couldn’t really come up with an interesting enough idea for the individual topics, so I decided to mash them all together. After that, the ideas began to flood into my mind and I was just trying to keep up. Read more>>

Kelly Lansing

So many projects come to mind but the most recent project I’m really proud of is the podcast I co-created with @missredventure called I Love That For You! It’s a dopamine-infused podcast that celebrates the late bloomers and trail blazers of all walks of life. So many people have reached out to us that this podcast resonates with them and inspires, and at the end of the day, that’s all a content creator can hope for–creating meaningful content that resonates with an audience. You can check it out at linktr.ee/ilovethatforyoupod and follow along at @ilovethatforyoupod Read more>>

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik

I’ve recently been reflecting on the ephemeral nature of paper. It’s fragile and easily damaged, and requires care. And I look at the world, and the slow extinction of species, and the rising oceans and temperatures – and I see that same fragility. We find ourselves facing an existential crisis, with no sense of how to reset. Art is not going to change that – but it can focus attention, and perhaps change minds. My recent series of papercuts about endangered plant species is an effort to make sense of our role as protectors of the world around us, and to question why we’re failing in that role. Read more>>

Sydney Buck

My most meaningful job I had recently was a private dinner for a client. They essentially told me they loved what I stood for, which is seasonal produce, sustainability and small businesses. They let me run wild with a full plant based menu. I never thrived so hard for a dinner. It was a beautiful evening that we also held at a friends private studio. It was my community supporting me in ways I felt so loved and supported. Read more>>

John Goodwin

Being a songwriter means working on a lot of projects, some of which never turn into commercial releases. It’s all speculative. When songs I work on are released commercially, it adds a special meaning to all the work involved. Feel free to ask me about those kinds of projects I’ve been involved in. Read more>>

Ekaterina Kuznetsova

I am the owner of a Ballroom and Latin Dance Studio and I am in absolute love with what I do. Main reason is because due to our difficult times people need more places to get stress free. Not many activities are as joyful as these artistic dance moves. Low energy, gloominess, and negativity are not allowed on this fun-filled dance floor. Concentrating on moving your body to the beat of the music instantaneously puts you in a positive head space. While newcomers may spend extra time concentrating on getting their moves right, the instruction is always given in a lively and upbeat manner. Not to mention, you will be surrounded by joyful individuals and uplifting melodies. After you get the moves down, it’ll be pure fun and laughs. Read more>>

Aliyah Bennani

Well, my latest album; Anthology Of Chaos, Vol.1, is my prized possession. For a while, I couldn’t write anything. I released a compilation of songs when I turned 17 and although it did kinda well, (laughs), I knew this album had to be special. I couldn’t find the words to truly describe what I was going through, or maybe I felt alienated because I was still going through it, but either way, I spent a total of two years finishing the album. To see it chart and have the success it had internationally was life-changing. I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I’ll always cherish the album for that specific reason. Read more>>

Ileyna Witenstien

The most meaningful project I have worked on is a series of 5 self portrait oil paintings. These paintings are personally meaningful to me because they capture my most vulnerable self in works of art. Not only are these paintings physically me, but each painting describes a feeling I had when creating each specific painting. I am able to express my feelings and emotions through art and that is meaningful in its self for me. Moreover, these 5 pieces show my emotional journey through college and the beginning of my teaching career. My mental struggles have been a roller coaster ever since I can remember and these paintings show my rollercoaster at the time. Furthermore, these paintings are my most meaningful project and I feel honored to be able to share them with other people. Read more>>

CAROL RIDDICK

I was asked by Gerald and Roxanne Veasley to participate in a Nina Simone tribute project. I was intimidated and excited at the same time. It has turned out to be one of the most meaningful projects on which I’ve worked. From this project, I feel inspired, empowered and educated at the same time. What a tremendous gift. Read more>>

Mark Smythe

This is tough to hone down as I’ve worked on so many meaningful music projects, but definitely the freshest and most relevant to me right now was recent – collaborating with LA Choral Lab for their ‘Apsis’ concert in April. They performed three of my Choir / Choir & Electric Guitar works, one of which I wrote for the concert, and each has personal significance: 1: “Umbra Animae” (Shadow of the Soul) was written over ANZAC Day weekend 2008 in honor of my Great-Grandfather Hugh Decimus Bridge, a casualty of World War 1 in 1917. Not only was it performed almost to the day 14 years after I composed it, but I’ll be in Ghent, Belgium next month for the World Soundtrack Awards (I’m nominated in the Public Choice Award), and afterwards will travel to Ypre to visit the grave of ‘Deci’ at Polygon Wood. Read more>>

Pearline B.

All of my projects have great meaning to me. For I don’t believe creating anything without a meaning and purpose. When you have a meaning before even starting a project you will have more loyalty and excellence in completing the project. My last meaningful project was my album, “Silent Relief.” Which talks a lot of what I been through. But, also has a song entitled, “Stop Me.” That is about my parents 1st fight as a married couple. That is meaningful. My family and life lessons. Read more>>

Sam Deffenbaugh

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is Hello Stranger’s upcoming third record. We decided to completely self-produce this record including engineering, mixing, and mastering. It’s been an incredibly rewarding creative exploration and, though challenging, has allowed the band to produce an album that exactly matches our vision. Read more>>

Christine Anglin

I’ve been single, let my mother tell it, forever. Navigated life and been through many of its phases as a single woman. What I’ve noticed is a lack of care for and general knowledge about the beauty that the single life affords. The single life is the free life. There is happiness, fun, and joy that one can experience not only when a person is single but only if a person is single. Growing up in the church, I’d always seen marriage as this abstract inevitability. Of course, I’ll meet a guy and get married and have children. Because that is what you do. But what happens if you don’t? I am not sure that all churches are prepared for that eventuality. Now, when I am considering becoming a member of a particular church, one of the first questions I have is, “How are you caring for and ministering to the single members in your congregation?” Read more>>

Bob Celli

To a certain extent, I think all the projects that I take on have something in them that I feel strongly about. They all have something to say about the human condition. The project that has meant the most to me is Figs For Italo because it is a very personal story about my family during WWII in Italy. It was a large undertaking for a short but the payoff was well worth the effort. I believe that artists, whether painter, writer, filmmaker, etc, create because they have a need to communicate thoughts and ideas that they are unable to communicate any other way. Read more>>

Aveus Johnson

The most meaningful project we’ve worked on at IAS Girls Club would be our Career Series. The purpose of our career series was to highlight various professions, including entrepreneurship. We wanted to give the ladies of IAS insights that would help inform the decisions they make for their future. The goal was that our facilitators would lead sessions that would allow our girls to explore their profession with the use of tangible presentations including the why behind their career choice, critical steps they took to get there, obstacles faced, and rewards they gained from hard work and dedication. Read more>>

Franceasca Seiden

I’ve been fortunate to work on meaningful projects throughout my career. For me, the most personally significant endeavors have been those that I co-founded. One such project was 3GZ Productions in Miami, a small production house focused on film, music videos, and art and music events. Our documentary, “DarkBeat: An Electro Voyage,” was the most extensive and successful doc we produced, directed, and cut (directed and edited by Iris Beatrix). I also had the opportunity to freelance as a concert photographer and writer, which led me to produce a four-day independent art and music sub-satellite fair with some of Miami’s finest. Read more>>

Marthe Vaangman

The projects that are the most meaningful for me are those that create a positive impact on others. When I’m considering collaborating with creators or taking on new projects, I consistently focus on the long-term value and the potential influence they can have on the world. Whether they’re smaller endeavors or larger undertakings, the ability to inspire others positively holds great importance in my perspective. This is when I genuinely feel a profound sense of accomplishment and success. Read more>>

Austin Irving

I have been working on a new project entitled HIS MINECRAFT which has been such a delight, and the project has continually revealed layer after layer of meaning. In this series, I have been using my large format analog photography to explore the interiors of a private virtual world. Since its release in 2011, Minecraft has become the best-selling video game of all time with over 238 million copies sold and nearly 140 million monthly active players worldwide. One of those players is my husband. He has been building a city since 2012, and unlike many users of this game, he does not play publicly or collaboratively. He describes the methodical building process as extremely therapeutic; brick by virtual brick, he has created a vast and intricate city that has effectively become both a refuge and a time capsule of the past decade of his life. Read more>>

Jie Meng

My name is Jie Meng, I’m currently a Lead FX Artist at Digital Domain, where I’ve had the privilege of contributing my expertise to a remarkable array of blockbuster films and television series. My career has been marked by collaborations on iconic projects, such as “Captain America: Civil War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Extraction 2”, “Blue Beetle ” “The Walking Dead,” “Hawaii Five-0,” and “Stranger Things,” among others. What’s even more exciting is that some of these projects have been granted top honors at the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, and Visual Effects Society Awards. It’s a testament to the incredible team I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and our shared dedication to pushing the boundaries of visual effects creativity. Read more>>

DJ Stevenson

Every year in the month of May, artists and animators participate in an event called “MerMay”, where we draw a series of mermaids following a prompt or theme. My love for MerMay and passion for diversity inspired me to start a new project called “World Class Mermaids”, a collection of mermaids drawn by myself, with input from a large array of consultants from diverse backgrounds. So far I’ve completed over 30 pieces paying tribute to countries like France, Brazil, Singapore, and Senegal, as well as Indigenous communities including the Ojibwe, Hupa, and Quechua people. I’ve managed to find consultants for nearly each character, all of whom are more than happy to educate and share their culture with me. Read more>>

Shachi Kale

As an artist who has illustrated several children’s books and as a graphic designer for over 20 years, I know that each book or each piece of communication conveys a special message. As a book illustrator, I’m bringing to life the author’s vision and as a graphic designer in a similar way, I’m telling the story of a product, organization or cause for a client. While all these hold meaning in their own way and serve a purpose, it’s the art I make as an expression of myself that holds the most meaning to me. Read more>>

Laura Seed

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on was my Talk, Tarot & Tea oracle deck created over a 9 month span. Consisting of 45 cards accompanying a 100 page booklet the magical deck featured three areas to explore The Mind, The Body and The Soul. Each area has 15 cards ranging from topics such as boundaries, inner child healing and being authentic. It was self published and I wrote the entire booklet, designed the cards and photographed the artwork myself. Read more>>

Asia Latrice

On September 30th myself and business partner are having our second art show here in Atlanta. Activated Art Show II: The Fall Through. We display our work as photographer and model but also showcase musical artists as well. It is extremely stressful to put on but combines my business and artistic sides together and that’s what I love about it. Read more>>

Amy Wade

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is currently underway in the early stages of pre-production. It’s a documentary titled, “SAVING LIVES WITH PSYCHEDELICS.” This project is close to my heart because it’s about how psychedelic medicines saved me from committing suicide four years ago. Prior to this miraculous, life-changing experience, I suffered from debilitating depression and anxiety since early childhood. Throughout my life, I sought help from psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, all of whom prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, which only made my depression worse. In the fall of 2020, I was planning to end my life when my best friend intervened and convinced me to travel to Mexico to work with shaman healers and psychedelic medicines. It was the most important decision I’ve ever made. Read more>>

Diego Torres Kuri

I was recently flown to Mumbai, India to film a movie with one of the greatest movie stars in Bollywood, Ajay Devgn. This was an amazing experience for me. It’s a movie based on a real story about the golden era of football (soccer) in India. I’ve played soccer my whole life so this was kind of a full-circle moment for me. Also, India is one the most spiritual places in the whole world and I have become a spiritual person in the last couple of years so it was also exciting for me to go to this place and get to know their culture and way of living. The production and all the people involved in the movie that I got to meet were amazing and super welcoming. As for the project itself, I believe this will be a very important movie for Bollywood because it deviates from their comedic style and captures a very inspiring story based on true events. Read more>>

Daniella Batsheva

I work with a wide range of patrons and clients, but the most meaningful projects involve illustrating tales and figures from different cultures and time periods. My work leans towards a “dark” aesthetic so being able to draw something that fall under the umbrella of alternative culture is always the most fun. I’m currently working on a collection of pieces about the gothic side of Jewry, with a healthy focus on the Middle East, because I’ve rarely seen any representation in that area. I always had a hard time consolidating my personal interests and cultural background, so this exploration is very important to me. Projects with deep cultural ties always lead me to interesting source material and give me an excuse to schedule sessions in rare book rooms. I try to avoid google for reference and if I have the opportunity, I will go out of my way to find an illuminated manuscript at a library. Read more>>

Elizabeth Monoian

History has shown that art has the power to advance social and cultural change. In 2008 we recognized that the slow pace of meaningful action on climate change was not because of a lack of technical solutions, but rather due to social and cultural barriers. That year we launched the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) to leverage the power of art and design to accelerate the global response to climate change, and we have been running programs ever since. Read more>>

Gui Duvignau

All my albums as a bandleader have been meaningful to me in different ways. However, my last album Baden stands out on a few levels. This was a tribute album to the musical universe of legendary Brazilian guitarist/composer Baden Powell. My previous albums had been comprised mostly, or entirely, of my original compositions, but this was not the case with Baden. Not having my original work as the core material allowed me to step back from the process as a whole and made for a different experience overall. It certainly freed me up in some of my artistic/production decision-making. On the other hand, I did feel a self-imposed pressure of doing right by Mr. Baden Powell’s memory and musical legacy. Read more>>

Erika Hirugami

As a transnational first-generation Mexican-Japanese immigrant, formerly undocumented, I founded CuratorLove to center the needs of my people and utilize the tools of the contemporary art world to secure resources for my community. Each and every member of the undocumented, migrant, and immigrant artists and art creatives alike is an essential part of the creative industries of the contemporary art world. CuratorLove is a social impact enterprise that stands for a more equitable environment where immigrant, migrant, and undocumented creatives can thrive in community. Read more>>

Eddie Jelinet

My most meaningful project as an artist I think is creating my own style, in the life of any artist is very important to create something new or something that people can recognize you for, in my case when I decided to take my talent as a serious career, I decided that perfecting my technique and my skills as a painter would allow me to go in any direction of any style that I wanted to adopt as my own, so in my case I decided that there’s more territory to explore in the surrealism as it is more enriching for the mind of an artist. Something like dreaming awake. When I get an idea for a painting, photography or film, I let my mind think about the idea for awhile going around my head until is perfect and then I will feel very passionate to bring it into a materialized image. that for me is like magic! because after all the artist is creating beauty. Read more>>

Marie-Claire Mercier

I have been blessed and fortunate to have worked and collaborated with so many talented individuals and creatives throughout the years in the different industries I have worked in but by far, I have to say that the most meaningful project I have worked on which is an ongoing project that I have is the holistic and community events services I have created called Movements Retreat. Movements Retreat is the brainchild of searching for a concept where I can combine my love for the performing arts, health and fitness and giving back to the community through collaborations with local businesses and entrepreneurs. Last year, destiny brought me to the magical island of Jamaica, specifically in the beautiful town of Negril where this whole project started. Read more>>