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.

Darren Maxwell

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on, is my piece “Surrounded by war of yesteryear.” This piece was commissioned for Scott Townsley, and his band, The Shady Groves. This piece features a man, with a shellshocked look on his face. The man is surrounded by the war that he remembers, and the memories which coincide with it. Looking down at his drink, he tries to push down the painful memories of war. This piece had a lot of emotion behind it, and I believe it could really speak too many people, especially to Veterans. So far, this is the most emotional piece that I’ve ever created. Read more>>

Erin McGuire

I’ve spent the past fifteen years illustrating children’s books and book covers, but I had always hoped to write my own as well. In 2019, I sold my first author/illustrator project THE SPY IN THE MUSEUM at auction to Simon & Schuster. My book tells the true story of Rose Valland, a French spy who saved tens of thousands of works of art from being looted or destroyed by the Germans in WWII. I had been researching Rose for years, even traveled to France to visit the museum where she worked. To this day, we are still finding artwork displaced or stolen during WWII. It shows that her efforts had meaning even after her death, and that hers is a story worth telling. Read more>>

Nico Rubio

This past weekend, me and my Tap company 333 (Three Thirty Three) performed at Navy Pier’s third annual arts festival, Chicago Live. Hittin’ some of our classics is always a vibe, but without announcing it that way, we also premiered some new to the public material in that set that felt special to finally share. I’ve had a whole show in my back pocket since we had to cancel and shelve it back in 2020 when Covid hit, but I’m breaking it out of the vaults now. Even though we only performed a few pieces from the show this weekend, I’m looking forward to when we can share it in its entirety with the world. Read more>>

Nick Theurer

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on so far is The Way Out. I was approached by fellow producer Carl Rumbaugh and Writer/ Director Barry Jay to help run the project. The project at first was very raw and dark. It gave some dramatized versions of Barry Jay’s upbringing that he wanted to tell around sexual abuse, drinking, and depression. It was an honor to help craft a story for the big screen with Barry, Carl, and my producing partner and one of my closest friends Mike Manning. Read more>>

Ella Vance

The Ever Hours is a short film I made in early 2022. In a dreamlike montage of tangible love, we follow three separate stories: Cleo and Noah, a mother and her young daughter, Elsie and Aaliyah, lovers, and Thomas and Kait, an elderly father and his daughter. We are touched by intimate moments of joy and peace in these love stories before transitioning to a lens of loss. The tone is not one of sadness but of hope as we transcend into an abstract interpretation of love as an ethereal and immortal energy that surrounds us even beyond death. Read more>>

Hannah Bowers

Despite music being the biggest piece of my heart and identity, my most meaningful project isn’t a musical work – it’s the creative community I’ve created. For the longest time, all my goals and aspirations revolved around my personal successes as a musician – writing hit songs, making millions of dollars, winning a Grammy, being interviewed on some big mainstream talkshow (probably Ellen). In the pursuit of these dreams (none of which have fully realized, I might add), I realized that something was missing. Something awakened in me that told me these achievements were not what would make me successful, it was my impact. Read more>>

Edie Young

The most meaningful project I have worked on was The Disability Justice Fair because I am disabled and have noticed people at my school use slurs and often aren’t very accepting of disabilities. The fair allowed people to learn how to be a better ally and it showed the disabled students at my school that they are accepted and don’t have to hide their disabilities. I believe it is really important to teach people how to be better allies because I believe everyone deservers a chance to learn how to become a better ally. Some people may not know how to be a good ally or grew up thinking it was okay to say certain words, like the R word. Read more>>

Vibha Gulati

My first film “Forbidden” is inspired by the true story of my friend who was brutally murdered for falling in love with someone her family did not approve of. This work is my tribute to this amazing woman who had the courage and the conviction to follow her heart and stand up to her family. Read more>>

Morven Moeller

Like most creatives, I struggle with imposter syndrome, but there are moments when I am reminded how meaningful my work is. Those moments keep me going. Just this past weekend, vending with my pride merchandise at an anime and pop-culture convention, I had the opportunity to provide a teacher with a variety of pronoun buttons that she’ll display in her inclusive, English classroom, gently encourage a supportive mom of a genderfluid child while she adjusts to her child’s changing pronouns, and welcome families who are looking to buy pride merch for their out children and friends. I do this work because I love to make art and want to make a difference. When I see that I’m making a impact, no matter how small, I know that I’m doing the right thing. Read more>>

Tiffany Chi

I’m not sure if it’s technically “cheating” or skirting the question to say that every single client / “project” that I work on is meaningful to me. It can be so easy, especially in a creative profession as “accessible” as photography, to fall into an easy and manageable routine and to treat your families like “just another project” to complete, but it’s so important for me to treat each family with meaningful intention and care. Read more>>

Luisa Novo

This year I’ve worked on fellow filmmakers projects that were so meaningful for underrepresented stories and diversity of cast and crew. I was the Assistant Director on two short films by amazing directors Kristine Gerolaga and Henry Alexander Kelly, that tap into their respective cultures and background and also cultivated an amazing ethos among the crew that really should be the norm in this industry. I also worked as the Key PA on the feature film All That We Love by director Yen Tan and it was one of the best feature sets I’ve worked on, from top to bottom. It truly renewed my faith in humanity and that the entertainment business doesn’t have to be a dog-eat-dog world. Read more>>

Jen Van Horn

When I was a new motion designer, I didn’t have the option to go full time. I freelanced for YEARS before I was given the opportunity to join a team full time, so I was already well versed in building up my network, setting boundaries with my contracts, and living that remote lifestyle when the pandemic hit. I suddenly found myself in a unique situation as I witnessed motion designers who were forced into freelance and struggling all around me -I could help! I started giving advice on various podcasts and Clubhouse chats, I helped start “The Keyframers Club” on Discord, I joined School of Motion as a teaching assistant, and I launched my first online course, “Time and Project Management for Creative Freelancers” on SkillShare. Read more>>

Saahil and Raahi Sheth

We decided to start this podcast after it dawned on us that soccer, or football as it is known globally, was such a formative part of our childhood and how we learned about the world. Since the ’94 World Cup which, was here in the US, we have been more than a little obsessed with the sport: both playing and following. Being first generation kids, the World Cup and major international tournaments such as the European Championships have felt like religious occasions; for our family the rest of the world stops during these times. For both of us and for our sister, a writer and actor who has been a correspondent on our podcast a few times, soccer forms such a firm fabric of who we are as people. Read more>>

Jordan Roman

I’ve been fortunate to explore an amalgamation of topics that are truly fascinating to me and I treat every film as a chance to learn about a new profession, community, psychological condition, etc. Perhaps the most important and meaningful project for me to date is my short film Cuddle Buddies, about a single mother who works as a professional cuddler for a living. Creating the film was the most transformative creative experience I’ve ever had and I dove head first into learning about the professional cuddling community, including doing a cuddle session myself, while writing the script and bringing on a real cuddler to consult on the shoot itself for ensured accuracy. Read more>>

Samvel Krajian

Reflecting on my creative journey, the project that holds a special place in my heart is ASHKHAR. It was a collaboration with Armen Adamian, a multi-instrumentalist and a Ph.D. candidate in Ethnomusicology at UCLA. Together, we embarked on a transformative exploration of Armenian folk music, culminating in an electronic arrangement of Sayat Nova’s piece, “Ashkharums Akh Chim Kashi,” adapted for the duduk and digital instruments. Read more>>

Dr. Jennifer Moore

One of the most significant mental health projects I have had the privilege of working on is Mental Health Talk with Lennix James, featuring an interview with renowned actor Ron Godfrey. In this interview, Mr. Godfrey bravely shares his personal experiences of trauma that led to depression, as detailed in his book, “Crying Out in The Dark.” Moreover, he discusses his journey of recovery and how he utilizes his platform to raise awareness and combat the stigma surrounding mental health issues. The genesis of this podcast stems from my profound admiration for Mr. Godfrey’s book, which was published on December 15, 2020. Read more>>

Roberto Hannibal

When I think of my most meaningful projects, I cannot just think of one. To me, the feedback I have gotten is what has made it meaningful. People have told me many times they appreciate that they can see themselves in my work. They see people like them in my photos. And that is huge for me. Representation is so important to me. Read more>>

Jennings Rice

Meaningful has taken on a whole new definition for me as I have gotten older. I used to think that all of my work needed to really be meaningful and leave a lasting impression on anyone who came in contact with it. I’ve learned now, that if it’s meaningful to me: it is meaningful. I created a project in 2022 called “Next” which is currently hitting the festival circuit (announcements soon ) and that project has taught me a lot about patience, perseverance and true confidence. That project is what I am most proud of because it is really my first time solo creating and bringing others onto a project. It was so joyful to have every single person work on it because everyone loved something different about the script or saw a creative way they could aid that story. But I didn’t write it to be loved, I wrote it because I felt the story was so strong it needed to be shared. What’s meaningful to me is that people can watch it and make their own opinions on it. Read more>>

Joanne De Simone

Fifteen years ago, my husband and I decided to move our family to New Jersey in order to accommodate our sons’ educational needs. While that was a tremendous undertaking, I didn’t realize that I was about to start one of the most meaningful and intensive projects of my life. At the time, I was a special education teacher. I thought I had extinguished all my artistic desires when I left my life as a professional modern dancer. After years of people telling me that I should write a book, I decided it was time to take their suggestion to heart and reawaken my creative being. Read more>>

Yingyu Zhu

There was a very grand funeral culture where I grew up. When I was a kid, my parents used to take me to ghost festivals, when people paraded in the streets at night performing as monsters and ghosts, and during the day, they took off their ghost costumes, burned things and offered sacrifices to their deceased relatives. For a long time this visual pressure and impression of the monster parade at night impressed me, and I had a lot of dreams about it but I never knew why they performed and staged these events the way they did. Read more>>

Miguel Josue Martinez

In 2020, I had the idea to travel to the town of Indianola, TX, which is considered a “ghost town” and at the time it was peak lock down and the world quite literally felt like a ghost town at the time really sparking the motivation and. After the first town I felt the need to create a body of work where I photograph towns that one point were fully booming towns and that now are abandoned. Read more>>

Lia Jiyun Kim

While visiting New York, I had a chance encounter with one of the co-chairs of CRNGO (Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations). I shared my school projects aligned with the UN’s mission, focusing on posters promoting environmental awareness and peace. To my surprise, she was impressed and extended an offer to collaborate. Read more>>

Alex Mazzucchelli

In 2022, I released my debut EP “Rise” and performed all over the NYC metro area at some of the biggest live music venues on the circuit- Rockwood, Mercury Lounge, Bowery Electric. It was a jam packed and exciting time promoting this EP and getting to experience all the thrills that come with releasing new material! After being on the go for the better half of the year, I decided to take a little pause from performing to reflect. However, I never stopped writing. That never slowed down. The in-between period was very valuable and served as an incubator for new ideas and a fresh approach to songwriting. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with The Recording Academy’s Grammy Museum on a collaborative songwriting intensive. Read more>>

Kate Compton

The most meaningful project I’ve had the privilege to work on recently is a short film titled “Peanut Butter Shot,” which I produced in collaboration with my wife, the writer and director, Paige Compton. This project holds special significance due to its unique backstory, context, and personal connection. Read more>>

Alexandra Arata

After years of planning, I was able to open my own studio-gallery in the heart of Washington, D.C. I acquired a 100+ years old building and renovated trying to keep the original materials as much as I was able to. The name for the space is Beyond Art as I plan for the gallery to become a place where patron cannot only find art and beautiful creations, but I envision to offer a place for connection and interaction, where you can learn something new, meet a new friend and come back for more. Read more>>

Matt Beurois

The Yucca Valley Film Festival appears to be a win-win. For any filmmaker or artist who seeks to stand, being a part of it is a win as our rooms are full of people! It is also a win for the local community, on several levels: the festival puts the Town on the map for hundreds of filmmakers every year, and for every edition, we have between 50 and 110 filmmakers flocking into town. They participate in the festival, but they also enjoy the local restaurants, bars, stay in local hotels, and discover how dynamic and alive our part of the Mojave Desert is. Read more>>

Nancy Sanchez

One of the most important musical projects i’ve done in my career is my “Say Something” EP. I am not normally a protest songwriter but I felt the need to “say something” as the world was quarantined during 2020. A lot of things were happening that year, a world pandemic, the streets were full of protests due to the George Floyd murder, and migrant children were being separated at the border and detained in migrant camps. Songwriting is not easy, but for this EP the songs poured out of me easily in a few days because the topic was so important and powerful. I wrote songs about these important events, such as the title track “Say Something”, “The Kids Are Still in Cages” and a song in Spanish called “Hasta Que Todos Estemos A Salvo (Until We Are All Safe). Read more>>

Jil Chrissie

Every project I’ve worked on carries deep meaning, blending humor with tough issues. One recurring theme in my work is mental health and how society handles it. Mental illness often leaves us unsure about how to react or help our loved ones dealing with it. In my two-track EP, ‘Stories Out Tha Cut,’ I tackle the tendency to avoid mild to severe mental illness, specifically in public places like bus stops or dinner cafes. Read more>>

Malachi Rivers

“Moments” is a riveting 9-episode digital series, each under 13 minutes, delivering intimate snapshots of characters’ lives at their breaking points. This exploration of black trauma and mysticism delves into mind reading and hidden truths unveiled by therapist Dr. Winston. As the series unfolds, an enigmatic narrator (Rutina Wesley) introduces time travel, weaving an intriguing layer of self-discovery. “Moments” paves the way for a potential expanded episodic journey, delving deeper into characters’ histories and relationships, all while authentically addressing themes of healing and transformation within the mystical. With a standout ensemble cast and thought-provoking storytelling, “Moments” promises an unforgettable and empathetic viewing experience. Read more>>

Kevin Goss

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a screenplay-turned-novel called Totah. As a kid, I used to dream of someday becoming an actor or a writer. I dabbled in stage acting during my teen years, but it wasn’t until well into adulthood that I began to seriously focus on the craft of acting. Between 2012 and 2016, I worked pretty consistently in paid and unpaid acting roles in stage and film productions. From the film work, I started to understand how screenplays are structured. My childhood yearning to be a writer resurfaced. Read more>>

Walt Perez

Before I answer the question, I would like to thank Angela Rivera and the editorial staff of CanvasRebel Magazine for granting me this opportunity. I also want to thank my representative, Mr. Michael Abrams for his continued support in my career.  Read more>>

Travis Ross

Currently I am all in on one of my most meaningful projects to date, The Lost Cove Co. The Lost Cove Co. is a contemporary lifestyle brand influenced by the diverse subcultures that mold the Southern California way of life. Our mission is to provide authentic visual expression and confidence. Our bold streetwear and unique tattoos collaborate together to empower and inspire. Through our pop-up shops, speakeasy tattoo studios, trade shows, and YouTube series, we continue to cultivate a community of artists and visionaries who find inspiration and belonging within our brand. The Lost Cove Co. strives to push boundaries, challenge norms, and create a lasting impact on the culture while staying true to our roots and embracing the essence of Southern California’s fearless spirit. Read more>>

Natalie Duque

Last year I decided to go all in and finally learn how to produce my own music. I was tired of needing to depend on others to help bring my songs to life, and financially, it just wasn’t feasible. When I got to a point where I felt comfortable with the tech-side of music production, and felt like I had a good workflow established, I started looking into more session work and custom songwriting opportunities that would allow me to continue to strengthen my music production chops! In my search, I discovered the “Songs of Love” Foundation. The Songs of Love Foundation is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates free, personalized, original songs to uplift children and teens currently facing tough medical, physical, or emotional challenges in hospitals. Read more>>

Tim Cummings

My debut novel, ‘Alice The Cat’, was released this past May. I wrote it during my years as an MFA candidate at Antioch University Los Angeles. It’s an exploration of something that happened to me when I was a teenager: my mom died of cancer and after it happened, our family cat tried to commit suicide. A weird, sad experience that I buried for decades. It all got unearthed one fateful day, and an entire coming-of-age novel was born, an adventure about death, grief, anger, friendship, ghosts, the afterlife, and forgiveness. I wrote it rather rebelliously, not hemmed in by the scrutiny of the middle-grade and young adult genres. Read more>>

SCHPILT

Our album has easily been the most meaningful project we’ve worked on so far. We released an EP in June of 2022, and over the course of 2-3 months we had several new songs we were already excited about, and wanting to record. We were back in the studio in November 2022, but this time with a very talented and patient sound engineer, Josh Medina. Our EP was recorded for free, in a studio between 11pm and 3am. At the time is was just awesome to be in a studio, recording our music, and it was a good introduction to recording, but nothing near the quality we got with our album. To be honest, we weren’t totally prepared, but we did it in the most SCHPILT way possible with a lot of support from Josh. Read more>>

Fu’una

In 2020, I relocated to Austin TX only 2 weeks before the world shut down. Because I was almost entirely alone in a new environment for the first two years of the pandemic, I was spending more time on social media. As a Chamoru living stateside, I’ve felt a strong diasporic longing for most of my life. My wish to connect was heightened by the isolation of the pandemic. I realized that through Instagram, I became more connected with others in the diaspora in a way I never was before. I decided to put out a call for models and reached out to a couple individuals I already knew I wanted to draw. Read more>>

Los Alva

I’d like to think that nearly all of my musical endeavors are meaningful to me as I draw heavily from my personal experience. My newest project was inspired by the difficulties that I have been dealing with the this year which stem from a variety of places in my life such as relationships, friendships, family, and mental health. Read more>>

Sarah Mann

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has to be the one I’m currently in the midst of: “Van Helsing’s Dracula.” The show is a poetically sapphic interpretation of the classic tale, following Van Helsing after she receives a mysterious invitation to an ominous dinner where the Countess Dracula steals Van Helsing’s lover and lures Van Helsing into a psychologically tormenting and sensually seductive trap. Van Helsing is faced with a decision: cross over fully into Dracula’s dark and twisted lifestyle, or walk away and leave her lover behind. Read more>>

Susan Joy Share

I had a precious opportunity to collaborate on a performance with dancer, poet, visual artist, musician and foodie S. Hollis Mickey. We met to rehearse at Bivy, a contemporary art space in Anchorage where my solo exhibit, “Sounds Sumptuous” took place in the summer of 2022. Two of my pieces in the show had untapped movement potential. One was a corset-like sculpture on wheels and the second, a tall painted panel connected to a gallery wall with orange cloth hinges. Hollis generously agreed to help create choreography for these artworks in a piece we called “Beside Show”. We rehearsed when her busy schedule allowed. Read more>>

Dean Bruggeman

My 2009 play “Memory Grove” holds the most special place in my heart, even now in 2023 after the many, many other projects that have followed. The concept of “’til death do us part” had always fascinated me. Five little words with such massive import. Two people committing to each other for the rest of their lives has, of course, been a cornerstone of our culture’s traditional marriage vows, yet contemporary divorce rates have long-reflected the reality that growing old together may not be in the cards for any given marriage. Read more>>

Cheri Moon

The most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on are those that were the most meaningful to my childhood. Because they were inspirational to me as a child, they’ve always had an impact on how I evolved as a woman & an artist. The 2 most important projects are my “Ain’t I a Woman” anthem I wrote/performed and my “Madame Max” Tribute I did for Tina Turner. I was inspired to write my “Ain’t I a Woman” song because as a kid, studying the history of SoJourner Truth and women’s struggles back then from my grandmother struck me hard. It became a movement that I always wanted to be part of. It was apparent to me very quickly even at a young age, that this was something that needed to change and would be a constant struggle. So when the time was right I created an anthem and made it part of today’s movement of women from all walks of life. Read more>>