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.

Brooke Cagle

The most meaningful project I have worked on thus far has been writing and recording my debut album “Maps”. The writing process took place over a couple of years. Read more>>

Jon-David Toves

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is a series called “EVERYBODY.” It was inspired by Rihanna’s Fenty lingerie line, which revolutionized the lingerie industry by highlighting and celebrating a diverse range of body types. Read more>>

Qiuyi Li

I once worked on a student short film set in 1980s China, where the budget was extremely low. Typically, student film budgets are tight, leading many crews to cut costume and production design to save costs. Read more>>

Jacqueline Kravette

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on involves my non-profit work. I advise an organization called The New Roots Institute. Their mission is to empower the next generation to end factory farming. Read more>>

Juliet Martin

I was between projects, what I call “weaving purgatory.” It is terrible. I hate my work. I hate myself. I hate my husband. I hate everything. I had been given an installation space at a gallery, FiveMyles, in Brooklyn. Read more>>

Bleau

My Upcoming EP project. It’s my debut EP and it not only contains the first song I made as an artist but also I wrote all the songs myself and I put in a lot of effort and time into it. Read more>>

Vintage Debbie Wagner

As Vintage Debbie, I walk seniors down memory lane through sing-alongs and memory sharing. I perform all year long for many different types of Senior Communities including nursing homes, retirement communities, senior clubs, senior fairs, senior parties, and libraries. Read more>>

Camille Sledge

I have a current project that I am releasing soon, called RED. It’s the ongoing work of a larger project entitled HER SPECTRUM. The expression of my love for music as a female, a Black woman, a mother, a business owner, a wife, a believer, a family member and partner. Read more>>

Leilani

The most meaningful project I’ve embarked on is the creation and nurturing of The Sakura Series, an endeavor deeply rooted in my personal journey as a poet from Honolulu with a multicultural background. Read more>>

Veronica Viccora

Hi! I’m Veronica Viccora. I document my journey of learning to dance as an adult to inspire others that it’s never too late to follow your drams. I’ve created a small clothing line for my fellow “ballet misfits” and I’m also the founder of New York’s Adult Ballet Academy, a dance workshop series for adult beginners to learn ballet in a shame-free environment. Read more>>

Ziyan Yang

My recent musical, Ti’Mon, tells the story of a Haitian immigrant family and their son, who becomes disconnected from his mother and is haunted by visions that urge him to kill her. Read more>>

Dhruv Mittal

Please allow me to present not one, but a few short stories in a chronological order. Early on in my career, I had the wonderful opportunity of performing with my contemporaries at some very prestigious venues in India between 2016-2020. Read more>>

Garry Percell

In describing his vision for “Going In Circles,” Garry expresses a desire to convey a sense of nostalgia and everlasting love. He says, “My first solo project is a significant milestone in my music career. Read more>>

Jenny Xiao

My most recent collection has very special meanings to me. The muse of this collection is my father. My father is a business man and a golfer. I used fashion as a medium to express her relation with family, sports, and self. Read more>>

Kelly Allan

I think having Caregiver Networks Club is a meaningful project for myself but also for the community. It brings me joy to do something out of the kindness of my heart and help so many people who need support. Read more>>

Hadi Aghaee

When I revived my passion for art after three and a half decades, I entertained the notion that making visually captivating paintings could serve as a supplemental income stream. However, I swiftly encountered the vast expanse of competition in the artistic field. Read more>>

Brenda Pokorny

I have had the opportunity to create many mosaic garden benches commissioned in memory of loved ones. Recently, I delivered my Superhero garden bench to a family in Pittsburgh. It was in memory of their son, whom they said was a superhero. Read more>>

NÆ

A quote by composer Laurie Spiegel that has resonated recently with me is “Technology is a tremendous liberator. It blows up power structures.” Looking back on recent projects with my collaborator, Blizz (Ryan Black), this is the thread that holds it all together: Read more>>

Inayah El-Amin

So far one of my most meaningful projects is the 7-song project my band SoulFlower is putting out. It will be the first project dropped since the first single. I am the lead vocalists and bassist in the band SoulFlower. Read more>>

Evelyn Darling

My most meaningful project thus far would definitely have to be a collaboration that I did with Wonderland Photos Studios in downtown Savannah. Read more>>

Kristina “Sk8marie” Sison

I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with various brands like a bikini clothing brand and boozy brands, but one of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on just premiered recently. Read more>>

Dahlia Grizzard

My most meaningful project so far has been as a solo artist. Looking back I can see a journey where despite setbacks I always found ways to record my music, On “Untold”, one of my first singles, I recorded it in my bedroom. Read more>>

Jared Rios

Well every project I work on is incredibly meaningful to me, in the sense that each project is an extension of myself. I have five albums that I am currently working on, all of which are at different stages in development, and are also significant in representing different stages of my life. Read more>>

Corie Walker

Before the Pandemic, I created something called The Rainbow Baby Initiative. This was my way of giving back to some local families who were dealing with the past loss of a baby and are now expecting another little one. Read more>>

Kenny Adrian

Recently, I had the opportunity to work on a project dear to my heart—an animated short film titled “Hair For You.” The director and I had known each other from a few years back when we collaborated on another project. Read more>>

Beatricia Sagar

My name is Beatricia Sagar, and I’ve been working on the “We Are All Connected Art Project,” which is made up of puzzle pieces since the beginning of COVID-19. It is a living conceptual work of art. Read more>>

Chris Dabney

My most recent project, Princess Love, has been the most meaningful in my career thus far. I wrote, directed, and produced this short film and had the privilege of directing Oscar & Emmy award nominee Eric Roberts and Heaven Howard, daughter of Oscar & Emmy award nominee Terrence Howard. Read more>>

Mieke Lippstreu

Much of my work is meaningful to me by virtue of the material histories they carry. I derive immense joy from seeing would-be trash or otherwise overlooked materials celebrated in my pieces. Read more>>

David Porter

In 2022-2023 i completed a project called “We Exist, We are Human”, which included 13 portraits (oil paintings) of people surviving on the streets. The goal was to document and shed light on our cities homeless population, which although growing in numbers, seemed to be invisible to the average citizen. Read more>>

Jaden Scott

My business called Charlotte Underground (CLT Underground) has been the most meaningful project that I’ve worked on so far in my musical path. Read more>>

Derek Douglas

I’m incredibly proud to share my most recent project, which delves deep into my life journey. Growing up in Nashville amidst the rich tapestry of 90s country, rap, and rock music, I was profoundly influenced by my father, a talented country singer and entertainer. Read more>>

Terricia (Teresa) Wingo

Meeting a homeless gentleman that was sick and in need of tender loving care. He stayed with me for a few weeks until I was able to find accommodations for a more permanent living place. Read more>>