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.

James Carrington

The Let’s be Bees project I started with Jesse String in 2016. In 2013 I became a father to beautiful twins, Momo and Luna. Around the beginning of their second year as they were crawling around the sitting room in the home in Switzerland we were in at the time I found myself sitting at a piano and writing a fun reggae song called 530am Bug party. My daughter (who’s nickname is Bug) had been waking constantly at that time and I would find myself half asleep with a cup of coffee sitting on a rug watching her while she excitedly discovered all the things a small child does at that time. I didn’t really think the song had any legs until I returned to Los Angeles the following year. I played it after a lazy Sunday lunch party and a friend, whose opinion I respect enormously, kept saying he thought it was great and I should do something with it. He called me 3 days later to tell me he couldn’t get the chorus out of his head and when was I going to record it?! Read more>>

Sara Wiley

During my final year of college, we had to develop a body of works connected by a theme. After months of concept development and research, Alchemy was created. In short, Alchemy is about moving into the future by embracing the past. It is about taking the uglier parts of yourself and accepting them as part of how you got to where you are now instead of something to hold you back. There have been a lot of challenges in my life. When I was younger, I coped with the world around me by scribbling. If I was having a hard time with how things made me feel, I would scribble on a blank piece of paper and turn it into something beautiful. I loved drawing in ballpoint pen because there wasn’t an undo button. I found the fact that you couldn’t erase your mistakes really poetic because in life, you can’t just use white out on your mistakes. Both when you’re living life and making art, there’s going to be a lot of things you don’t like or wish turned out differently, but you only get one piece of paper. If you make a line you don’t like, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s ugly and not worth the effort, or if you continue to add to it and turn it into something more.  Read more>>

Eve Bessier

Two of my most meaningful creative projects both involved teaching and mentorship. For fifteen years, I was the County Coordinator and a teacher for Cal Poets, which brought poets into classrooms as Writers in Residence. I worked with fourth graders almost exclusively. A perfect age group for mentoring creative thinking. I personally developed and wrote the curriculum, which was also used in other parts of the state. I’m a published author, performing jazz musician and hold a Master of Eduction. Therefore, I was able to meld poetic language, music and my academic experience to bring about an energetic alchemy in the classroom. The benefits and feedback were immediate. Not often true for creatives. The benefits and feedback were immediate. Not often true for creatives. Read more>>

Jacintha Charles

The most meaningful project to date is the short film I wrote and directed called Madhavi. It is a proof-of-concept film which deals with the aftermath of domestic violence within the South Asian community. Growing up, I have witnessed domestic violence first hand but never imagined I would end up in my own personal battle one day. When I broke free of that vicious cycle, I knew it was a topic I will need to speak about when the time comes. It took me many years before I tackled it but I also felt that my growth as a writer was important. Then, two years ago, as I was working on a different material, I had a nagging feeling to turn my attention to that subject matter. The timing felt right and I knew I was ready. Read more>>

Kyra Stahr

conduct(her) is the most meaningful project we have ever worked on. Our mission is to amplify women’s voices on the podium, as we believe that representation matters. Our goal is to highlight the many successful women in the field of choral conducting and to address the significant gender equity gap in choral music. By showcasing the talents, struggles, and successes of women in the choral community, we aim to create new opportunities that support gender diversity and inspire future women conductors. Partnering as sisters to share the stories of women conductors brings us immense joy. If we had access to these interviews when we were younger music educators, we would have felt more confident entering the field of choral conducting. We hope these episodes answer questions, bring joy, and inspire others to follow their passions. Read more>>

Kannetha Brown

What’s incredibly important and powerful about photography is that it, alongside film/video, is the most representational art form. We are able to quite literally “see ourselves” as humans, unlike most other mediums. This power can be used for both bad and good, as photography can be used for representing what is real and what isn’t, and what is wrong and what is right. In 2017, Vice published film photographs of Khmer Rouge prisoners at the Tuol Sleng prison in Cambodia colorized and manipulated by Matt Loughrey, who edited the victims to have makeup and smiling faces when in reality, they were being documented prior to their execution. The Khmer Rouge are a communist group that came to power after the Cambodian Civil War, they were documenting their victims inside their prisons and concentration camps, and took over the Cambodian photography canon with their exploitative imagery. Read more>>

Baby Shée

The most meaningful project I’ve been a part of would have to be the first feature film I was cast in called, Jinn. Jinn is a coming of age story about a free spirited teenager whose life is turned upside down when her mother converts to Islam. This was the first major job and undertaking I did as a baby professional artist. Not only was I so excited to just be working, the film itself is such a beautiful story. Many people I met during the process have become life long friends including the writer and director, Nijla Mu’min. Read more>>

Vance Smith

Early on in my first year of business, my best friend asked me to help do documentary style interviews with his Great-grandparents which was completely outside of anything Id ever done. While they are doing well, he had fears about the future and wanted to make sure their story was captured before any health problems came up. One with his grandpa, then grandma, and then them together. It was the longest project I’ve had to date. The shortest interview was 2 1/2 hours the longest was 4 1/2 hours. In those interviews with them I found out they were those once-in-a-lifetime couples who have been together since high school. I filled an entire 1 TB hard drive with JUST the footage alone. I had to fight to keep monitoring my equipment because the stories were so fascinating and wild. Read more>>

Jasmine Kilgore

The most meaningful project I have worked on would have to be my self expression series. It’s dear to me because I get to express myself and different phases that I have experienced. Each piece represents a different aspect or situation I have gone through in my life. I hope that my stories help someone through their trying times and let them know that there’s light that can be found in their darkness. Read more>>

Andrea-rachel Parker

thanks for asking, i mean if i am allowed to say it, i think i am working on some great creative projects. i know for me its often times difficult for me to promote my works, but there are some things i am honestly excited to talk about further outside of just acting. for example, in 202o i refocused on some older companies, re-branded, and launched TF?! “TF?!” is a privately owned trademark of mine that has recently been valued, way higher than i ever expected or anticipated. but tf?! as a company is an online hub, that focuses on collab and bartering methods for those who assign as different, deformed, unique, differently abled, survivors (cancer survivors, sa survivors, dv survivors) and their allies. the hub is offered for free, but has a premium tier that gives access to other member & community benefits. i say that to highlight, our latest merch and product that everyone seems to love. our cinnamon acv agave squeeze! a vegan way to curb appetite, stop candy & sweet cravings, along with assisting in proper joint and gut health. it balances ph, aides in healing acne (after initial purge) and the best part… it taste great. safe for children, and dogs, our mixture provides a fun way to add a supplement into a fasting, or weightloss journey. outside of that, our site has launched the first ever national location scouting module certification course. Read more>>

Nabat Shir

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is “The Window,” a moving drama that delves into the life of Vivian, a woman confined to a wheelchair. The story unfolds through the metaphor of a window in her family home, serving as a lens through which she reflects on the decisions she made during pivotal periods of her life. Themes of abuse, betrayal, and the complexities of womanhood are intricately woven into the narrative. “The Window” won three awards at the Sipontum Arthouse International Film Festival in the Summer 2024 Edition, including Best Screenplay (short film) – Nabat Shir, Best Cinematography (short film) – Yuuki Shimizu, and Best Sound Design – Mark Otim. The inspiration for “The Window” came from the films of David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Orson Welles, and Federico Fellini—directors known for exploring the depths of the human psyche. While these legends of cinema were all men, my goal was to create a film with poetic essence, and intellectual depth through a female perspective. Read more>>

Tim Arnwine

For over 20 years, I have been conducting Ghost Hunting investigations. I have written books and conducted lectures on the field. I have investigated various types of locations as well as private residential homes. There is a feeling of satisfaction when you help people find answers to their concerns. Sometimes it is paranormal, most of time it is something that can be explained Over the past 20 years, there has been a great uptick of interest in the field of Ghost Hunting. It has been a pleasure teaching and giving lectures to hundreds of people interested in our field. Our “Public Investigations” have gained interest over the past 12 years. We have conducted these events in numerous historic locations. The exciting part is that we get to introduce these locations and their history to the people. At the same time, we help to use our passion to help raise funds for the locations. The relationship with the caring staff of the locations has been another blessing. Thier commitment to maintaining the beauty and history of these locations, is inspiring. Read more>> 

Lor Clincy

My most meaningful project to date is my most recent poetry manuscript, When We Were Indigo. I wrote most of the poems while in my graduate program, studying myriads of poetic form and finding new, interesting ways to tell stories. When We Were Indigo serves as a rich archive of homage to African American Literature. While I write close to myself, the layers of context exist far beyond me. For example, one of the first poems of the collection is “resolve”. This poem served as my reference point in writing. I wanted, at the very least, for each poem to connect and refer to traumas of Blackness due to colonization: enslavement, lynching, displacement of family and culture, poverty, gentrification, etc. This thematic approach allowed me to write from a place of necessity, and I believe that this manuscript is so meaningful because of that. Read more>>

Allan Graham-tay

As a self taught photographer my projects are all based round capturing everyday street life whether it be group dynamics, individuals or character faces. I think my interest stems from being a really observant kid and watching adult interaction whether it be family or friends or social events and the how the individual personalities would become more relaxed and vocal with more exaggerated facial expressions and body language. It made me become more of a people spotter and fascinated by body language. I can spend days just walking the streets looking for inspiration. It could be based on crowds going about their everyday lives or I might come across an interesting building casting a shadow and I will sit and wait for THAT shot to walk into my frame and hopefully capture it, always being super observant as you get one chance then it’s gone. Read more>>

Carol O’connor

In 2003 I first became very interested in hip hop culture and immediately saw its applicability to education, especially in reaching and meaningfully engaging with underserved youth – both in the US and internationally. In 2007 Ghanaian rap artist Ambassadar and I established Rhyme-N-Reason Foundation as a nonprofit in Cape Coast, Ghana; in 2010 it was registered as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit in Jackson, Mississippi. Since that time, RNR has hosted music performances, visual arts, conferences, workshops, and other events in Mississippi, Arizona, Texas, Ghana, Ethiopia and Uganda. Since 2012, we also have published Telling Our Own Stories, a book of writing and art from young people in about 15 different countries and cultures. The eighth issue was published July 2024 and is currently available. Read more>>

S.j. Carson

My most meaningful project is my first novel, Aveline, which will be released from The Wild Rose Press on October 9, 2024. The book centers on thirteen-year-old Aveline Fleur. For Aveline, a child of her country’s ruling house, life is perfect. She attends a private academy, owns a horse, and lives on an enormous estate where she and her best friend Bruno run wild. But when she discovers that her family is involved in a sinister plot to brainwash people who speak out against the regime—and that Bruno and his mother are in danger—Aveline must summon the courage to save herself and her friends before it’s too late. Read more>>

Trevor James Tillery

Right now, that would be my new album, ‘I Dreamt You Disappeared.’ It was released April of this year. After a few years of having to focus less on music and feeling in a bit of a creative drought, these songs poured out of me very quickly. In the spring of 2023, I had some initial sketches and two songs already written that were my sort of north stars for the direction I was headed. By July, I had the the rest of the album written and the start of the album recorded. I co-produced the album with my partner Michael Kelley and invited a bunch of friends in Nashville to play on it. The record is lush and filled with acoustics, strings, horns, and synths. I’ve always wanted to make a very beautiful sounding album and I think I’ve achieved that.  The next most meaningful project, is the new album I’m working on. I’m probably 60% done making it at the moment and hoping to release it sometime next year. Read more>>

Tommy Taylor

I think creating my first solo album “Across the Stars” would definitely be the most meaningful project that I have worked on. I never dreamed I would write songs. At best I thought I might cherry pick the catalogues of all of the wonderful writers I had worked with and interpret them for a record. To finally have an album completed of my own songs, elegantly produced, is something I probably never expected. I spent almost my entire career lending my “creative juices” either to projects that I believed I had a vested interest in, or solo projects for others. It was just the road I got on when I was little. Just walking, not really knowing where to go or how to go about it. Somehow, I was always doing “okay.” But nobody ever really reached out and tried to give me direction. I’ve had to learn what I know, sometimes by getting the figurative crap knocked out of me.  Read more>>

Marcus Hamm

I began my filmmaking career officially in 2020 during the pandemic. I’ve been in the entertainment industry since 1999 starting as a professional wrestler where I signed my first TV contract as one half of the Urban Wrestling Alliance tag team champions, The Black Legion. After the series ended, I began producing in 2003 having worked on developing several professional wrestling themed shows. I transitioned to Acting officially in 2007 and have written a number of treatments over the years, but didn’t complete my first full script until I developed The Black League of Superheroes, my first fan-fiction short film. It won 27 awards, and my goal following was to continue my journey of making fan films leading into original features and/or series. Read more>>

Cynthia Warden

For me, art becomes a bridge spanning the space between the past, the present, and the yet-unwritten chapters of tomorrow—a testament to the enduring power of creativity to shape hearts, minds, and societies. As a Publicist I worked on client’s stories with Main Stream Media including CNN, FOX, MSNBC and many major Newspapers and Social Media Platforms. As I began to paint the “news”, Pop Culture and Events of the Nation and the World it became evident to me that many of the stories were being lost in each news cycle. As I began to work on each piece there became a sort of rhythm of collecting and reporting the events of that 2-3 week period. Most people get their news in small sound bites and this platform offered me the opportunity to paint my take on what was going on. After beginning the Series and observing the discourse and division happening, I was compelled to keep going and report in my own unique way the events shaping our future. The upcoming Election will be an important turning point in the future of our Country and will impact the entire World. Read more>>

Antigoni Tsagkaropoulou

So many! Every artistic project I create is the result of love, collaboration, and friendship. I will share two that played a crucial role in my artistic research and practice. Fluffy Library (2018-2019) was the project that introduced me as an emerging artist in the Greek art scene, but beyond that, it taught me so much about myself and my community. .Fluffy Library is a project that highlights my research interests in the radical potentialities of softness and on how it can embrace spaces of togetherness, community building and radical pedagogies. It was a participatory installation/ subversive library with soft sculptural elements, books and a curation of workshops, performances, and events in collaboration with other artists, educators and people from the queer community of Athens. Read more>>