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.

Katie O’brien

I have done a lot of art this past year from developing painting kits to my own collection of art but I have to say that I do consider the evolution of my teaching career as my most meaningful project thus far. Being a successful teacher is an art it itself and after teaching art at the high school level for over 15 years (10 years being at Torrey Pines High school), I feel like I have evolved to a place within myself that I am really proud of , meaning I have really developed some great projects that the kids love and have stepped up my game with connecting to the kids more. Teaching can be trial and error many times and at this point in my career, I have found a place of balance with it all and it shows with how my students are in my class. It has been most meaningful because not only have a been able to connect with these teenagers and help them grow as responsible artists and individuals through art, I have been able to improve on my own skills as a self-taught artist. Read more>>

Maricruz Kwon

My recent Out of the Shadows Project is the most meaningful project I’ve worked on. I birthed this idea from trying to figure out how to tell my story of getting out of a narcissistic abusive relationship while simultaneously healing from said relationship. I pitched this idea when I applied for a three-month photography-based program and stuck with it as my showcase piece. The creative process was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. The experience evoked a range of emotions, from anger, doubt, and terror to pride, hope, determination, and complete gratitude for sharing this idea and enrolling eight other women in my vision.  Read more>>

Josh Lieu

I recently created a short film called “three hundred sixty,” which is about growing up and recognizing full-circle moments. This project has been the most meaningful to me because it’s based on the Bible verse Romans 8:28. With the central idea that everything works together for the good of those who love God, it was important for me to portray life as authentically as possible. The main character, Eve, faces various trials and tribulations during her adolescence, and before she turns 18, she realizes that God has been working through her challenges to make her stronger, wiser, and more mature. Read more>>

Tom Mosser

Pittsburgh artist, Tom Mosser, never expected a small pleasure painting that he created in 2012 depicting his golden retriever Lucas looking at a painting of a big tennis ball in an implied art museum would quite literally change his life forever. Mosser, a full-time artist based in Pittsburgh Pa., can’t deny that now. It all started in 2012, when Mosser was working on a group of paintings he now calls his “Museum Series”. The paintings were aimed at taking a step inside the minds of art museum visitors. “The point was to explore what goes through someone’s mind when they view a piece of art. I depict the subjects from behind while they look at a painting. I want the viewer of the paintings to create the emotion of the unseen face of the people. It’s all about juxtaposition and story telling.” Mosser said. Read more>>

Dalton Zongshian Lu

One of the most impactful projects I’ve led is the Taiwanese American Documentary Series, a documentary initiative that preserves the voices and stories of Taiwanese elders in America. As a Taiwanese filmmaker, I’ve always felt a deep connection to my heritage, and this project allowed me to contribute to the preservation of cultural identity within the diaspora. The idea for this series emerged from my realization that the experiences of many Taiwanese elders, especially their struggles and triumphs in adapting to life in the U.S., were being lost over time. As a filmmaker passionate about storytelling, I saw an opportunity to document these invaluable narratives and ensure they are shared with future generations. My role as the creator and director of this series was instrumental in shaping its vision and execution, from the initial concept to the final production. Read more>>

David Crawford

I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in and sometimes lead a number of meaningful projects during my career in animal advocacy, including the one that has most of my attention these days – Animal Help Now’s new messaging app for evacuating pets when disasters threaten and strike. The idea for the app came from my experience in the 2021 Marshall Fire of Boulder County, Colorado. I was home that day and was able to evacuate my cats. I also helped save the life of Chief, a neighbor’s German shepherd, who was helpless in a crate in the home’s kitchen. Read more>>

Di Hu

One of my recent projects is called Echo Chamber Realms. It’s a large-scale immersive experience that explores the challenges, struggles, and attempts people go through in the process of socialization or navigating social relationships. For this project, I used three large animal puppets combined with AI technology. These puppets engage in real-time, dynamically generated conversations, and visitors entering the space can join in on the discussions at any time. Each puppet has its own distinct psychological motives, which essentially gives them personalities similar to those of different kinds of people. I feel that, through these characters, we can all see a reflection of ourselves. Read more>>

Kendall Gordon-williams

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been creating my podcast and Youtube channel, Mum’s True Tea. The idea for this podcast grew from a place of needing an outlet, feeling alone in my journey as a mother, needing a safe space for not only me but being able to create a safe space for other moms to share their experiences as moms without being judged. The podcast comes from a place of unfiltered honesty and necessity. As a mom of 33 years, I have experienced some very traumatic moments in motherhood that are often taboo experiences most moms keep silent about. Yet, here I am sharing the raw and unfiltered side that often goes unspoken out of shame, guilt and fear of judgement. So, I wanted to create a space where moms, especially those who don’t necessarily see motherhood as a fairy tale, could feel heard, understood, and validated. Read more>>

Maury Cruz Hechavarria

My life is full of meaningful projects. One of the greatest challenges and significant projects, both personal and professional, has been changing everything about myself in general, without excluding my being, which I will always maintain. (mi personalidad). Arriving in the USA, Los Angeles, CA, has driven and elevated my development as an artist by pushing me to meet internationally demanded levels. – I have as an example my recent concert in San DIEGO with 12,000 people, where I had to face 12,000 people as a DJ VIOLINIST, Wow!! Having cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art musical equipment, DJ mixers, and any service at your disposal in a matter of seconds, wow!! Thank you very much to God, to my family, and to all my internal and external work team (FRIENDS, WORK COLLEAGUES, AND CONTACTS). Read more>>

Saint Pablo

This is a hard question to answer, it’s kind of hard for me to pick one project in particular to be named the most meaningful, for me every single project I have worked on means a commitment. I put all my passion to what Im doing in the present, this is one of the reasons why I obviously have declined too many projects, because I need to know that I am going to leave every minute of my time awake to make it happen. I remember how everything started I would never thought this will became an actual brand. In my head I needed to complete every step almost in the best perfect way for it to feel accomplished. It felt more like a personal satisfaction. That lead it to be a successful company. I couldn’t accept a “𝐍𝐨” easily. I also have the philosophy to know that a whole NO also could mean another direction. Read more>>

T Gemz

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on and have actually released for the world to hear is my debut album titled “Meet Me on the Moon.” This album gives you a first hand glimpse into my mind (T Gemz) and the trauma I endured as a child that has shaped me into the man I am today. From characterization and vivd story telling on songs like “Duck” and “Traumatized;” to smooth vibes and intense production on songs like “Bingo” or “Bar God;” T Gemz delivers a lyrical body of work in a captivating way as a voice for the kids on the block. As someone who suffers from mental disorders such as ADHD, BPD, anxiety and PTSD; Gemz has delivered a very unique perspective on how these mental blocks can develop and take an effect on the average kid raised in a rough environment without anyone ever knowing or seeing the signs. Songs like “I Know” and “My Therapy” play a pivotal role and explain how systemic racism can shape said environments and the effects it can have on children. Read more>>

Lagina R. Harris

As a social impact entrepreneur and positive disruptor, I’m driven by a creative lens that sees the world as a canvas for equitable change and amplified voices. Proudly rooted in my HBCU experience at Stillman College and as a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. sister, my journey blends art, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. I’m an operations and logistics consultant, a speaker on everything from the future of work to the transformation of overlooked spaces, a visual fine artist, and a higher education practitioner passionate about student retention. Emerging as a media personality, my focus is always storytelling—shining light on underrepresented stories and reimagining the possible. Read more>>

Lyra Nalan

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is my stage play, “Paper Dream”. This journey began in 2017 during a college class on immigration history, where I first learned about Angel Island, the main entry point for Asian immigrants from 1910 to 1940. I was shocked to discover that unlike Ellis Island, which restricted but did not exclude European immigrants, Angel Island enforced policies under the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1943) that targeted Asians, particularly Chinese immigrants. Cases involving Chinese immigrants were heavily scrutinized, with harsh interrogations designed to expose fraud, such as the use of “paper son” identities. As a result, Angel Island had one of the highest rejection rates for Chinese immigrants. As a Chinese immigrant myself, I was struck by my own ignorance of this history and felt a responsibility to explore it further. My research began with books like Erika Lee’s Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America and Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island. I then watched documentaries, conducted interviews, and visited the reconstructed Angel Island Immigration Station, now part of Angel Island State Park. I was deeply moved by the hand-carved Chinese calligraphy on the barracks walls—poems expressing sorrow, anger, resilience, homesickness, and hope. These voices from the past resonated powerfully with me. Read more>>

Susan Budge

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is creating works that people are challenged by, or can relate to- There are numerous projects that I have done that are meaningful. Early on, I used clay to celebrate life, and vent anger when life is hard. Many early works celebrated nature. My formative years were spent in New Mexico and I loved hiking in the mountains, so my ceramic forms referenced forests of aspen trees and rock formations. After being a victim of rape my work addressed that violation. When my personal life was full of drama I started using imagery on my work to tell my story. In response to stress, my work is narrative, cathartic. I work spontaneously in the studio, allowing subconscious thoughts to surface. As a result, my work reflects aspects of life at that specific point in time. When my son was born, as a single mom, I had to take him with me into the studio. Read more>>

Matthew Wittmer

One of my meaningful projects has been documenting a southern California mausoleum over the course of the last several years by creating onsite observational drawings and diagrams of its interiors. My first book of mausoleum drawings was published in 2020; a second book is currently in progress. Both contain hundreds of reproductions of my onsite diagrams (visual drawings that recreate the patterns) of the building’s interiors as well as the extent of the complex’s resulting memorialization patterns. My work often reconstructs the visual components of locales associated with death or the threat thereof. These visual reconstructions are participatory in nature because I get to know the mausoleum space first hand in order to create. In this way these pieces are less illustrative as they stem directly from me being an active observer onsite. Being involved with spaces in this way, for me, brings a sacredness and magic to taboo issues often associated with locations I chose, seen as infamous. I guess you could say that visiting the Alcatraz island cellblock in my formative years helped start my interest with locales. Read more>>

Anita Castillo-halvorssen

Each of our projects has meant the world to our team, but I suppose the biggest endeavors we’ve taken on as a young collective thus far are the short film Therapy Won’t Kill You by Claire McKey Berkman and the play Without God As My Lover by Megan Medley. Therapy Won’t Kill You is a queer musical horror-comedy that digs into the nightmarish challenges of finding the “right” therapist. For this project, each scene was directed by a different ensemble member, allowing multiple perspectives and styles to shape the story. Members took on a variety of on-set roles, each gaining new production skills while supporting the low-budget process. Taproot co-founder Claire McKey Berkman – who wrote, edited, and led the project – used contemporary theater practices including site-specific writing and devising to structure the collaborative elements of the production. Ensemble members traveled from NYC, DC, and LA to film Therapy Won’t Kill You in the snowy woods of Vermont. Read more>>

Cedar Worth

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is actually the work I’m creating right now. I’ve recently been focusing on letting go of my attachment to the outcome and how my work will be perceived, as that is truly out of our control anyways. This has allowed me to get excited, play, and experiment within my art. What I’m working on now is a project centered around portals. I’ve been taking old objects, specifically mirrors, and turning them into these mossy forest portals that light up. I engrave the mirror itself, so that the etching lasts forever, and then incorporate a variety of natural elements. A lot of the natural elements that I incorporate such as sticks, stones, bones, acorns, etc. are found by me, and the process is incredibly intentional. Read more>>

Asterick Walston

The most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is the one I’m currently immersed in, which explores queer sex and body positivity. It all started when I began creating nude self-portrait relief prints after starting hormone replacement therapy. At the time, I wanted to celebrate my body’s changes and embrace it fully. This has evolved into making prints of other queer people I know, especially through the process of lithography. When I first started creating these nude portraits, I never imagined they would become such a central focus of my work. But after working with professors and having conversations about what I really care about and especially in art, I knew this was something that really stuck with me. I truly believe that the world could be so much happier and healthier if we had less shame around bodies and sex and more acceptance and celebration of both. Read more>>

Rachel Howard

During the height of COVID year, I had a nursing home/assisted living reach out to me to photograph some “Pictures of Aging” of their residents. The images would only be delivered as black and white, taking out any distracting color visuals and really focusing on the subjects truest self. This project was near and dear to my heart for many reasons, First, I started my RN career back in 2014 as a hospice nurse and spend the next 5-7 years at the bedside with patients/families as their loved ones took their final breath. The geriatric community is the reason I went into nursing, and now as a photographer I was able to capture some precious moments of residents as a gift for their families, even though they were not able to visit due to restrictions. I took some of their last photos ever taken, and something that important sure does hold some weight. This project gave me the opportunity to connect with residents in a way that transcended words – through my lens, I could honor their life stories and the beauty of aging. These images not only became a gift to families but also a personal reminder of why I chose to work with this community in both roles as a nurse and photographer. It was a project that combined my passions in the most profound way and left a lasting impact on me. Read more>>

Seleen Saleh

I created a book called “Street Culture.” This street style book focuses on featuring Black creatives in the fashion industry. The concept was birthed in 2014 when I was covering street style for Essence.com. At the time their were a handful of photographers shooting for publications however they barley photographed BIPOC. This was pre Instagram. Now creators are assisting in taking control of the narrative. “Street Culture” didn’t publish until May 2020 during the pandemic. This was right before the Social climate changed and there was a focus on Black people including the arts. I am very grateful for this shift and that I was allowed to push my book through ahead of it. Read more>>

Karly Thomas

In 2021, I met Ava Fojtik and Aaron Higareda as we all began UC Riverside’s MFA in Creative Writing for the Performing Arts program. It turns out we were fated to meet each other–in 2022, we would be founders of the Inland Empire based theatre company AKA Productions. Our founding manifesto is built on a commitment to championing innovative, thought-provoking work; creating compassionate, enriching, and inspiring spaces (both in our rehearsal rooms and performance venues) for artists, students, and audiences alike; and fostering a strengthened sense of community within UC Riverside and the greater Inland Empire. Read more>>

Jolie Dudley

Must Love Dogs and Comedy has been the most meaningful project I have worked on as a Creative. A little over three years ago, when quarantine was ending in NYC, many people wanted to go out and reconnect with friends they had not seen in person since the start of the pandemic, but they felt guilty leaving their pups at home. As a stand-up comedian, I wanted to start going to in-person open mics and shows, but unfortunately, none of the comedy spaces in NYC were dog-friendly. I was searching for a space to practice and hone my craft, but I felt guilty leaving my fur-baby, Knope (like Leslie Knope from “Parks and Rec”), at home. Read more>>

Emily Wilson

Starting the podcast, Art is Awesome, has meant a lot to me. I was interviewing a lot of artists for articles I was writing, and I wanted to do something else to share their stories and their process. I love going to their studios or shows and talking to them and how inventive they are in doing their work. I try to keep the podcast focused on them– I do an intro and introduce their quotes interstitially, but I want people to mostly hear from them. Also, it means a lot to me because I’d wanted to do it for years. Since I had background in radio, I had some idea about interviewing and editing, but I didn’t feel confident in doing final edits and mixing. A lot of people I talked to just learn it on YouTube, and I totally admire that, but I wanted to have a person teach me. I tried a few classes and they didn’t work out. Then I found Charlene Goto of Goto Productions, who has tons of experience. I do the interviews and write the script and choose the cuts and record my part. I send her their cuts and my part and the script and I highlight the ‘you knows” and “umm” I’d like her to cut and she is fabulous about the doing the final edit and making it sound smooth and posting it. It’s a big relief to me that she does that.  Read more>>

Penelope Pendragon

The Whimsical WiSH Wagon is by far, the most meaningful and magical project I’ve ever created. I first saw what was to become the WiSH Wagon on the Las Vegas Strip. It was a shopping kiosk at a mall selling all things Egyptian from scarves to scarabs. I recall saying “That seems more like a fairy gypsy wagon than an Egyptian store.” I didn’t think about it again until it appeared in my boyfriend’s neighbor’s driveway. The neighbor explained it was a hand made, one of a kind piece of art built in Israel to be a retail kiosk. It cost $70,000 to make. He was willing to sell it to me for $30,000 declaring that, “The shipping cost that much!” At the time I was a single mom with an upstanding career who had no reason to purchase a fancy lawn ornament for 30k, despite it’s unique beauty and energetic pull. Read more>>

Beja Foster

Hands down, the most meaningful project I’ve worked on recently was a 1st Birthday Party for a service dog in training named Velveeta—yes, like the cheese! Velveeta’s raisers, Jess and Tiff, wanted to throw an unforgettable bash to celebrate her time with their family before she graduated to her big-girl job as a full-blown service dog with Canine Companions. And oh, we went ALL out for this fur-baby fiesta. We teamed up with The Barkday Planner and turned the space into a doggo carnival with cascading balloon installations around a ferris wheel (yes, there was a ferris wheel) and a chandelier hanging over the ultimate hot spot—the dogs’ favorite, the ball pit! It was pure joy watching Velveeta and her squad of yellow lab friends, who are also in training, living their best lives with tails wagging. It was a bittersweet celebration for me, too, because we had just lost our own 14-year-old lab, so this project hit a little close to home. Read more>>