Often, those who tread off the beaten path are misunderstood or mischaracterized and so we asked folks from the community to reflect and tell us about the times they’ve been misunderstood or mischaracterized.

Melissa Burns Mugisha

I’ve been a portrait artist since I completed my first realism portrait at 17. Art has always been a part of who I am, and fortunately I’ve rarely had to doubt my abilities. But entering the tattoo industry has challenged my confidence. I’ve received more criticism than I ever did as a traditional pencil artist, though to be fair, I hadn’t faced much before. Starting out as a beginner in adulthood has been tough, especially when people, often unfamiliar with my story or even the art of tattooing, feel the need to voice their dislike. Tattooing isn’t like drawing with a pencil. Any new skill is intimidating, and you rarely start where you want to be. Despite the challenges, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all again. I love creating beautiful body art that my clients cherish. It’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done, and I’ve accepted that I’ll always be at a different stage in my career than others. Time moves at an often painfully slow pace, and impatience can be tempting, but I’ve learned to keep going and to value those who support me through every stage. Those are the people worth keeping by your side. Read more>>

Morelia Cuevas

Like being called a “Wildcard” is a bad thing? I found it to be the best compliment ever! I just think people were trying to hard to find a mold for me as to seeing the true character I am. I think big and deliver. I’m the most loyal person you’ll ever meet and I become a commodity to all I work with. I’m very aware of my talents and craftsmanship as others fear my confidence. Read more>>

Jingjing Jia

Absolutely, I’ve felt misunderstood at times, especially as someone from an international background navigating the fashion scene in New York. Coming from China, where fashion often leans toward certain aesthetics, my work—blending surreal, bold, and culturally diverse elements—has occasionally been seen as ‘too different’ or not fitting the expected mold. One instance that stands out was when my styling was critiqued for being ‘overly conceptual’ during a project. Some viewed it as impractical, but for me, fashion is a form of visual storytelling. I aim to evoke emotions, push boundaries, and create narratives through my work. I realized this difference in perspective was rooted in cultural and artistic approaches—what some saw as ‘impractical,’ I viewed as imaginative and avant-garde. Read more>>

Alexander Coleman

If I’m being honest, I never felt fully understood or seen as my true self until I became an adult. As a child, I always knew I was “different.” I never fit in with the “cool” kids. Back then, I felt like had so much working against me—I was fat, black, gay. Shoot, by the time I was in third grade, I was almost six feet tall, always standing out. No one in my family or circle of friends truly understood what I was going through, and if I’m being honest, it didn’t feel like they cared. It wasn’t until I moved out on my own as an adult and began embracing who I truly was that I started to feel at peace with myself. I believe God needed to pull me away from distractions to help me discover who I really am and help me feel comfortable in my own skin. From that point forward, I began to grow as a man and fully step into who I am, not caring of others opinion of me. Read more>>

Sampy Sicada

Since coming to the US three years ago, I’ve learned that anti-intellectualism here is as big a problem as described abroad and in sociology/political science. This poses challenges not just to my job as an artist and public speaker on media theory but also my social life. People are more prone to dismissing anything they don’t understand as pretentious or necessarily pointless compared to what little they do understand. I feel my character count hamstrung by attention spans cutting out shorter than I am accustomed to and their being thrown off by the mere mention of something slightly theoretical. I saw that average-sized words are now deemed big words and having to cut my own teeth off to avoid social sidelining is a constant temptation. Shockingly, this occurs even in academic environments. Read more>>

Talaya Moore

As a creative and a black, plus size, busty female rapper I have faced a lot of criticism and judgement. My lyrics can be explicit at times but it’s an expression of my sexuality and feminine energy, which is constantly misunderstood. When I began my music journey it was also part of my healing journey. I spent my early teen years and first year of college in a toxic relationship and when it ended I had to find my identity all over again. While doing so I began to lean more into my sexuality, style and the dating world. Through these experiences I was able to create my first single “Break Dat Bag.” My first single was me expressing how I truly felt inside and how I felt people were perceiving me. I took people judging me for my photos and body shape and turned it into my self love mantra. The lyrics for “Break Dat Bag” was a message to all individuals who ever tried to talk down on me or ever made me feel like I was not good enough or a whore for being sexually liberated. The song allowed me to express that I am confident and the under handed statements, false rumors and judgment aren’t called for and will not affect my growth as a person. Some might here my lyrics and think it’s only “p***y rap” but it’s much more it’s self love anthems. Read more>>