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.
Nate Martin
Yes, there have definitely been times when my work has been misunderstood or even mischaracterized. I started my group, Nate Martin & SIGN, just a few weeks before my 15th birthday, and now, as I approach my 24th year and our group’s 9th anniversary, I’ve learned that doing things a little differently can sometimes cause people to question your approach. Most gospel artists focus on traditional performances in churches or concert venues, but I’ve always believed in taking gospel music and the message of faith outside of the usual spaces. Whether it’s singing in nursing homes, coffee shops, or even doing a live recording at the Lincoln Park Zoo, I’ve always wanted to push boundaries and bring gospel music to new audiences. Read more>>
Fnf Juuk
Yes, my work has been misunderstood because of me being misunderstood by others.
When ppl see me they just think oh he’s a regular dude from the hood, until a conversation is sparked up and then people realize and see my intelligence.
My appearance look like I make trap rap or drill music however, I’m very versatile when it’s comes to my producing and engineering to where I don’t have to make that style of music. Read more>>
Joe Fury
I’ve experienced my art being mischaracterized as a result of the melancholy nature of the subjects and heavy contrasting black and grey in my art.
These are usually observed as a sorrowful reflection on the subject when my true feeling is one of hope. Knowing the challenges and hardships make the rewards more satisfying and I want my art to share a message of hope. Read more>>
Stells Di Rossi Hurst
This is something that happens all the time from genre to culture. I feel like society is over judgmental, and tends to trap creative souls by what they feel an artist should be, rather than learn who they are or as they choose to evolve. I find that it unintentionally creates discomfort to challenge conformity, earning the nicknames Stella the Bard or Stells Hells Bells is just coincidental. As a woman of color, I constantly find that I am defending my individuality and culture beyond skin color, wanting to be a force for reckoning against art’s pigment-associated, gender-biased, and conformist nature. Read more>>
Ryan Hanami
Yes, I’ve had my work misunderstood and mischaracterized, and one of the most revealing instances happened in an interdisciplinary art class during my undergraduate studies at UCLA.
The professor, a filmmaker, emphasized that verbal participation was required to pass the course. This made me nervous, I was a high school dropout returning to academia, and speaking up in group discussions had always been a challenge for me. She mentioned that if anyone needed accommodations due to anxiety or difficulty speaking, they should reach out to her. Read more>>
A.d. Wilde
Romance authors are often misunderstood, particularly when writing in the dark or taboo genres. My work is definitely an example of that. But I believe the negative judgment reflects more on the lack of education around the dark romance universe rather than the individual doing the judging themselves. Dark romance involves more complex characters, typically with some sort of trauma, whether it be past or current. And there’s almost always a toxic element to the relationship(s) between the main characters. It’s sometimes a little unconventional, gritty, and painful. But there’s beauty and growth that can be found in that. It’s a very niche market to write to and not everyone is going to be able to relate to my characters. But what’s more important is that I’ve learned that that’s okay! Read more>>
Alican Simone
Absolutely! People commonly think that working in cannabis means that all you do is sit around and get stoned all day. It encompasses so much more! I study different strains and their effects, derivatives of cannabis, effects on the endocannabinoid system, etc. Read more>>
Yasmen Hunter
As a full-time content creator and blogger, I’ve definitely experienced moments where my work has been misunderstood or mischaracterized. One of the biggest misconceptions is that content creation is “just taking pictures” or “just posting online,” when in reality, it’s a full-fledged business requiring strategy, creativity, and consistency. Read more>>
Tai Schiavo
All the time, actually. I’ve found that producers and directors tend to label composers as doing a single style after hearing one of their scores, which has led to a lot of funny conversations.
The first time I ever spoke with director Sean Michael Burt, he had heard my score for Dinner Time and was looking for a similar, yet different sound for his upcoming film, Dreamer. He went and listened to my other scores to hear more of my style, but after hearing the rest of my music, when trying to describe my style, he said, “I guess you just write good music” (‘good’ was definitely generous for the music he was referring to back then). Read More>>
Eliza Fisherman
I’ve always had a complicated response to professional feedback. The first response is usually protest, the second confusion. The feedback I received invariably went, and probably will always go, right over my head. Understandable— if I knew about the mistakes professionals were pointing out in my work, I wouldn’t have made them to begin with. Read More>>
Gingsu
Given that we often struggle to make sense of our own place in the world, both sonically and thematically, the fact that we don’t always make sense to others should come as no surprise. Much of our development as a band hasn’t happened in spite of being misunderstood, but rather largely because we’ve embraced creating music on the outskirts of stylistic convention. Compared to most mainstream hard rock groups, we definitely lean more into progressive territory; however, we prefer to implement the “jargon”, so to speak, a bit differently from the modern artists to which we find ourselves frequently compared. When the intro of one of our songs kicks in, like that of “Law of the Tongue” or “Hurry Up and Wait”, the listener likes to think they know where the train is going – until they arrive at literally the next section and are met with some element pulled directly from an unrelated genre. Read More>>
Vyolet Jeun
There have been times when I have overheard crew members misjudging or mischaracterising me, but it has never bothered me. My goal has never been to be liked by everyone, but rather to ensure that I treat everyone with respect and cause no harm.
My leadership philosophy has always been centred on bringing out the best in others because I believe that a good leader is loved and trusted by the team, but a great leader is someone who makes everyone believe in the project itself. Not just in film, but in every field, leaders must decide whether they wish to be a good leader or a great leader. I have chosen to be a great leader. Read More>>
Anthony Avaylen
you’re familiar with the world of Country Music, you know that if it’s not cowboy hats, honkytonks, and 90’s twang it “ain’t country.” This has been a debate for generations, and many would never consider my company, Avaylen, to be part of the Country Music scene — especially given its Southern California roots. But that’s never been my goal. My goal has been to reimagine Country Music through the lens of Avaylen — blending surfer and skater influences with bold graphics, sharp lines, vibrant colors, stylized typography, and a gritty, modern aesthetic. In short, I like to think of it as Country Music with a beach-inspired twist. Read More>>
Steven Leach
Misunderstandings and mischaracterizations are almost inevitable when putting yourself or your work out into the world. Everyone comes from different perspectives, experiences, and personal tastes, so they will interpret things differently.
One example could be when I put a lot of passion and energy into a project, only for someone to criticize it in a way that feels unfair or like they missed the point. Maybe they don’t understand the intention behind it, or they’re judging it based on their own preferences rather than its actual quality. At first, that kind of feedback can be frustrating—it’s easy to feel defensive. Read More>>