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.

Jessie Spartano

There’s a reason I put “inspirational” in front the of word rapper when I describe who I am. Rap has turned into, let’s just say, a unique genre, and I fight very hard to set myself apart from any (female) rapper in the game. Quick! In the next 5 seconds think of a female rapper that is positive, doesn’t cuss and keeps most of her body covered. Read more>>

Blair Ballou

Being misunderstood and mischaracterized, where do I even begin haha. People are so eager to project their insecurities and tell you what you can and can’t do and who you can and can’t be based on how you talk, what you look like, the color of your skin, your religion, what ever. Read more>>

Mary Chapman

As an artist in their 20s, most people like to believe that creativity and imagination ends at 18. You’re not allowed to have fun, be creative, dress up, dance, act, wear costumes or anything from your childhood after you’re an adult. That’s entirely false. Every big actor in the industry shares the stories of how they dreamed, believed, imagined and played roles through their whole lives and never lost their inner child. Read more>>

Desmond Smith

We, as Human beings on this planet we call “Home”.. are all alike in many similar ways. One thing we ALL have in common is “Judgment”.. no matter negative or positive, we all judge someone for something we individually choose from amongst one another. Most common way “We” judge is through first impressions.. no matter if Im taking in a gorgeous scenery, or even simply watching actors in a film.. Read more>>

Chase Holbrook

In my three years of pursuing my passion for creating entertaining and relatable content for my viewers, The most significant misunderstanding I get all the time from older adults or people who are not in the gaming world or negative people frankly is “Oh all you do is play video games and press go live” or my favorite “Oh you’re not as big as Ninja or TimtheTatman so you’re not going to make it big.” Read more>>

Angela Navarra

I am confused by this one since it says “We’ll ask you to share a story related to the topic.” Read more>>

Marlisha Applewhite

Being someone who have felt misunderstood and mischaracterized all her life finally takes a turn around. I struggled with not really knowing who I was or who I needed to be for not only myself but others as well. I struggled with my mental on a daily. Read more>>

Zoul Williams

I can personally relate to the experiences you described as a black female in a predominantly male-driven industry. During my pursuit of a master’s degree in film production, I encountered numerous instances where I felt misunderstood, mischaracterized, and ultimately unheard. Read more>>

Ailin Malimowcka

For my whole life I’ve struggled with trying to fit. I’ve always felt bad for thinking, being, dressing or even doing things differently. With time, and specially after doing coaching sessions with my master Edgardo Caramella, I realized that that was what made me unique and I decided to embrace it. That’s what make my work special. Read more>>

Anna Storm

I feel like I’ve always been misunderstood because I’ve always been a little bit quirky and eccentric. When I was a kid and everyone was trying to fit in, I went against the grain and so all my peers thought I was weird. I remember in my preppy high school, I would constantly change my style a lot, and one phase I had was where I was “emo/scene.” Read more>>

Sydney Tyra

As a dance major at a top public university, UC Irvine, I am surrounded by colleagues pursuing majors such as biology, chemistry, math, computer science, and more. Many people who are unfamiliar with arts and dance especially would argue that these majors are far more useful than something like dance or theater. Read more>>

B. Elise

As a female colored LGBT artist being misunderstood is an understatement. Nevertheless a unique journey that I can say is building me more and more everyday. I am the triple NO NO NO. A woman, black and GAY!! Welcome to the world. Though it has its challenge. Read more>>

Ashiara Freeman

Being a creative is difficult sometimes when you experience being put into a box for the pleasure of the audience. I don’t believe that it’s intentional, but I had to learn that it’s okay to say no. Every creative opportunity does not need my yes. Especially, when I recognized what I desired my basis as creative to be. I had to learn not to get too attached to the outside perception of me as an artist to solely please, but still consider meaningful and genuine advice that would better push my creative perception.

Mitchell Hamlin

Yes, there have been many times when our work at Hamlin Welding has been misunderstood or mischaracterized. Some people may not fully grasp the extent of our skills and mistakenly categorize us as regular welders or a simple metalworking service. They might not realize the level of complexity and artistry involved in our projects! Read more>>

Phoenixx Smith

Being a Black Woman is empowering but also limiting by the world’s standards or assumed expectations. I have always been a Non Genre Artist and Songwriter. In theory you would believe being Multi – Faceted Artist or creative would open unlimited opportunities but as a Black Artists you’re limited to certain spaces and pushed out of mainstream arenas. Read more>>

Devin Reed

Being a sommelier isn’t always glamorous. Doing a wine inventory can be a nightmare. Breaking an expensive bottle can cost you your paycheck. And spilling wine on a guest might get you cursed out. There’s a ton of things that people don’t see. Read more>>

Scilence

I’ve always been misunderstood as an artist. often mischaracterized but that’s the normal nature of people, to judge you before they listen to your music. I remember a live performance I did at a venue about 1 year ago. The dj was very snappy and projected their bad mood on the artists backstage before the performance. Read more>>

Canaan Dewey

Embarking on a life adventure as an actor, designer, entrepreneur, and all-around creative, I’ve journeyed through many twists and turns. Growing up, my parents did a great job sheltering me from the harsh realities of microaggressions, latent homophobia, and racism. Read more>>

Kyle Anderson

It’s been 10+ years healing from A traumatic brain injury, no one took me seriously, when I said “Psychedelic heal”… and my past decade of work, working on a network show, to one day be taken serious, on my healing journey. And now I have manifested it all, as I get the opportunity to show off all my work at the largest psychedelic event “psychedelicscience.org”, , Read more>>