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 Pope

I feel I am misunderstood alot. I am really big on energy and at the moment I feel someone’s vibe or energy is weird, I remove myself quietly. Life is already challenging enough, so I want to enjoy the rest of my life protecting my peace and doing what makes my heart smile. Read more>>

Veronica Farren

Art is subjective so it can’t really be misunderstood. I don’t think I’ve done a single photoshoot where I looked like myself, which is basically the goal. That’s why they call it posing! And of course no one should understand much about me personally based on what I read from a script. If a sad poem makes someone laugh, more joy to the world! Read more>>

Kennedy McClain

At times, it feels almost dissonant to label myself as a model. Yet, that’s undeniably part of who I am. There was a period when I was deeply immersed in modeling, frequently working and creatively directing shoots to keep the momentum going. However, as I’ve grown older, my responsibilities have expanded, and life has unfolded in unexpected ways. The pandemic hit, I returned to school at FIDM to pursue a more specialized creative degree, and eventually, I began turning down shooting job and I lost some of the initial passion for shooting partly due to imposter syndrome. Read more>> 

Bruna Marcon Weber

I was mischaracterized not in terms of my occupation but as a woman. I’m an artist, and photography is the primary medium I use. I also get photography commissions. ¨Can I take a photo of both of you?¨, I asked them while doing my job for a foreign company. They were the CEO and another high-level executive – the people I was supposed to photograph most on the occasion. Read more>>

DaVeon Parks

Yes, in multiple senses, I feel as if I have been misunderstood. As a child growing up in a very church-going household, it was very hard for me to be myself at all times. It really hit home for me when my own elders would question my sexuality at such a young age because I could dance, loved fashion, and always hung around the females of the family. Read more>>

Blake Elliott Hill

Every single day. I’ve heard more rumors about myself than I care to mention, and I’ve lost my patience with explaining myself to people who don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. I started going by blakedamnsure instead of my legal name when it comes to music, and that happened after people used my previous band’s social media as a platform to discuss a break up with a woman I was engaged to. Read more>>

Socorro Kenoly

It is inevitable that at any time, a person- especially a woman, will be demonized for their sexuality being displayed in any way. I have been called a whore, a jezebel, even told I have no self worth… all because I may show some skin or am comfortable discussing/“selling” sex. The topic is subjective. What one deems as degenerative, others find empowering. I have learned to take things with a grain of salt. People are projectors. Read more>>

Spider GeMo

Honestly, every time I breathe, I feel like I misunderstood. Whether it’s the way I wear my cosplays, how I do my makeup, or even if I decide I want to wear a fully clothed outfit! It doesn’t stop me (for long at least), but it’s life. One time I was cosplaying Liberated Raven from Teen Titans (when her outfit & eyes are all white) & a had multiple people ask me if I was cosplaying Storm from X-Men. Read more>>

Jada Tuffin

For all of my life up until last May I’ve been a practicing creative as well as a highly competitive athlete. Depending on which version of me people are accompanied to, I’ve experienced unfair assumptions and stereotypes. For example, I’ve had coaches make fun of me and doubt my dedication or grit as an athlete because they saw my paintings. In either field, but mostly as a competitive athlete, people have unfairly assumed that because I participate it multiple sectors of interest I am incapable of holding the proper passion and dedication in any singular sector to succeed at a high level. Read more>>

Sydney Koele

In the tattoo industry, fine line tattoos were often thought of as impossible. These opinions often stemmed from the difficulty in getting a tattoo so small and the issues that often occurred while fine line pieces are fully healed. I have worked with numerous Clie its that have shared previous experiences with me, of artists saying, “it’s not possible to go any smaller”. Although that might be true for that specific artist, that does not mean it is impossible to another. Read more>>

Allison Stieger

I’m a professional mythologist. While most people can figure out what a “mythologist” is generally, it does seem to be a difficult job for many folks to wrap their head around in practical terms. I usually end up explaining that being a mythologist means that I share wisdom and inspiration for how to live a better life through understanding mythology, and I do that by writing, speaking, and teaching. Read more>>

Farrah Hassoun

I was about 12 years old, when I first knew I wanted to be a makeup artist. I was never a kid who had a lot of friends or fit in. I actually had no friends in my junior year of highschool. I would remember being at school and feeling so awful with myself and left out. The moment I got home I picked up my makeup brush and let my creativity fly. Makeup never made me feel left out. Makeup was my bestfriend. The way it sounded was so far away. Read more>>