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.

Slideride Funk

Theres a lot of times me or the motive behind my work has been misunderstood n mischaracterized. With me Rapping about my Black Magick experiences, playing behind rap beats with my trombone, or me just having Dreadlocks and not keeping them retwisted have had people give me the side eye. But, I look at these as opinions which really doesn’t matter unless your spirit breaks. Hearing my song “Hoodoo Lady” people thought I just use my powers for bad and greed, but that’s not the case. I portray Protection Rituals which have people think I’m in the wrong. If you’re uneducated in that area, I can see why people have been misunderstood; but I gain benefits from it because it keeps the uneducated people away from me. Only thing I learned from those experiences is that your tribe will come to you, you don’t have to change your well being just because someone else isn’t familiar with it. It takes 2 Read more>>

Fredrick Hunter

Being misunderstood/ mischaracterized is something I’ve dealt with alot in my life as I’m sure so many have. It hit differently when I began to put myself out here as an actor, and I can say 5 years in and I still have barriers to break through with it. As an actor we ALL have unique journeys, highs and lows forsure. That being said there are times we can nail a role so well or have a specific look that put us in a box, (Meaning viewers, casting directors, producers, only see you one way) which they call type-cast. And I’m learning it is so hard to break from them shackles and to be seen as someone who can deliver in more than just that one role they see you fit in. Now im always thankful for every opportunity to display my art but the passion and competitive spirit I carry won’t allow me to ever stay boxed in, which I would offer that same mentality as my advice to any new actor trying to make their leap. Read more>>

Joanna Gerard

I only noticed this when I started doing media appearances, traveling and being hired for live shows. Prior to that, I had my clients in Florida for years, created my products-I was kind of in my own little world. Once you make a name for yourself and start getting a lot of attention, you become the recipient of a tremendous amount of jealousy. I learned a lot about human behavior over the past 16 years, and I learned a lot about myself. In the entertainment industry you really need to be a people pleaser. I found that I am not a people pleaser, nor do I want to be… haha. I’m very careful about who I take on as a client nowadays. I will protect my mental and spiritual health at all costs. It’s not all about the money to me, and I have no problem turning people away if I get a bad vibe from them. I’m always working on my next creative goal, so I never really have that “Trapped in a career” feeling. It’s all about authenticity and freedom. If they do misunderstand me, it just means I am not meant to know them-but I still wish them well. Read more>>

Casey Olivares

My music walks on a very fine line between Christian Hip-Hop and secular music. Because of this, it makes it challenging to categorize my genre of music. I want to make something very clear, I am a Christian, but I do not make Christian music. I just make music that tells my story and gives people the option of listening to good, clean music. In my opinion, most rap music is on one extreme or the other. The secular rap artists are rapping about s*x, drugs, and violence, and the Christian rappers are rapping “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”. While I respect what Christian artists are doing, that just isn’t the path I was called to. I was called to reach those who are lost and need a good alternative to secular rap. Read more>>

Araks Sargsyan

Yes, I’ve definitely experienced my work being misunderstood or mischaracterized. A significant part of this comes from the fact that I’ve created some religious-themed illustrations. Art touching on religious subjects can be sensitive, and when people aren’t educated enough in that field, they tend to misinterpret everything. I’ve even had people threaten me because they didn’t understand the meaning behind my work. Instead of seeing it as a reflection of thought and emotion, they jump to conclusions. It’s frustrating, but it’s also a reminder of how powerful art is—it stirs emotions, even if those emotions aren’t what I intended. Read more>>

Pobee Mwintombo

Performance Poetry is not something the people around me readily understands and accepts. When I was getting into that space, I was greatly misunderstood and mischaraterized. There were times when my family had to call me in to say so so and so has come to ask them if I was having a mental challenge and that is not, I should be asked to stop dressing the way I did and just be normal.  When I rehearsed my lines publicly, I was labelled a lunatic. At a point, some members of my extended family began to also agree that I was challenged mentally and instead of being bound at home in one place, my family allowed me to roam about freely causing shame to the name of the family. Years down the line, these same people speak of how proud they are of me. I’ve learnt that in any pursuit of man, there will be nay-sayers. But if we persist, it will always make the difference. Read more>>

Angela Larsen

When I was at the University of Washington in an Undergrad Visual Arts program, I took my first formal drawing course. At my mid-semester critique I was told that I wasn’t able to draw what I see, that instead everything was drawn through my mind. They suggested I take more classes and learn how to retrain my brain. I didn’t draw after that class for 4 years. I was never amazing at drawing but this stopped me in my tracks. I focused on things like fiber arts, printmaking, jewelry design.. and I avoided drawing. I didn’t draw until I returned back to the PNW from living in New York City. Read more>>

Charlesa Rice

I believe that my work may often be mischaracterized because I don’t present it traditionally. As a kid, I felt very misunderstood and judged and it wasn’t until I turned 22 this year that I fully stepped into my full being of self. I started my creative and entrepreneurial journey at 16 and recently added disc jockey to my jack of trades. Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t hard, but maintaining my creativity and mental health while trying to produce work is the hardest part of my life. I like to produce thoughtful material because I really feel like a piece of my heart goes into everything I make. I want to take my time and really pour my emotions into my art because I feel as though it’s the only way to express how I’m feeling at that given time, and it makes the experience more impactful for whoever is consuming my art. Read more>>