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.

Misha Metelkov

I feel like it definitely was misunderstood back at home in Russia, or not even misunderstood, but under appreciated, which led me to change my surroundings and move to LA, where I have like minded people around me. I always knew what I could bring to the table and believed in my craft. That’s what made me just spend nights alone at the dance studio, practicing and developing different dances, and just ideas in general. Read more>>

Mykey Stone

As a model with disabilities, I encounter numerous challenges. Time constraints, due to my dialysis schedule, often limit my availability for last-minute bookings. The modeling industry’s fast-paced nature requires flexibility, which can be complicated by my health needs. Clients and agents seek reassurance about models’ open schedules, but my thrice-weekly, four-hour dialysis sessions can create conflicts. As I am Located outside fashion hubs like NYC, Atlanta, or LA, I face misconceptions about my capabilities. Industry professionals sometimes prioritize bookings over models’ health and well-being, assuming I’m incapable of performing due to my disability. Read more>>

Jami Starling

Drag kings in particular are often underrepresented in media and local scenes. I’m grateful there’s more king representation in Pittsburgh because it wasn’t always like this. And it keeps getting better! Support your kings!! Once I started incorporating burlesque into my skillset, I felt some pressure to perform only as a king, or only perform as a very feminine burlesque performer. I recently competed in Mx Mom’s Basement, a weekly open-stage challenge at Ptown, where I gave myself the freedom to present and perform however felt right for the challenge that week. I did both drag and burlesque separately and. I blended them together for a few acts. All I really needed to do was give myself permission to express myself however felt right. Jami Starling is a gender-nonconforming entertainer with a background in Rocky Horror shadowcasting, drag, and burlesque. And I haven’t looked back since! Read more>>

Joshua Poole (j.poole)

The road hasn’t been smooth, especially with the name “Make It Nasty.” I never believed it would be easy to convince people that a name with a derogative meaning can also have a positive influence on others. Just like an idiom, taking something negative and turning it into something positive has been my goal since the first moment I spoke the words “Make It Nasty. “In the beginning, many people took the phrase as a joke or something that has only been seen as a negative, but over time, just like a culture, it begins to grow. Over the years, many people told me I should change my name and make it more professional, but “Make It Nasty” is more than a phrase; it’s a lifestyle. My entire life, I’ve had to earn what I got. It wasn’t handed to me; it didn’t fall out of the air, and my parents didn’t give it to me on a silver platter. I worked hard, gave it my all, determined to achieve it, and mastered it. This is what “Make It Nasty” is all about: giving it your all, knowing the struggle, and overcoming the struggle. Read more>>

Olivia Chapman

Yes, my ideas have been misunderstood, especially while getting my degree. My art professors didn’t understand my vision, and in fairness I think I may not have had the confidence needed and the ability to express that vision. Still, I wish they had trusted me and were better at wanting to understand and help me create what was in my head. While getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in painting & drawing, I was able to choose to do a research project where I could create my own thesis and paint a body of work surrounding an artist statement. My original artist statement was about creating female figurative paintings that carried narrative symbolism relating to faith. I wanted to pull in references from art history, but the professor that served as my advisor on this project saw no value in “imagination.” The myths I wanted to reference seemed trivial to him, and he suggested I pull more from my own life.  Read more>>

Raja Jalernpan

There is often a misconception about the level of commitment required, especially for a nonprofit theater. Many people are unaware of the time and effort involved. At HWTC, everyone who contributes does so as a volunteer—no one is compensated. In addition to their volunteer time with the theater, all volunteers maintain full-time jobs. Our executive board meets monthly to manage paperwork, address conflicts, and ensure smooth operations. Similarly, our general board convenes regularly to uphold fairness in decision-making and adherence to our bylaws. For each production, the cast and production teams often rehearse up to four days a week, all while balancing their regular day-to-day commitments. These rehearsals do not include time to build the sets, costumes, and tech week ending with performances. Read more>>

Denise Demby

I think as an artist there seems to be this perception that we are always living in some state of euphoria and its super fun all the time. All things considered , being blessed with the ability to understand so many profound things in the arts is always a fulfilling situation but it is also really hard work. It takes a great deal of practice and a lot of strength to be open to reactions to the work, criticism as well as the additional effort for self marketing in our changing digital world. Artists negotiate a lot to pursue their passion especially with loved ones and relationships and the age old problem of affording the materials for work that may or may not sell right away. It is quite common for almost of all of us to ask ourselves “Why am I doing this”. Read more>>

Asandra

I was living in New York in the 1980’s, where I grew up, when I began my art career. It was made known to me by professionals in the fine art world, never to discuss the work I had begun to do as a full-trance Channel for Spirit Guidance. This spiritual path opened for me very quickly and I was able to leave my full-time job as an Art Director for an art market magazine. Despite this success, I would approach art galleries without ever mentioning the element of my work that is the primary source of inspiration. It was my understanding that to be accepted in the upper echelon of the art market, I needed to fit in. Read more>>

Victoria Ester Orantes

Yes, sometimes my paintings get mischaracterized for being “too dark”. Though there are some somber aspects, to categorize my work wholly as “too dark” is inaccurate especially because the ongoing theme in my work is to always seek the light despite the darkness (as nature does). This becomes evident when the accompanying poems of the painting are read. Read more>>

Adriel Hortiales

Absolutely, there was a time when my work was misunderstood. I was part of a team working on a major project, and I was responsible for data analysis. Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, my findings were interpreted incorrectly by the project manager. They believed the data suggested a different trend than what I had actually identified. This led to a series of decisions that were not aligned with the true insights of the data. When I realized the misunderstanding, I scheduled a meeting to clarify my analysis and presented the data again, ensuring that my explanations were clear and backed up by visual aids. This experience taught me the importance of clear communication and the need to verify that everyone is on the same page. It also highlighted the value of follow-up meetings to ensure that key information is accurately understood by all stakeholders. Read more>>

Hang Doan

So much of my work is on social media and I feel online platforms have commodified artist’s work into content, everything we create must be done quickly as content. I resist that idea but know I have to make content to get my work where I need to go, but then it leads me to be boxed into the term “influencer”. I don’t think that’s a bad term on it’s own, but it’s gained a negative reputation for the superficial nature of social media encouraging being inauthentic for a greater profit margin. That just doesn’t speak to me, but I feel others in my video class or media industry know I’m in the social media niche and immediately write me off as superficial as well. It’s so far from my truth, I put so much time and care into forming relationships with business and I’ll choose to form a friendship even if it makes me no money because it gives me more intrinsic motivation. There’s so much more to me than just being a social media account, I am an ARTIST. Read more>>

Jasmine Young

Honestly, I’ve been misunderstood my entire life. So with my work of being a comedian and content creator. People don’t like the truth. It’s always going to be misconstrued. However, I had to learn at such a young age that. I remember being a kid and having not only kids but, adults trying to silence me. Or people I was friends with always wanted me to act “normal “ and don’t ruffle any feathers. Living authentically and living out your truth. It just makes people uncomfortable. It’s too real and in you’re face. I always thought outside the box and ask the questions that people were too afraid too. Say the things were to scared to say out loud. So my insights were many people who aren’t ready to face who they really are to be because, they’re afraid to be judged. I took from the experience that I’m just a person who has a strong spirit and people love to put their insecurities onto you, and it’s not your job to please everybody. Read more>>

Jami Starling

Drag kings in particular are often underrepresented in media and local scenes. I’m grateful there’s more king representation in Pittsburgh because it wasn’t always like this. And it keeps getting better! Support your kings!! Once I started incorporating burlesque into my skillset, I felt some pressure to perform only as a king, or only perform as a very feminine burlesque performer. I recently competed in Mx Mom’s Basement, a weekly open-stage challenge at Ptown, where I gave myself the freedom to present and perform however felt right for the challenge that week. I did both drag and burlesque separately and. I blended them together for a few acts. All I really needed to do was give myself permission to express myself however felt right. Jami Starling is a gender-nonconforming entertainer with a background in Rocky Horror shadowcasting, drag, and burlesque. And I haven’t looked back since!

Leonard Assante

In some ways, that’s the story of my life! I, and many others get put in little boxes by virtue of our profession or other defining characteristic. He’s a college professor, he must be a liberal. He’s a Democrat, he must be for increased taxes. He has a political radio show, he must be an extremist. All those have been applied to me. But, I’m fairly moderate in some aspects, I’ve opposed tax increases, and I strongly belief in effective, representative government more than any strident ideology. Of course, those misperceptions do help the ratings. People are attracted to interesting stories. A little extremism certainly makes for interesting radio. But in real life, I think I’m pretty boring. I just choose to use my voice and not stay silent. Many cultures value the power of silence. But, in the case of advocacy, silence never works. For better or worse, loud voices get heard. Mine is amplified by the power of radio. Read more>>

Olessi Nar

Occasionally my work is misunderstood or mischaracterized due to my age and appearance. As a young female artist, there is an assumption that it must lack depth or intellectual rigor. The stereotype that certain looks correlate with superficiality, combined with a pervasive cultural expectation of a suffering artist, has led to my work sometimes being dismissed as merely decorative. This has deepened my understanding of how societal biases can obscure more complex readings of art, particularly when they diverge from established ideals. It has also reinforced my commitment to disappointing the usual expectations and inspiring new ones. Read more>>

Keezy Thee Unkind

I think from an artist standpoint I’m very vulnerable but when people meet me or get to know me they think I’m aloof or reserved. I have a hard time trusting and opening to people, especially if they not coming where I’m from or doing the things that I’m doing. What ive learned is it’s okay to be a little “easier on the eyes” & realize not everyone is out there to get me. Sometimes a genuine connection can take you farther than anything else can. Read more>>