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.

Michael Rishawn

I think I’m still feeling undertones of this as I’m building my career. Recently, I closed out a very successful Off-Broadway play (Table 17) by Douglas Lyons in New York City. The world premiere follows a pair of exes with unfinished business and is a sweet open letter to love found, lost, and possibly reignited. It starred Tony award winner Kara Young, Biko Eisen-Martin, and myself. A well known casting director asked to take a meeting based off my work, and while we were talking, they mentioned “how unique I was as the third wheel. That they had to check the program to confirm that, yes, there were only three actors in this show. That I was the perfect go-between of a leading man and character actor…which is a blessing and a curse.” The comment struck me, because I’m not one who likes being put into a box (of any kind). In short, I played three different people in the play (one of which is apart of the love triangle). To do that in 90 minutes was a gift because it allowed me to transform and show my range. But ‘leading man’ and/or ‘character actor’ aside, I see myself as just an actor.  Read more>>

Daniel “pure” Sandell

I’ve been misunderstood so many times and over the course of many years. As an R&B, soul, hiphop-producer, artist & DJ based in Sweden I was most definately in the wrong environment for what I was doing. Especially because of what level I wanted to take my career to. The market for it is just so limited. My style of music has always been heavily inspired and impacted by the sound I fell in love with as a teenager – American hiphop, soul, funk & R&B – but the Swedish culture and music scene is simply not about that at all. I always knew deep down that I was great at what I do, but I was mostly met with an energy of people not really getting it. I didn’t feel truly seen as the musician I really am, because most people around me just wasn’t living that culture like I did. And I’m telling you, over time that will really take its toll on your spirit. Read more>>

Tracy Kennedy

Years ago, handmade crafts often got a bit of a bad reputation—like it was something of lower quality or something anyone could make. I think that perspective missed the point of the craftsmanship and artistry behind creating something by hand. I remember mentioning I was a jewelry designer, and occasionally someone would respond with, “Oh, I’ve made jewelry with my kids,” quickly dismissing it as more of a hobby than art or a business. But over time, I realized it wasn’t just about their preconceived notions—it was also how I was presenting myself and my work. I’d describe myself simply as a “maker,” rather than embracing my roles as an artist, a designer, and a business owner. That experience taught me to really lean into my creativity, my eye for design, and to own the confidence I have in my work and my business. The best part is that it translates to the women who wear my jewelry – they exclude confidence and strength in the Rustic Gem Jewelry they wear. Read more>>

Loretta Oberheim

When I first began creating my art, I faced some misunderstandings about my style and process. Many people told me they didn’t grasp what I was doing and described my work as ‘weird’ because it was sculptural yet not traditional sculpture. This feedback was challenging, especially since I came from a background in textile and rug design, which influenced my approach to adding tactile elements to my pieces. Initially, the abstract nature of my work, combined with the use of different mediums to create three-dimensional paintings, made it difficult for some viewers to connect with my vision. They expected something more conventional, and my departure from traditional forms led to confusion. Read more>>

Graham Albright

I feel as if the role that cried out to me in my first creative moments in music as a songwriter is often misunderstood or mischaracterized. There can be a lot to deduce from a few short stanzas or a simple rhyme scheme. That’s the practical beauty in the words we share in prose (who they touch, no one knows). It’s almost the point, but to say it is the point would defeat the purpose in writing new words on documented or revisited feelings. Like a Je ne sais quoi or avant garde we as writers and listeners experience that is constantly redefined by our experiences, relationships, moods and surroundings. There have been countless moments I’ve finished a set – namely solo sets. That’s where people really see your verbal heart on your sleeve. Not much to hide behind other than a single instrument and the timbre of your own voice and diction – where people have approached me with tall claims as to what other artist I sound like, an endearing reflection of what image came to mind with a certain lyric, etc. Hell, I’ve been called “Punk Zappa” at times early on in my career. Read more>>

Hefty Lefty Yungface

Both of us being artists we have felt that we’ve always had a place to give understanding to the misunderstood. Our lives have been a canvas to show people how to grow stronger from mental health issues and give the voiceless a voice to express themselves and connect to our message. Both of us come from two completely different backgrounds so we mold different struggles and successes to make the best music possible. People jump to conclusions about our roles and message without listening to our craft. We want people to understand that if you’re different it’s ok for everyone to accept that. Read more>>

Jonathan Tafoya

To this day I sometimes get the pre judgment of an intimidating and mean guy because of my bigger size and the fact that I’m tattooed. . Many times I hear, “you were so much nicer and friendlier than I was imagining.” It goes to show don’t judge a book by its cover and give people a chance to prove themselves. Hopefully this advice will be contagious because something as simple as this could help our society as a whole. Read more>>

Laura Alyn

Being in academia, it was difficult for me to open up as a spiritualist and astrologer in the publishing world. I struggled so much to publish my spiritual work that my first book is titled: “All About Sex”, to position my work as unconventional. My debut novel, “Monterai: Passage Through Water,” follows Rainna Villaseca as she embarks on a journey to return home to Monterai after getting trapped in a dark, mysterious world by exploring her inner self, communicating with nature, and traveling through portals, all while navigating the complexities of a love triangle. Read more>>

The 143

Society looks at graffiti artist as criminals, low lives in other words, frowned upon. Being labeled as a graffiti artist and also doing legal mural work has its ups and downs. Some if not all of the graff community don’t really respect your legal work. That’s cause graffiti is considered to be “no permission” When I first started doing commissioned walls, I’ve had a few people reject my work due to my only artwork portfolio at the time was graffiti on the streets of NYC. As I got older and did more legal walls I learned to keep graffiti and my professional artwork separate. It’s still a learning process and I enjoy it. Read more>>

Jaziah Simmons

I always felt I was misunderstood a lot by my family and my surroundings at school because I started my journey with dance in high school. I always felt looked down on a lot because I was doing something people didn’t expect to see me doing because I grew up as a rebellious kid. I was always getting into trouble at school and outside of school growing up. Dance became a transformative outlet for me and it helped me stay out of trouble, as well as showcase more of myself in a better light. I was really a introvert during that time and kept my circle small or tried to find people that enjoyed doing the same stuff I was doing. Finding a supportive community made a big difference in my dance and personal life. Read more>>