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.

Giothaagoatt

I often feel misunderstood and mischaracterized because people see you on a TV screen and they assume that im a mean person or that I wanna fight and that is not the case. I am one of the most friendly, loving, caring and kind people you will ever meet. I love love. I’m such a lover and not a fighter, but unfortunately, people will not. Let me live up moments when I was young and misguided, and then the second time when I lost my mother due to cancer on reality TV and the whole world judged me instead of trying to empathize with me and what I was going through it hurt and because of that I was really depressed for a long time and never spoke to anybody about it until I decided to get my self out of my ownhole of darkness and that lasted for almost an entire year Read more>>

Ava Yassu

When I moved out to LA, I signed up to do some modeling for fun for the experience. I really enjoyed it but when people from my hometown saw it they started treating me differently and trying to be my friend. Growing up I wasn’t super popular and didn’t have a lot of friends and got picked on a fair amount so I thought the switch up on their parts was crazy because people started to assume I was a whole different person just because I did some cool things. At first I didn’t realize it had to do with me modeling but when I started messaging with these people it became apparent that they were only messaging me because they thought I could get them into modeling or just because they thought I was “cool” now to be friends with. Read more>>

Chris George

There have been many misunderstandings and/or misconceptions about Brown Ballerinas for Change and its mission. It’s important to clarify that our organization is rooted in promoting diversity, inclusivity, and positive change within the world of ballet and beyond. From the moment that the image of co-founders, Kennedy George and Ava Holloway in pointe shoes with fists held in the air in front of the Robert E. Lee monument went virtual there sparked significant backlash and negative commentary. Both girls, who were only 14 years old at the time were called Black supremacists that were promoting hate, condoning lawlessness, and teaching youth to hate law enforcement officers. People complained as if they defaced the monument, said that they “bastardized the art of ballet,” and some think that all we did as an organization was perform. Luckily, we received an overwhelming outpouring of support, both nationally and internationally. They were offered numerous platforms to speak, present, and perform, using these opportunities to educate others on the importance of empowering youth to use their gifts to drive change. That image became a powerful symbol of strength, hope, and representation—not only in the world of dance, but in society as a whole. Read more>>

Aziz Olivine

It’s funny because I think the reason I even gravitated toward being an artist in the first place is that I’ve always felt misunderstood. Growing up in a Muslim household as the queer oddball child, I tried to stay out of trouble, but my dad’s strict, traditional views of Islam followed me everywhere. I longed for a safe space to express myself freely, which led me to the online world where I could be anyone I wanted without repercussions. I remember so many instances where my dad would shame me for brushing my sisters’ hair or hanging out with girls, as it was seen as too feminine. That made me feel trapped and added a layer of censorship to my personality that I’m still healing from today. I’m slowly allowing myself to be authentic, regardless of who’s watching. Read more>>

Yannie

As an artist, there is no separation between me and my work. It is the beautiful and costly blessing we get to carry. Therefore if I’m misunderstood, so is my work. I’d like to think that things are changing for the better, but I still experience sexism as a woman band leader in 2024. I feel it’s human nature to want to put people in boxes; categorize them in ways that are familiar to you so it feels safer, or more comfortable. So it’s taking time for people to understand my musicality; and in someways, it’s supposed to. But I think a lot of men feel threatened by a woman, doing it the way I do. and it’s not some convoluted thing, it’s real-life experiences I’ve had. One half of my heritage is Belizean, a small but mighty country rich in culture and history. And I love repping my culture by incorporating Punta beats into my songs, and mixing it with R&B/Pop. But I also enjoy experimenting and letting the music go where it wants to. Surrendering to the music has taught me that my art is bigger than me, or any genre I think I want to be a part of. Or how others perceive me. I hope that doesn’t come off pretentious, but rather the opposite. The time is now for us to live as truthfully and unapologetically as we can. Who am I to shut myself off to exploring certain sounds, in order to reach quicker success? I believe the people who get it, will get it. Read more>>

Keiona Josey

I think my music and work are the only places where I am actually understood and fully listened to as an artist and person, and I believe that’s why I love it so much. It provides a platform where people are actively choosing to, and expecting to, stand still and lend me their attention. Where I feel misunderstood is as a person. Then again, I feel I can’t fully be understood unless I allow myself to be known. I struggle with the idea of being raw, open, and bleeding as a person. Which feels like insanity because I am exactly that person on stage. However, as a person… it’s truly a crippling thing for me. Maybe it’s the fact that people will actually see me bleeding. Maybe it’s the fact that I won’t be able to hide anymore once I fully stand in my truth. Or maybe I just feel like people can be cruel, and they’ll judge me for being human.  Read more>>

Dèjah B

I have always been the ‘black sheep’ of any group because I ask the questions people fear. I question reality. I question people’s beliefs. I seek balance. I seek the truth, despite how painful it can be. I challenge people to think for themselves and to move through life with authenticity and with courage. I’ve been faced with a lot of adversity for this. People would label me as opinionated, rude, etc. I adopted these external projections as my own, which led to a lot of self-loathing. 76 Read more>>

Marina Massanova

What could be riskier than choosing a music career when you already have a degree in psychology? Madness fits me like a glove, and that was the first major misunderstanding I encountered with society. From the very beginning, it was a wild path. Being seen through others’ eyes is always a gamble. That’s why I believe being misunderstood is something all human beings experience constantly. Every person views us through the lens of their own traumas, experiences, and current mood. Whether they’ve had a nice lunch or are craving a donut can influence how they see us. So, I doubt I’ve ever been fully understood as I truly am. But I actually find that very artistic and beautiful. The same thing can have a million interpretations depending on who is looking. Read more>>

Mickey Patrice Schmidt

I have Autism and OCD (among other things) so the idea of being misunderstood has always been a huge fear of mine. However, I make a lot of abstract and nonrepresentational work and in that realm of working comes a lot of mischaracterisation. I think it has gotten easier over time for me to be okay with being “misunderstood”. As I create more works and delve further into the art world, I have become used to being misunderstood. Not to say that my work is often misaligned but moreso that every person is going to take something different from my work and I had to learn to accept that as a truth of life. Read more>>