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.

Jamar Nicholas

One thing that has followed my career, is that somehow I’ve been the first to do several things. Discovering doors that weren’t there previously, I’ve opened and gone through several of them. This is usually kickstarted by simply finding a need for something and then creating a solution, or having the right key at the right moment. My motto for the last decade has been ‘Nothing is impossible’ and I move through the world believing that to be true. When you have that mindset, nothing is unrealistic! This is coupled with another affirmation I say to myself daily, to ‘Make things happen’. These two phrases have served me well over my career. Read more>>

Jacy Mairs

As an artist I’ve learned you need to back yourself even when you feel misunderstood. Everything is fake until it’s not, and the truth is the wheel of praise within society / the art world is so cyclical that the same things that will be judged in the beginning of your career will be celebrated in the end. Running a startup out of a garage may be scrutinized, but once you’re Google it will become your backstory. Cheap tactics and makeshift studios might be mocked, but when the world hears how Aerosmith used a sugar packet as a maraca for the beat of ‘Sweat Emotions’ they’ll wet themselves at the ingenuity. People will snicker at the short film you shot on your iPhone and simultaneously run to theaters to watch Sean Baker’s Tangerine. I guess what I’m saying is poppy syndrome is real but so is your art. At the end of the day you simply need to fight for what you believe in even when your path feels misunderstood. Read more>>

Ethan Walker Chase Pittman

Misunderstanding is an issue we tackle everyday. Whether it’s a misconception of what we do, or our expertise – we often have to explain ourselves. Starting a creative collective in the city as artists ourselves, people often have their own understanding of what that means – but we tend to do things a little differently. We started our company in our early 20s, and sometimes the older generation sees that as a red flag. The way we see it, art and expression has no age and is done best with an element of surprise. We work with a wide diversity of artists, genres, and mediums – and use our expertise to do it well every time.  Read more>>

Agostina Cerullo

Yes, absolutely. As an artist who has spent the past few years traveling and working across different places, I’ve often encountered assumptions about my life—like that I must come from wealth, have a trust fund, or endless resources. None of that is true. I grew up in a low-income family with three siblings, and since leaving home at 18, I’ve been financially independent. When I left for London, I had just £50, no job, and didn’t speak English, but I carried a suitcase full of dreams, courage, and the determination to figure it out. Read more>>