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.

Gina Zo

I often find that as a woman, I am misunderstood or mischaracterized. My most recent story comes from me performing a show where I was yelled by an audience member to take off my dress the moment I got on stage. The worst part of it all was that I was on the radio when this happened and could not confront the abusive behavior in a way I wanted to – so I bit my tongue for the moment and remained respectful. It’s hard to categorize exactly “why” this happens, but I honestly think that this happens because we teach men in this society that it is okay to cat-call women who may look “curvy” or “sexy” based on their body type or outfit to their audience. Read more>>

Katherine Mccrackin

The nature of being an openly disabled person means frequently being mischaracterized. Disabled people, and especially those with non-apparent or invisible disabilities, are often disbelieved. Whether it is doubt over whether someone actually needs a certain accommodation or even not being believed about having a disability, our claims and even being are regularly called into question. My own experience is no exception. Read more>>

Desiree Valdez

Working as a tarot card reader, I discovered very early on that most folks have an idea in their minds about what a tarot card reader is and what they do. They picture a woman in bohemian-flowy skirts who is part of a carnival midway, plying their craft to folks in the vaguest way possible and scamming clients left and right. Or maybe they have encountered a card reader at an event or party and were initially impressed with their reading, but in retrospect felt like the reading could have been for anyone. These two examples, along with other ideas and experiences folks have had with tarot readings color the way I am perceived and what insights I can provide my clients when I give them a card reading. In fact, a lot of these negative experiences prevent clients from taking the leap to purchase a reading from me in the first place. Read more>>

Noir

Sometimes I feel like my music gets misunderstood. Like, people might think a song like “Broken Home” is just about heartbreak, but it’s really about deeper stuff, like finding yourself or dealing with family struggles. But honestly, I’ve learned that once I release a song, it’s not just mine anymore it’s for everyone to take however they want. My music is meant to connect with people in their own way. Even if someone interprets it differently than I intended, that’s cool because it still means something to them. That’s the beauty of music it’s personal for everyone. So now, I just try to focus on telling my story and letting people make it their own. Read more>>

Vanessa F. Garcia

Ever since I was little, I have always felt the need to prove myself as being “normal” amongst my peers, not knowing that being “different” was actually my hidden super power.

Growing up as a first-generation college student and coming from a low-income minority household, I always felt like the misunderstood/mischaracterized outcast by my peers. Some of my friends accepted me at face value, while others bullied or even pushed me around for being different. I honestly think it was because I was always naturally curious about the world around me and would always analyze everything in-depth. I never liked to rule out an idea or an experience. I figured that life was my oyster; I wanted to learn more about myself on a deeper level. Read more>>

Whitney Blake Myrick

I can think of several examples of being misunderstood or mischaracterized – my religious beliefs, my political leanings, whether I want to have children, my level of education. With music, I think the biggest misunderstandings would be my goals and my genre.

I have pushed back against being classified as a country artist because I don’t think it’s an authentic way to describe myself. As my music evolves though, I see it crossing over multiple genres, including country. Read more>>

Stefania Salles Bruins

Throughout my life I’ve felt misunderstood for being an artist and a lawyer. It’s as if society insists: pick one label, or risk being seen as a contradiction. The legal community often perceives art as a hobby even when it is someone’s full-time work; and from many artists’ perspective lawyers are discredited when pursuing the arts for not being “all-in”. Or at least, that’s been my experience. Read more>>

Matt Haley

Most people seem to think comic book art is solely related to the old BATMAN Tv show from 1966. Even in the age of Marvel movies, potential clients and partners will still immediately react with the notion that my art will be silly and full of “BAM! POW!” sound effects! So, once they’ve understood that comics are really just about telling a compelling story with pictures, and they get that the pictures can be in any style… they see the efficacy of working with me and their campaigns always succeed beyond their wildest dreams! Read more>>

Nick Brutto

Art is one subject that is up for interpretation most of the time regardless of the intentions of the artist. Thus the conundrum of you and your work being misunderstood is ever present in the art community. In my own case, there have been instances in which I have had people characterize my work as derivative and one dimensional for utilizing repeated geometric shapes regardless of their meaning. In most cases this was due to someone’s first impression rather than a viewer who has read a statement about the work and worked to understand the intent. The main takeaway for me in instances like this is that you can try as hard as possible to convey a meaning and the viewer will still create their own meaning. The important thing is to create work that you believe in because you are the only person who can create your work. Read more>>

Halem Albright

Yes, all the time. Occasionally, somebody will tell me the meaning of one of the songs I’ve written/when I might feel completely different about it. For instance, I don’t see too many of my songs as hopeful or sweet(lyrically, at least)…yet some see that in a few of them. Of course I don’t see it as wrong or anything/to view it differently from the person that wrote it, as there shouldn’t only be one interpretation…the meaning of a work is going to vary/depending on who you ask. But it’s a funny thing to hear if told confidently, as opposed to being discussed or asked about. Another example is when someone tells me that I have an evident influence from a certain artist, but it’s an artist I’ve never heard before(or that I might not be a particular fan of). Once again…all you can do is laugh about it, because even artists you don’t love can influence you. Read more>>