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.

Christina Munny

I genuinely feel that my interests were mischaracterized as a child and young adult, which has led me to be a more observant, empathetic, and thrifty creator. I think this has also predisposed me to being hyper self-critical and unsure of myself, which has been something to grow through. To make the story more plain, I had a lot of out-there ideas as to what I wanted to be when I grew up and I would deep-dive on the ideas of tattoo artists, illusionists, ventriloquists, etc. in my early years, much to the dismay of my guidance counselors, grandparents, and other adults in my life. I want to give a shout-out to my mom here because, along with a handful of my teachers throughout the years, she was the main person telling me, “You can be anything you want to be, just work hard to get it,” and that messaging is all it took to float my belief in finding the perfect “fit” for my weird personality all the way through my early twenties. Read more>>

Finn Benham

As someone who believes strongly that art should cause discomfort or disruption, it’s frequently assumed that I make art purely for the sake of being “different” or “weird.” Those are both words that I’ve heard used to describe both my writing and my visual and musical works. The truth is, kind of, yes. I love “weird,” I even love the word “weird,” but I make things because they make me feel things. Weird things make me feel things. I do the work I do because it makes me incredibly euphoric. Read more>>

Kefas Brand

As a public figure, I’ve encountered my fair share of misconceptions and mischaracterizations. One of the most common issues I face is people confusing my on-screen persona with my real-life personality. They assume that I’m identical to the characters I portray, which can lead to some pretty interesting – and sometimes frustrating – situations. Read more>>

Adam Kiss

I feel that most great artists are misunderstood. We often hear the term: “misunderstood genius”. For example, a lot of great writers, painters and musicians were appreciated after their time but not while they were alive. Maybe the same will be said of me—and if it is that’s ok, because I don’t create art for recognition or to impress other people. Art is very subjective and it is opinion based. That’s why it’s impossible to fairly judge it, and why awards shows are so controversial. At the end of the day there is no such a thing as a best movie or best actor. Read more>>

Dashka-rheyna Charlemagne

My work as a street artist has often been poorly received by critics because I have a different style from other street artists and because I am a woman. My graphic and conceptual style is different from the hyper-realistic style of other artists. What’s more, my painting is very personal. I talk about what’s bothering me, but it’s not easy to understand all the dimensions of what I’m trying to say. It’s hard to express myself, and because of that, it’s hard to understand my subjects. That’s why I’ve learned to dig deep within myself to find my feelings, to get to know them, and to become familiar with the different layers of the person I am. I tell myself that even if others don’t understand, I owe it to myself to understand who I am and what’s inside of me. Read more>>

Danny Shot

Being a writer/poet is a weird calling. The vast majority of us feel underappreciated no matter how much or little recognition we receive. There’s also something that my friend Jennifer Blowdryer refers to as The Bitters. I’ve been doing this a long time, but fighting the bitters is a battle I wage with relish. I live in New Jersey, right across the river from Manhattan, but New York poets consider me a “Jersey Poet.” I write poetry and prose, so a common critique is that my poetry is simply prose with line breaks, and conversely, that my stories are very “poetic” which is not always meant as a compliment. Read more>>

Talasia Gordon

I think what I do in general is easily misunderstood because nobody has ever really seen it before. It makes me an easy target for criticism and opinions because some people simply don’t understand it. My goal is not letting that deter me from what I’m called to do. I understand that the topic of how I was raised, what I’ve been through and how it brought me to where I am now is always gonna be something that I need to answer for those who don’t comprehend my style of music, artistry and the type of creativity that I bring to the gospel genre. I believe that when people can’t put you in a box they will automatically try to tell you that you’re not doing things right. But even in that, I believe in remaining true to yourself for many reasons because this is who God created you to be and God doesn’t make any mistakes. Also, on a business level, when you are or have a product that there isn’t a lot of, you can create a demand for yourself even if there’s no lane for you prior. Read more>>

Frank Smith

My work exists in this world, so it has absolutely been subject to mischaracterization and misunderstanding! Open to It is a comedy series about love and open relationships. We are fortunate to have achieved global distribution with the show. On the Polish streaming service’s website, viewers are allowed to comment on the episodes. One comment we received was, and I’m relying on Google Translate here, was: “This is trash! You know what you should watch? This drama about two gay men who fall in love during World War II, before both are killed.”Read more>>

Jayden King

My whole creative career, people have pushed me into a box. Notably, when starting making music, being labeled as a “SoundCloud rapper” was my kryptonite. I’ve always strived to make more than just rap music. Of course I’m inspired by rap, and that’s what I make predominantly, but I also grew up on David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Oingo Boingo, and so many other vastly different artists and genres. I think what allowed me to break out of the box was just making what made me happy. If that meant making a rap song, then writing an RnB song, then experimenting with country music. Not ALLOWING myself to be boxed in was ultimately what allowed me to break the mold I was placed In. Read more>>