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.

Ap Thomson

Last year I wrote a song about pacific salmon going home to spawn and then die. I was pretty proud of this song but when I sent it to my best friend she low-key hated it bc she interpreted it as being about someone who was sad because they weren’t getting laid. No no, I said, the salmon are sad because they ARE getting laid (and are thus at the end of their lifespan). The main insight I got from this is if you’re gonna write a song about pacific salmon reproductive habits you always gotta give a mini-lecture on pacific salmon reproductive habits prior to performing this song. Turns out it goes down great with an audience when I do that. Read more>>

Mizz Weird

I am often told I am personable, energetic, a people-person with an onstage presence. The truth of the matter is I am quite shy, quiet, the girl next door type with a bundle full of pent up trauma-related issues. That’s what drives the lyrics to our music. The lyrics are my therapy, my way of expressing myself without getting judgement or sharing anything too personal. Read more>>

Lydia Yang

A lot of people misunderstand me from the inside out or vice versa. They either judge me from the outside in or they get to know me first before judging me, either way, a judgement is still occurred. A lot of people see my hair and my tattoos and think I’m a bad person. I’m not a bad person. I’d say I’m just a unique individual. I grew up in a Christian household being a black sheep but ended up being the golden child with my accomplishments in my communities and within my life. Going to church, there was always a mold where I thought I had to be good enough and act like other people. It’s the same concept everywhere though, in any industry and in any place you’ll go. You stand out by being yourself. Just be yourself because eventually if you act like everybody else, you’ll be boring and you’ll feel burnt out trying to be like everyone. Read more>>

Jeremy Harvey

I was born three months premature, weighing only two and a half pounds at brith. Because my lugs were not fully developed, I needed supplemental oxygen. As a consequence of the extra oxygen supplied, under-developed blood vessels in my brain and eyes ruptured, leaving me with a neuromuscular condition called Cerebral Palsy, and near-blindness. When I was two years old, my parents took me to a doctor for an evaluation. Part of this evaluation involved verbally identifying objects depicted on flash cards. One of the cards showed a red, round car that looked just like our family’s VW bug that we owned at the time. Read more>>

Heather Norton

I started out my professional life in traditional careers. I went to graduate school for high energy theoretical physics, and worked in the field for a few years before going to law school. I practiced law for more than 15 years before embarking on my current path. Read more>>

Logan Bloom

I face a lot of adversity on social media, specifically Instagram, which is where I produce all of my content, writing samples, and photography. I present as a cisgender, straight, white man, but I am visible in my transgender identity for those who don’t benefit from the privilege of safety and security to do so. A lot of my photography and writing relates to my experience as a transgender man who has experienced transitioning since 2018 and has undergone many gender affirming surgeries. I began documenting this process diligently when I was 21 years old, and I haven’t looked back since. Unfortunately, especially in recent years, I get a lot of hateful comments as a response to my visibility. Read more>>

Kwabena Smith

yeah going against the average sound and the average way of creating. being able to access my imagination beyond while other cant or dont try to. Read more>>

Jamie Alvey

I think that I’ve spent far too much of my life being misunderstood and mischaracterized. I was never the most popular kid in school and was singled out by my peers early. The weird girl label stuck to me like proverbial super glue, and even as an adult, I don’t think I’ve ever shook it. I have embraced it, but I am eternally the weird and off-putting gal. That’s become my brand so to speak because I think that sometimes the best way to persist is to take your inherently uniqueness and own it, especially when it’s vilified. I was bullied to the point that I was taken out of 8th grade during the spring by my pediatrician for a while in order to recoup my mental health before entering high school in the fall. Read more>>