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.

Laura Davis

I’ve been a financial advisor for almost 10 years, but I launched my own firm two years ago. I’ve always been entrepreneurial…and even my first firm where I was for 7 years I was one of two and most of the ownership responsibilities were shared.

Even so, sometimes I look at other advisors with salaries, bonuses, and a team and boss to tell them what to do and how to structure their day and I’m JEALOUS. There are always trade-offs with being your own boss. The downside is that you own your time and results. The upside is…you own your time and results. Read more>>

Peet Montzingo

Growing up as the only average size person in a family of all little people (mom, dad, brother, and sister) I actually always felt very outcasted and misunderstood. When I was really little I always assumed that this was the way that all families looked- that it was normal to be born into a household of a little person family. But as I grew up and started going to school and started paying more attention to the world around me, I realized that this was not the case. I would go to school and see other kids being lifted in the air by their dads, and that was a complete shock to me. I would go to doctor appointments with my family- or even just to the store with them- and everyone around me would assume that I was random lost kid and sometimes even ask me things like ‘where’s my family’. In which I’d respond ‘They’re right here next to me…’ Read more>>

Chase Chandler

I think being misunderstood as an artist or musician is part of the job because, whether we realize it or not, we are, in fact, educating people about a certain lifestyle of self-expression. For me, the greatest misunderstanding is the time investment and discipline it takes to be a professional creative. Everyone is creative, but making a living from your creativity is an entirely different challenge—one that comes with specific standards and expectations within the industry. Read more>>

Jilly

Taking my space in the music world has introduced intersectional challenges that I never considered when I first started writing. All of the music that I write is simply about my life, based on real events, emotions, and relationships. When I started showing my music to the world, I expected it to only come off as an imprint of “me.” However, what I didn’t consider is that there are multitudes to my identity that affect how my music is boxed-in and categorized. Read more>>

Michele Mitchell

As we all have been misunderstood or mischaracterized, I too, have as well. One particular misconception was when people assumed a man had painted my works, or when they gave me a skeptical look and asked, “You did these?!” Perhaps it was my appearance or demeanor that didn’t align with their preconceived concepts about the artist, which I found interesting, as it reveals how deeply ingrained assumptions can shape our perceptions. I believe there are so many intrusive and fabricated concepts that color our perceptions. And with that, a choice to replace consciousness with unconsciousness. And in doing so, we lose what is most valuable and precious, allowing preconceived notions to dominate our understanding. Read more>>

Hailey Kozey

I think that in the scene, women are commonly misunderstood and misjudged. This has proven itself to be true in the Northwest Ohio scene…time and time again. As an entrepreneur, the frontwoman, and manager for my band- I am constantly putting myself in situations where my decent manners and business attitude gets misconstrued as something else. This is hilighted starkly in the different interactions my male counterparts have- seemingly similar interactions, but in the end they are seen as “innovative” and “strong” whilst I am seen as “bitchy”. Having to work twice as hard for only half of the profit or output has been difficult, but nothing is more rewarding than building a group that you are proud of- with people who love and support you and your art. Read more>>

Dakota Travis-Gilmore

My work has definitely been misunderstood, the reason it always has been is because a lot of people don’t understand the things that I’ve been through and that’s okay. Sometimes you won’t understand until you’ve gone through it so you can really feel the pain but that’s another story for another time lol. One thing that I’ve took from that experience is to ALWAYS stay authentic and true to myself, people will love you just based off of you’re authenticity. Read more>>