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.

Linda P. Santiago

As I became working on my style which was probably more around 2021, I remember creating about 20-30 Paintings, sketches… That also helped me work on my style. I noticed a pattern on my wok. Noticing that it was very expressive I didn’t had fear of expressing my mind, those demons. And throughout those year i started getting noticed in my school making murals, big paintings, commissions. But something that I got a lot was comments like “You should make happy art”, “Why are doing creepy art, that’s not good”. My goal was mainly to express myself, express dreams and nightmares, my personal struggles. I had a lot of downs to the point of contemplating my life multiple times. Read more>>

Esmé Kayim-Yanko

I’ve been an artist and crafter my whole life, but it wasn’t until my late teens/young adulthood that people started pushing me to sell my work. Lots of people see what I create and immediately see an opportunity for profit. Some run further than others with this idea. An ex, for example, had a vision for me starting a tiktok for my art, gaining a large following, creating a business model for my art. I tried this, envisioned what it would look like, started the account – which lays desolate with a bio that states “new uploads every week!” and only a few videos posted. Read more>>

Maiya “Mai” Dalton

Absolutely! As a social media influencer, I often face the challenge of being misunderstood. What many people don’t realize is that there’s a lot more to me than just the online persona. While I’ve gone viral a few times, which has led to a large following, some may assume that being a social media influencer is all I am. In reality, the majority of my time is spent in a corporate setting, expanding my knowledge in options trading, and pursuing a variety of other passions. Read more>>

Stefanos

Yes, I’ve definitely experienced being misunderstood as an artist, several times. For example, I vividly remember performing a composition I had poured my heart into at a live show, only to have it dismissed as ‘meh’ or ‘not interesting enough’ by certain listeners, some of them my friends. I had actually asked for their honest perspective, and while I welcomed their opinion, that feedback stung deeply because I knew the authenticity and technical craft behind the work, and really believed in its potential. Read more>>