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.

Yuliia Tereshchuk

Have I ever felt misunderstood in my work? Absolutely – especially when it comes to the role of a marketer and brand strategist in the beauty and fashion industry.In businesses that aren’t directly connected to beauty, the role of marketing is often treated as “optional” – as if it’s just about posting on social media or making things look nice. But in my experience, no project works without a clear strategy. There needs to be a visual direction, a brand voice, a story – and above all, a positioning plan that helps the brand stand out in a saturated market. Read more>>

Jeynu Nunez

I’m part of the Latin Rap Scene, which for some strange reason seems to require artists to stick to the same two musical genres in order to grow and meet certain “standards”. I’ve always tried to stand apart from that through my expression, but being different often means going against the current. Read more>>

Victoria (Vee Lee) Ferguson

For six years I was in the gaming industry as an Animator. I was respected in my lane, but when it came to anything outside of animation, no one really listened. I was a single, chronically online gamer, who spent all their times watching or playing video games, therefore I felt like I had so much more to offer than just animation. I understood trends, I knew what was popular, unpopular, what people wanted out of games and ect. I had a constant flow of ideas and being a graduate of an intense art school, I was also prepared with many skills outside of animation (modeling, concept art, art direction, creative) but there was no space for my voice. Read more>>

Ken Cosentino

Yes, my entire life is misunderstood by the general public and it’s by twofold design. The first and most important is that I control my public image. I am not interested in fame; if it happens, I will continue to broadcast the same collective persona because I am not a fake person. I am a real human being with a life full of ups and downs, and I cherish my privacy like everyone else. Every face that I show to the public is a real part of who I am, but ultimately very few people truly understand me because only a few people will ever truly know me. Read more>>

Esther Cluff

During my time in this profession I feel I am most misunderstand when people wrongfully assume the reason why I do this work is for selfish reasons. I have been told that I only step in front of a camera for attention, and that I glorify diabetes for not hiding my condition in any of my photos. But to me its about being able to put myself on display, no flaws excluded, and allowing myself to feel like a work of art despite being “imperfect”. It’s about showing people that I’m not ashamed of the way I was born and that no one needs permission to accept the only body they have. Read more>>