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.

Elinor Trier

For most of my life, I was completely misunderstood, not only by other people, but also by myself. I was the ‘difficult’ child, the ‘oversensitive’ one, the person who was either ‘too much’ or ‘not enough’ – sometimes simultaneously! I spent decades thinking there was something fundamentally wrong with me. I’d mask constantly, trying to be a version of myself that others would find acceptable. It was utterly exhausting. Read more>>

Tami Luchow

As someone who was born with a physical disability and judged and nearly discarded from my first breath, I have lived through many instances where I have been misunderstood or mischaracterized, and I still look at life as one of wonder and excitement because that’s what keeps me going. I also recognize that there are many very difficult situations that go far deeper that require resilience and grit. Those too must be handled. The work I do is all about balancing the times in life where the judgement of others or the biases of a larger group impact one’s own life and world with the wish to make a positive impact. People often look at me, see my artificial limb, and look away and pretend they didn’t see me. Read more>>

Kaleb Lynch

Unfortunately, the animal welfare and animal sheltering industry is widely misunderstood and mischaracterized. People think I get to play with cats all day but that’s the farthest thing from the truth. I wish I had more time to play with and enjoy them, but my job as the executive director of a cat rescue shelter entails wearing many hats – all the hats, really. I am responsible for fundraising not only for veterinary expenses, but for a ton of overhead expenses like keeping the utilities on, paying for insurance and accounting and the technology that helps us fundraise, manage donors and inventory, etc. I clean toilets, engage with donors and followers, bookkeep, do repairs and maintenance and even renovations, and do all kinds of in-house medical tests, vaccines, injections, medications, wound care… I even played midwife for the day recently when a pregnant stray was in distress. There’s less than a moment to sit and relax at any time. Read more>>

Maria Brunner Ventura

Yes, my work could be misunderstood because the process begins with what many might consider to be a throw-away image, mistakes or accidental shutter clicks appearing on the camera roll. Oftentimes, there are digitized forms that either remind me of something, attract me with shapes and colors, or invite me to play. And, there are digitized forms that appear from my own deliberate movements with a light source while managing the camera settings. Read more>>

Fung Cheung

I don’t think I’ve ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized. Maybe from myself.

It took me a long time to accept the ‘artist’ label and to feel okay to tell other’s that I’m an artist. I always feel like I’m a hack. I’m not an artist, imposter syndrome. There’s this preconceived notion of what is an artist until I had this epiphany one day – the artist label comes with freedom. It frees me to do whatever I want. And that’s when I chose to embrace the ‘artist’ label. Read more>>

Manu Birkmire

I’ve encountered misunderstandings of Hawaiian culture on many occasions, often stemming from stereotypes, incorrect information, or simply a lack of knowledge. As a cultural practitioner, Kumu Hula (Hula Master) of Ka Pā Hula O Manulani, and a paddler with Hoewa’a Dallas Outrigger Canoe Club, I consider it my kuleana (responsibility) to help educate others and empower them with knowledge rather than criticize. Read more>>