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.

Alyssa Stratton

I think I utmost misunderstood and mischaracterized myself. Which is okay most of the time, except when I stood in my own way. As long as I can remember I wanted to be a director, specifically I wanted to be Alfred Hitchcock. I took that so far as attending Film School in London. But when I got there I found I didn’t love to direct and frankly I was crushed. If my whole life had been leading to this, then what did I have now if I didn’t love it? What’s worse is I believed the voices, including those inside of myself, that said I wasn’t good and would never make it. It would take years before I discovered I’d simply taken the wrong path. Read more>>

Nigel Hall

The performing industry is notorious for putting artists into boxes, especially artists of color. Staying within those confines is equally comforting and limiting. As a preface, I grew up in a predominantly white city with a white mother. My entire existence felt like it was to assuage the comfort of others and diminish my own self. That’ll come into play later. As an artist I started out my performing training as a flute performance major in college. In high school, I was told by a voice coach that my voice needed more time to develop, so I should “take a pause” before pursuing a career in musical theatre. Naturally, hearing that from a professional left me feeling gutted, but I felt they knew what was best for me. Read more>>

Jennifer Marion

Oh absolutely, and honestly it’s been both infuriating and eye-opening. Many people encounter ‘Commute in Custody’ aka ‘until further notice’ and immediately get distracted by the bright colors, driving video footage and tufted pieces—they’re like ‘oh wow this is fun’ or ‘I love how you use a lot of objects relating to car culture’ which is great they can relate and experience the installation in that form since Houston is a commuter city but they aren’t realizing these soft sculptures are literally made from text messages my ex sent me. It’s wild how the medium itself throws people off. Because it’s textiles, which society automatically links to women’s work, they miss the entire political point of what I’m documenting. Read more>>

Brensley Knowlton

Definitely. When you live boldly and authentically, it’s almost inevitable someone won’t fully understand. I’ve often heard I’m “too much”—too loud, too intense, too queer, too chaotic. Those labels initially stung deeply. Our culture tends to favor people who fit neatly into predictable categories, but that’s never been me. I’ve always thrived in vibrant, energetic chaos and openly embraced my neurodivergence rather than masking it. Unfortunately, some misinterpreted my transparency as seeking attention or lacking seriousness, completely overlooking the deeper purpose behind Neon Rainbow Creatives: creating inclusive spaces where everyone can show up exactly as they are. Read more>>