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.

Anna Storm

As an independent artist and influencer, my work is often misunderstood—especially the tone of it. A lot of what I do uses irony and a kind of exaggerated, hyper-stylized humor, and not everyone immediately picks up on that. Some people take things very literally or assume I’m being superficial, when in reality there’s intention and self-awareness behind it. Read More>>

Brandon Andrews

I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is being misunderstood as a creative. A lot of people see me as just a college graduate, career professional, a wrestler, or just an artist, depending on what they were introduced to first. With HotHead BA, they see intensity, aggression, and performance. With WRISTGANG BA, they see creativity, visuals, and music. Read More>>

Patsy Dew

In my mid-twenties I moved to a small college town that had a vibrant arts organization whose mission was “programming in five areas of the arts: Theater, Dance, Visual Arts, Music and Literary Arts.” I immediately became involved in the theater division, performing in three to four musicals or plays each year. Read More>>

Julia Nadolski

In society, there’s a vast expectation to have life figured out by a certain point in time. As creatives, we don’t always know what we want to do or how we can create a living off of work that’s deeply meaningful and fulfilling to us. Just because someone has a big social media account doesn’t necessarily mean they’re making a lot of money. Read More>>

Curtis Greene

I’ve been accused or being irrational and crazy because I’m passionate about what I believe in and about fairness. I can be aggressive when I feel as if my intellect is being overlooked, that’s caused many political fallouts. But my intentions were always pure I only wanted the best for myself and my community. Read More>>

MJ holman

Misunderstanding comes with the territory. If you’re a real musician with real conviction, not everybody will “get” you. But I refuse to shrink who I am just to be understood by people who were never meant to understand me. Being a musician in ministry isn’t just about playing—it’s about posture, heart, and purpose. And sometimes… you can still be misunderstood while serving faithfully. Read More>>