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. 

David Mayan

I’m David Mayan, also known as Hip-Hop recording artist emcdouble. Early on—and honestly even now—I’ve noticed that people tend to misunderstand my work when they only engage with it on the surface. I come from a style of writing where there are layered meanings, internal rhyme structures, and a lot of intention behind how something is said—not just what’s being said. Read More>>

Jeremy Sousa

Sometimes I think I’ll be misunderstood because of my “crazy” on stage performances, and how it could overshadow the more serious side of my songwriting. However, thats a gamble I’ll always take because when I’m on stage I’m real- I can’t control myself, but that’s what makes a show a show to me. Read More>>

Michelle smith

I am a content creator, but my content is not about myself. I am a dog mom and manager of two social media dogs- Scarlett and Paisley. Scarlett was born in 2015 with a deformed spine, and at 8 weeks old the breeder took her to the humane society to be euthanized because they could not make money off of her due to the disability. Read More>>

Southside Miko

The biggest mischaracterization I face is the industry’s obsession with ‘the box’. Because I’ve worked to become a Master Of All rather than a master of none, people often can’t see past the first thing they catch me doing. If you walk into a room and see me behind the laptop, you label me a music producer. Read More>>

Baleigh Da silva

Yes, my work has definitely been misunderstood at times. I create content about addiction and recovery, drawing from my own lived experience, and I’ve had people dismiss addiction or make unfair assumptions about me and my life. I think this often comes from a lack of understanding and the stigma that still surrounds addiction. Read More>>

Mwenzela Ndhlovu

To be very blunt with you, yes. Many are the times when a Finance Professional like myself tends to be mischaracterized based on what we decide to show on social media. As a lifestyle digital creator, my life can be said to be ‘out there’. Where I decide to eat, what I wear, where I shop etc. Read More>>

D’vyne B

I know for certain my work has been misunderstood and mischaracterized on multiple occasions under several circumstances. One particular incident as of recently included my participation in a cypher. Per usual, being the only woman in the room, I maintained a fair attitude within their judgments for the main prize. Read More>>