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. 

Shawn Douglas

As a Hiphop musician there’s always a certain perception people place on you! With that being said Hiphop is not just a negative aspect music is to make people feel and escape it’s relatable to individuals who live that life style and to inspire. Depending on the artist and content you consume it’s a different experience for everyone. Read More>>

joseph mancuso

I dont think I’ve personally been misunderstood or mischaracterized but the specific way in which I mostly work is often mischaracterized. The craft that spoke to me most as an actor is method acting. One of the first lessons I learned was to look at actors whose work you connect with and find out what their training was. Read More>>

Jason McPhail

As an artist I think hip hop has a negative connotation, generally speaking. I speak for myself when I say I speak from my personal experiences as a black man in America. With that being said I feel because our reality here isn’t the prettiest it’s often criticized as being a negative influence or promoting violence. Read More>>

Kylenn Canty

One thing I’ve experienced as an entrepreneur is being misunderstood when I talk about pursuing multiple business ventures at once. Some people see the ideas and assume I’m unrealistic or chasing too many things, but they don’t always see the research, planning, and long hours behind the scenes. Read More>>

Alicia Nicole

When I think of The Number Of Times I’ve Been misunderstood or mischaracterized For Being A Body Artist …The Number is Outrageous lol .People See Tattoos On A Female and Automatically Think That Person Is From The Streets,Been Behind Bars , Do Not Believe In A Higher Power And Exotic Dance For A living .These Reactions and Feelings Could Lead Someone Away From Their Gift if they let it Read More>>

Charis Kirchheimer

As a photographer and visual artist, one of the most common ways my work has been misunderstood has been through my use of AI. When I first began incorporating AI tools into my creative process, some people assumed I was abandoning photography or taking shortcuts. In reality, the opposite was true. Read More>>

Mary Dudley Berry

I often feel like as an artist and musician, especially in this era of social media and constant metrics, there is a push to define yourself more than ever. A push to find your niche, your genre, perfectly curate your ‘artist brand’, create something easily recognizable and do it again and again and again. A push to find what works and stick to it. Read More>>

Lauren Brooke Miller

One of the humbling lessons I’ve learned with sharing my work is how to create meaningful experiences with my ceramic based immersive art and small batch botanicals. Many folks assume that my work with The Healer’s Toolmaker is for healers when actually I create tools to empower and assist anyone working on showing up for their own healing. Read More>>

Peach Girl

As a Black woman, I feel like I have been riddled with stereotypes my entire life. We are often misunderstood, mischaracterized, and placed into boxes. I never liked the idea that people saw us as aggressive, strong, or loud, especially when those traits are so often framed with a negative connotation. Read More>>

Jody Deadstock

I feel as if my music has always been misunderstood or mischaracterized since I began. When most recording artists begin their artistic journey, they already come from a reputation of being cool, or having a musical background. I’ve always stayed to myself throughout life, and never expressed myself much verbally. So when I became an artist it confused people. Read More>>

Eva Constance

I do feel like I have and am very misunderstood. For those who do not know, I’ve used TikTok as a platform to grow, just as most artists have. Through online in general, specifically on TikTok, I’ve been judged and made fun of for the way I looked. This caused me to feel as if I was not good enough. Read More>>