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.

Eli Liberty

I’ve always been someone who’s misunderstood. I grew up through my teens and even younger being misunderstood by my parents and then younger by peers in grade school. what i’ve learned is really taking the time to grow and understand yourself is so important. Even when others don’t understand you, your confidence in who you are is something you can be proud of and take pride in. Read more>>

Ciara Strickland

As a lifestyle and fashion content creator that has been degendering fashion and serving as a role model for androgynous style for the last 4 years, I have been misgendered and mischaracterized before. With being a creator, brands and agencies send out opportunities for products like clothing, technology, you name it. I had an agency reach out to me in regards to a new polo they were marketing for their client, yet I was misgendered through the entire email. Read more>>

Krista Mohammed

I do feel that sometimes what I do can be misunderstood. The decorated cookie industry has come so far in the past few years. Some people look at what I do and say “it’s just a cookie” but there is so much detail that can go into the creation of one single cookie that turns it into an edible canvas of art. And I’ve spent years perfecting and improving on my craft, building my skill set and my artistry. Read more>>

Ethan Campbell-Reid

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Growing up in Jamaica, when a teacher asked their students this question never once was “social media content creator/influencer,” even a thought. This job title did not even exist! The answers that were most common were traditional occupations and sometimes, if I dared to even dream of being something that was not traditional, I would hear projected fears about the inability to earn and make a decent quality of living. Read more>>

S.I.L.E.N.C.E.

I believe as a Creative, being misunderstood comes with the art and game. And there is always a belief that you need to be attached or known for only one thing. When as human beings we are multifaceted complicated beings. So of course me being interested and well versed in so many things and areas creatively is within parameters. Because there is no boundary or shouldn’t be any boundary to how artistic and creative someone can be. Read more>>

Heidi Schwartz

The concept of being misunderstood is hard, just being a human wanting to be known and feeling like there’s a world of things that will never be seen by another, is probably one of the most compelling forces for me becoming an artist. Ironically, it is the very thing I’ve had to embrace the most! Oh life, isn’t it a trickster!? With maturity and time, I have gotten more comfortable with being misunderstood and underestimated. Read more>>

Ashley Edwards

Absolutely. I grew up in a small town where you never saw alternative hair or tattoos. People often thought that hair color that wasn’t natural was trashy or uncouth, and I think because of that it made it more difficult to build my clientele. I still love doing natural colors, but I had to start out advertising with mannequin heads for my creative colors and projects. Read more>>

Beth Barger

I don’t have any significant examples to share, but I do have lots of little ones that add up. Upon hearing that I’m an artist, specifically an oil painter, people will often comment on how “relaxing that must be.” Speaking for myself, painting is mentally exhausting. While I’m painting, I’m in deep concentration. It’s been said that every brushstroke requires at least 7 decisions (maybe it’s 17 but I’m not a numbers person so I forget). Read more>>

Cole Tindal

A little. A lot of people assume because of my appearance or demeanor the kind of life I’ve lived and I’ve always found that a bit strange. There’s times in my life where I’ve lived in a really provided-for setting and there’s times in my life when I’ve been homeless and living in women and children’s shelters, but people seem to question or prejudge me based on what they assume my life has been like. I’ll post little clips of me performing my songs and sometimes people will say things like “wow, did not expect that voice” or “never judge a book by its cover,” Read more>>

K. Brat

My work as well as who I have been misunderstood and often time mischaracterized. I am an artist who is an open book when it comes to my career, my music, and sometimes even my personal life. I find that those who are on the inside looking in tend to always find negative things to say about Brat, yet they have barely scratched the surface of who I am. I also will say I do not get along well with females, and it has impacted my career because you never know who you can trust in the music industry and who’s really for your benefit. I can give you a prime example, Read more>>

John Dante

Rock and roll as a lifestyle and an art form can be one of the most beautiful and dangerous forms of expression. It is powerful, explosive, often short-lived and largely improvised. Rock and roll is always a gamble and that is why many artists who live this lifestyle don’t last very long and the industry has tended to shy away from rock artists in general. Read more>>