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.

Chenoa Hill

Most definitely, I have ! But… haven’t we all ? I remember hiding the fact I was multifaceted in my gifts and talents , because of judgement surrounding my spirituality and me evolving past certain levels of comfortability vs expansion. About two years ago where I had a major come to God moment about where I currently was in my walk. This is was around the genius of the pandemic, November 2020. Read more>>

ENV

No lie, sometimes, we do feel this way and it’s unfortunate. People have opinions and opinions are great, when they are helping to better and elevate you–that also comes from studying and understanding. Opinions are not so great when they are coming from somewhere surface level without understanding, you don’t understand us. Sometimes it’s like, “did you try to get to know us, our art, our message at all? or are you just talking out of your neck”? Read more>>

See Drye

I’ve been a full-time artist for a little over a year now. I’m learning that most people don’t take it serious when you say you’re an artist. It’s always followed up with “what do you do all day? You just paint?” I don’t think people take being an entrepreneur seriously at all, as if we are just sitting around all day. There are many types of artist disciplines and careers inside of each. I’m a teaching artist. Read more>>

Hope Knowles

Creativity to me is like oxygen…it is life. However being a creative individual can often lead to you being called strange, different, and misunderstood. When I started my speaking career, I consistently was placed into a box by others, being told what I could and could not do in order to be a successful speaker. Read more>>

Armenio Trujillo

When I started my rap career I was in a very dark place, my decisions and actions were questionable. It was as if I was heading down the wrong direction, I did things that just weren’t me. I wanted to depict myself as a very aggressive goon who would do anything to earn the spotlight. Taking into consideration I was institutionalized in 2018 due to homicidal attributes and didn’t start my rap career until 2020. Read more>>

Cj Mathews

Yes definitely! Most of the time when you’re not doing what everyone else is doing you get looked at sideways or are misunderstood. While most don’t know you or understand your meaning/reason behind your history or real life situations that you have experienced. I had kids and made it a priority to help create stability in their life over my career. Read more>>