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.

Marina Barrios

As a vegan it is very easy to be put into a stereotypical box. Sometimes when I present my creations with the word vegan attached to it I am automatically judged. I’ve had people say”oh no thank you” after they ask what I’m selling or I mention it’s vegan. Read more>>

Deonna Marie Cattledge

I’m one of those individuals who always felt misunderstood, and “different” Growing up I was called “The Black Sheep”. One of my very first memories makes me laugh a little bit looking back. When asked the infamous question that so many of us were asked at some point during our childhood. ” What do you want to be when you grow up? Read more>>

Tom Rimer

I think growing up people (particularly a few teachers and librarians) tried to steer me away from books they deemed too “scary” or that they’d determined I shouldn’t be reading for one reason or another. Reading spooky stuff, “horror”, at a young age wasn’t particularly embraced by those around me, but it WAS what MADE me a reader. The genre was why I became so enthralled with books and why I knew I’d have to one day write them myself. And, in the end, those that tried to shield me from the scary stuff only ended up driving me closer to it. Read more>>

Piper Carter

I have often been misunderstood. I have always seen myself as loving, open, authentic, thoughtful, caring, kind, courteous, courageous, curious, adventurous, creative, flexible, sensitive, aware, tenacious, an homebody, and resilient. Read more>>

Raul Martinez

As an artist, I’ve always tried to be creatively original. I completely have a high level of appreciation and respect for the great artist before me, but my mission has always been to be me and not them. I believe most learning institutions fail to acknowledge and accept one’s unique approach and they spend a considerable amount of time to get you to understand and almost mimic a successful artist who has probably passed many years ago. Read more>>

Noelani Mei Lee

Is there a person on this planet who hasn’t had the unfortunate experience of being misunderstood or mischaracterized? The amount of ways in which this can manifest are innumerable, but this exact concept is an important central theme within every project I create. Read more>>

David Pu’u

Since I was a professional surfer for almost 2 decades and a board builder in the Surf Industry for even longer, everyone assumed me to be a “Surf Photographer” when my name began to appear on surf magazine mastheads and images in those publications . Read more>>

Nerida Bronwen

I’m a Neurodivergent artist so this is a topic I’d love to discuss. There’s been a recent influx of content on ADHD lately, which is great to spread awareness, information and acceptance, however, the downside includes misinformation, misconceptions and a generalising of what it’s actually like to have medically diagnosed ADHD. Read more>>

Austin Wade

Pretty much my whole life I’ve felt like a black sheep. I never fit in in school or social circles. I got really attracted to metalcore and hardcore music in middle school as a result. It felt like a place where a bunch of weirdos like me could go and be ourselves. Even then, I still pretty often feel misunderstood and like I don’t fit in anywhere, or like nobody really gets how I work and think. That’s really the whole basis of my work. Read more>>

Robin “Bino” Gillon

I was born severely deaf and my surrounding categorized me as a disabled kid with very little hope for a good future. The idea of ever making it as a professional athlete let alone being able to go to university or have an exciting life seemed impossible as a kid growing up. I had nobody to look up or relate to as there was no such thing as a famous deaf athlete performing at the highest level, a deaf astronaut, actor or whatever. Only old people or people categorized as disabled were deaf… Read more>>

Javiera Estrada

Due to the broad scope of my work and myriad of mediums, I have found the conventional art platforms. at times, don’t know what to do with me. I mostly use a camera to create my work but I don’t feel that I am a traditional photographer. I like to experiment a lot as my favorite part of the creative process is when I’m learning- to me that is the most exciting. Read more>>

Sierra Condon

Ive been super apprehensive about pursuing being a tattoo artist becuase of the amount of disdain that society has for people who choose to have untraditional jobs and that anything else that’s not a 9-5 is unsustainable or a silly little side job. A career doesn’t have to literally suck out your soul so you can carve out a shell to block out unnecessary stress that you have to endure becuase you’re in it for the money not the passion. Read more>>

Taylor René Diva’s

As a true creative, from a young age, I have known that I was different. In moments where I just wanted to create, I had to grow up really fast. I had to deal with and face visiting my dad in prison as a little girl, while also taking dance classes at Art Linkletter Dance Studio. Read more>>

Elise Solberg

Oftentimes, being multi-faceted means that you’ll be misunderstood. Most times, people have good intentions when they say “stick to what you’re good at” or “stick to what has made you the most money.” This thinking comes out of a lack mindset though, and success can only come when you take risks. Read more>>

Redah

Today I’d like to share a real struggle that most of my fellow creative, artists, and myself are often going through. Read more>>

Marine George

I created à webseries called Wanderlost, it’s on Amazon Prime! And for that I developed the character of Jessa J, who’s a totally wacky influencer! Read more>>

Jean-Pierre Giagnoli

It seems very hard for people, whether they are in or out of the entertainment industry, to understand how I can do so many things and be able to focus or be good at all of them. I am an rapper, actor, comedian, impressionist, DJ, MC, host, and Parapsychologist/ paranormal investigator. I have done all of these things and have even made money with all of them. Read more>>

Becca Spence Dobias

People tell you to write what you know, but while drafting my novel, On Home, my editors told me over and over that my protagonist was boring, uninteresting, unlikeable. It is very difficult, they said, to write well about someone based on yourself. You’re too close to them. There’s not enough distance. Read more>>

Mackenta

I always grew up with this feeling like, people have a hard time understanding who I truly am. I think I am full of contradictions, and being a woman is also full of complexities. I’m also biracial – which wasn’t as common when I was growing up and I knew very few mixed people. I wouldn’t say I was outcasted because of it but it definitely made me hyper-aware of how I am different. Read more>>

David Paul Kay

Interesting topic when it comest to walking through the journey of growing as an artist. More or audience grows, more you “establish” yourself in the so called “art world”, harder it is to deal with being labeled. To me, the beauty of doing what I do is individuality. That’s how I look at art, I search for originality, individuality and fresh one of a kind voice saying something that has not yet been said. Read more>>

Andrea Gomez

For my whole life, I’ve considered myself creative. My earliest memories of drawing go back to when I was probably 5-6 years old, I was in my great-grandma’s house in the coffee region of Colombia. We were sitting in the balmy afternoon heat, the adults were talking and I was in my own world with markers and paper. Read more>>

Davinceó

I’ve always felt misunderstood or mischaracterized. I think it comes with the territory though. My music is more of a fuse of R&B with trap influence, but my lyrics come from a conscious state of mind to warn those after me. My subjects could range from love, hard times, good times, and vibe filled nights. Read more>>

Okay Kenedi

As an artist, I think you’ve picked the wrong career if you’re concerned about being misunderstood or mischaracterized. It’s common knowledge that art is up for interpretation, I think the unspoken side of the same coin is that the artist is too. For me personally, there are occasions when I’m writing a song and I know exactly what i’m trying to say. Read more>>