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.

Jayla Eskridge

Being Misunderstood/Mischaracterized was always something in my life that i could never run from. i actually love that people Mischaracterized me off of my appearance because they never get to have a real verbal conversation with me to be able understand & know me. where im from people will judge you & misunderstand fast but personally i never cared because all of the misjudgement makes real genunie people graviate towards me & honstely that’s the only thing that really matters , the people who know me for me. Read more>>

Davis DeWitt

Of all the challenges I have faced throughout my career, mischaracterization continues to be the most dominant. For years, I struggled with the prevailing notion that the artistic and engineering worlds were mutually exclusive. As a result, I was left to wander between the two, never feeling truly at home in either. Again and again, the question always became — how do you build a career, if people don’t understand what you do? Read more>>

Tyler Adams

I come from a big family with big personalities and as the youngest of twelve, I found it hard to be seen and heard; so I didn’t speak much and struggled to find my place in my family. Growing up I’ve learned this left a lasting impact on my communication skills. I still sometimes revert back to that little kid that dosent know how to be seen or heard. The first time my family saw me perform, was the first time I really felt heard. Music became my way of communicating and since has been my passion and something I wanted to pursue professionally. My family owns serval business and all they’ve known is the consistency of the business world. I’ve always felt like the odd ball out, like something was wrong with me because I was so different than my family. Being a creative in a family of entrepreneurs I felt I had to stick to the status quo, so I went to college for something that interested me; got a degree in political science and soon after got an office job in a law department. I’ve always known that wouldn’t be my resting place but when I brought up quitting my job and pursuing music full-time, the first question raised by my family was money. This brought on some self doubt, and thoughts of will I be able to make this work. I’ve began to grow more spiritually and have been building a community in Florida with other creatives that understand the drive and the fire music puts in me. They understand that it was never about the money and always about being heard. Being misunderstood has taught me that it’s ok to be misunderstood. Sometimes you have to be misunderstood by a few in order to create something that will be understood by many. Read more>>

A.B. Raps

In Hip-Hop, a lot of artist usually come with an image. Maybe not all of us, but there is a stereotypical image that has been around for a long time. I want to keep pushing the genre and focus on originality not only in the musical aspect, but show regular people that the flash and fame are great, but Hip-Hop is so much more than that. Read more>>

Corrie Frank

When I majored in Studio Art (Drawing and Painting) and Art History as an undergraduate, I became reluctant to share my area of study because many people assumed I was pursuing art because I wasn’t “smart enough” to study anything else. I also heard things like, “You’re studying art? But that’s so easy!” As a teenager, these types of responses shook my confidence and self-esteem, but with time and a little bit of wisdom, I now realize that folks who made those comments simply didn’t understand the amount of time and skill that goes into creating art because it wasn’t part of their experience. I also more fully recognize that my value doesn’t come from what other people think of me. So, if people express their opinions to me today that indicate they don’t realize the value of an artist’s work, I don’t think less of them or myself. Instead, I see an opportunity to share what I’m passionate about! Read more>>

Marc Winski

Speaking is something that a lot of people rarely even think about……For people who stutter? It can be a major part of how we are built. As an actor, I always thought I HAD to be fluent (smooth, non-stuttered speech) in order to have a career. I was talked down to, passed by casting and directors, and was never allowed to be my TRUE self in my acting. A self that stuttered. I always felt that I had to conform to what the “norm” was in order to make it. So I hid. I hid this part of myself within my career. I circumnavigated sentences, changed my words, planned out entire roadmaps of how I was going to uuuuuuuuuse my voice in order to….get it out….fluuuently….sooo nobody would…..notice. I never was able to truly focus on the character or the actual acting. The ONLY thing that seemed to matter was how non-stuttered my lines could be. I never saw myself represented in this world on the screen or on stage. Nobody stuttered in movies, tv shows, or theater shows; and if they did? it was usually to be made a mockery of. I needed to make a change. I couldn’t do it this way anymore. I was deeply terrified to. my core every time I stepped on stage or in. front of a camera. I never got to let my true light shine. To make a long story short, my life’s goal has turned into unlearning ALL of those negative behaviors and focus on the depth of acting. doing my best to best represent an entire community of people who (quite literally) aren’t having their voices heard. And i’m honored to be a part of that. Read more>>

Derek Taylor

Growing up biracial it’s always been a identity problem too white for black people or too black for white people. I’m seen as either Hispanic or Arabic to others especially with my hair grown out now. On top of that my facial image tends to give people a unsettled feeling as I’m always angry and unapproachable. I gotten use to being misunderstood and trying to fit in and that’s why music was my gateway to express tons of feelings I have. I realized the sound I go for with more screaming vocals doesn’t help my case but it’s been the best learning experience I’ve had with music so far. People see me perform and never see that style coming so now it feels that I can use the mischaracterization to benefit me in a way where I’m okay with that Read more>>

TreDon Luster

I’ve always been treated differently from my peers for as long as I can remember , I used to look at it as a A possible reaction to something I was lacking but the more I’ve embraced it , the more comfortable I’ve felt to be myself. Anything “different “ or “experimental “ will always be seen as “weird “ or “crazy “ That’s how ya know you got something . Read more>>

Kareem “Reemo Meerak” Tyson