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.

Soraya Dabdoub

People often don’t know what to do with me. I don’t fit neatly into any box. I’m a Jamaican-born Palestinian/Colombian multi hyphenate creative. That mouthful is enough to click certain people’s brains off. There is a lot of history that courses through me and it can make people uncomfortable to face. I choose to embrace. Read more>>

Vanessa Ferlaino

I feel that this is something that many artist and creators experience — in fact, sometimes I think this is a pre-requisite to being an artist, as we tend to experience the world very differently than most people. Because of this, we tend to turn to artistry, to creativity, to be able to convey this. Read more>>

Traci Vanderbush

Creatives are often misunderstood, but we must move forward with our art. Read more>>

Jacquiline Cox

Being anointed and born with certain gifts, people expect you to do a lot more than what God assigned you to do. So being someone such as myself, I know God made us all with gifts and talents, Read more>>

John Yamrus

I’ve been publishing now for 54 years, which I think officially qualifies me as being older than dirt. My first book came out in 1970 and while the vast majority of my 39 books have been volumes of poetry, it still gives me the creeps when people call me a poet. Read more>>

Cole Adams

Hello. My name is, Cole Adams. I’m an ftm transgender, singer-songwriter, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. When I started to play and perform my music in public for other people, I quickly realized the challenges of not only being transgender and putting myself in the spotlight as a solo performer/singer, but also as a trans person who chose to not physically transition. Read more>>

Alexandria Fall

I think that people have a big problem with lumping others into categories. As an artist with a decent amount of tattoos,I find that people often judge and make assumptions. They tend to assume my work would be all dark and creepy, and I am able to do that type of art, but most of my art is bright, vivid, and beautiful. Read more>>

Jeff Bennion

I’ve always had an element of fashion and boudoir in my work. I shoot whatever makes people feel incredible. When I moved to my new studio in 2020 and did a huge fancy, elegant remodel, my inquiries became all boudoir inquiries. Honestly, it was my favorite genre because you can get really creative and fancy with the lighting and the mood of the image. Read more>>

Valerie Toledo

I have never felt like I fit in. As a child, my ‘friends’ would sometimes put me down when I came up with ideas that were “different” or a little weird, saying things like, “You’re not that special,” and “You think you’re not basic?” I would see how they would make fun of others who dared to try and be trendsetters, and I felt that I’d receive the same treatment if I went rogue. Read more>>

Jeff Dekal

Goals and missions indicate that there is some kind of finalization. An end point. The creative journey ends at death, but the purpose is to celebrate life. I think an artist’s creative journey is a legacy of our experience in this reality. It serves so many purposes. Read more>>

Mikey Rotten

Ever sense I was young I was outcasted by my community. Finding refuge in the street culture I fell in love with art and music. Starting out as a young visual artist I was drawn to the allude of infamous street artist in the graffiti scene. Read more>>

Lil Blondie

People under estimate Lil Blondie because he has Down Syndrome. Read more>>

Mo Anouti

As a former professional athlete, a bodybuilder to be specific, I was often viewed by casting directors as an actor only fit for certain roles. Bodyguards, bouncers, and henchmen were almost exclusively the roles I got called for. Read more>>

Tajonyx

I’ve felt misunderstood my entire life to be honest. I was always too “this” or too “that”. Too black, not black enough, too feminine, too opinionated, too gay, too fat, too skinny; It’s only within the last 6 years that I’ve really started to become ok with that. Read more>>

Jiwoo Shin

I wrote a “poem” for a class for my final semester in undergrad, and the title goes like this: ‘How to disappear (with me)’ It’s not exactly in the conventional format of a so-called poem but it has no lies or fabrications of what I want to say… and I think that is enough. Read more>>

FRANKEE ROMERO

As a Native Tribal member I’ve always been misunderstood or mischaracterized by teachers or my peers. Trauma is real, coming to an all-white Chistian school being bullied or told your culture wasn’t good enough. even to this day, as an actor, i find me being judged by other natives in this film industry but one thing is for sure. Read more>>