The Art of Being Misunderstood

When I started college for broadcasting and communications, I expected nothing less than a whirlwind of creativity, expression, and maybe even a little chaos. Which it absolutely delivered. Going LIVE is still as invigorating as I imagined it would be - but what really surprised me was how much of our first year leaned into the technical side, and not in the ways you'd expect.

This was the year I realized "stop overthinking it" is a way of life and more than just an Instagram caption.

Branding in Broadcasting

Since this program also has us learning everything within social media and content creation, there is a massive focus on branding yourself for business. Don't get me wrong, this is a very important key for any company or service. We all know that one brand with the jingle that just won't leave our heads. That kind of recognition is powerful, because it means brands gain even more publicity from media exposure and promos like commercials, ads, slogans, etc. Which makes selling the product that much easier.

I have worked for so many retail companies and in my experience, a natural enthusiasm for the brand and a genuine passion for their product, paired with an eagerness to learn, is what made my sales career such a strong and successful venture.

However, selling for others who are already known with status can be a lot easier than selling for yourself in the beginning stages of your entrepreneurship/business journey. This is where learning how to upsell comes in handy. Especially when it comes down to individualism and what makes you different, unique and stand out from the rest. Being yourself is the strategy.

So, if you're a multi-faceted niche type of person like I am, personal branding can get somewhat (or very) complicated. You have one set vision and then wake up to a completely different idea that takes over focus. I went through at least five different designs for everything on my first go, even when the profs said "slow down, you'll get it". Even now my site is still under its revamp because it just feels too bland. I've had really positive feedback but in my eyes, its lacking my 'raw sugar', which is what draws people in the most.

I had a hard time explaining my vision and my thought process to those who questioned or couldn't fully see it. I was trying to figure out how to navigate all of these queues in my head, until I realized something - I didn't have to. In life and business collectively, we're all human with the same types of feeling and a longing to connect/relate/create. You don't need to have it all figured out.

Here's where magnetism enters the chat.

The most simple starting advice for those trying to interconnect a plan of action for any business is this: find something your ideas have in common, and use that as your gateway. There's usually always something connecting them in some way (bonjour fréquence; hello frequency). This way, you can branch off in other directions without it feeling or sounding 'unnatural' to your audience. You want to keep your spark while simplifying your thoughts to the world.

Example; for myself, that was the word electric.

Simple, yet powerful and exactly what I stand for as a multi-media broadcaster, a self-taught electric guitarist, a spicy/sensual confidence creator, audio/video editor, public speaker, business owner, mom of boys - you get the gist.

Be creative, but always be yourself.

The thing about art, branding, business, parenthood and life all at once: it isn’t meant to be neatly explained. It’s meant to challenge, to spark, to breathe in ways that don’t always make sense in the moment. Sometimes you don’t even understand your own path until months or years later, when it suddenly connects - and that’s the magic.

Being Multi-Talented in a World Obsessed With Niches

I’ve always been multi-talented. Multi-passionate. Multi-media. When I dive into something, I give it everything. Yet, the world loves to preach: Pick a lane. Niche down. Stick to one thing.

I don’t believe in lanes. I believe in breaching horizons and creating new beginnings. Writing your own play book and showing the world there are more ways than one.

You don’t have to choose, that's the best part. You can be a million different things in this lifetime if you want to. Painter. Musician. Writer. Business owner. Dreamer. Builder. Whatever keeps your soul alive.

Research actually proves this: almost 62% of entrepreneurs run multiple ventures at once, and people who identify as “multipotentialites” (those with many passions and skill sets) are proven to adapt faster in shifting industries, solve problems more creatively, and bounce back from setbacks quicker than specialists.

We are beings who are meant to expand - and if you ever find yourself thinking it's 'too late', think again.

Take Vincent van Gogh. In his lifetime, he sold only one painting. People thought he was unstable, erratic, even dangerous. He famously cut off part of his ear, and his mental health struggles became gossip more than his art. Today, he’s considered one of the most brilliant painters to ever live, with some of his works valued over one hundred million.

Frida Kahlo was called eccentric, wild and even grotesque, for painting her pain so honestly — the rawness, the heartbreak, the messy beauty of being human. What once made people uncomfortable is now exactly what makes her unforgettable.

Then there’s Salvador Dalí, the surrealist master known for his outrageous personality. He walked pet anteaters through Paris, showed up to lectures in a deep-sea diving suit, and called himself a genius before the world did. People thought he was insane, and maybe he was — but his art bent reality in ways that changed modern culture forever.

Even Pablo Picasso was misunderstood in his early years. His fragmented portraits were mocked as childish and confusing. Yet today, his works are displayed in every major museum in the world, his style instantly recognizable even to those who don’t know art.

And let's not forget Grandma Moses — who didn’t even pick up a paintbrush until her late 70s. People thought it was strange, even silly, that she started so late — but she went on to create over 1,600 works and her story proves that creation doesn’t follow a clock.

The pattern is undeniable. The so-called “crazy ones” are often the ones who shift culture the most. The ones who dare to be misunderstood in their lifetime end up becoming the names we celebrate long after they’re gone.

Art that makes you uncomfortable, that challenges the norm, that seems “too much” — that’s often the art that sticks. The ones that burn into history. Their stories remind me that there’s no timeline or deadline.

Creation lasts forever. If it’s in you, it will find its way out.

The Business Side of Expression

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is creating for yourself and creating for the world are two different things. Some won't understand - and obviously as mentioned above, sometimes it's truly not meant to be understood. I've had feedback on assignments I didn't expect because my vision wasn't seen or maybe I 'over' created in some ways. The artist inside needs to find that balance between creation and discipline.

When I’m in my zone, I’m messy, emotional, instinct-driven, but when I want my work to reach people and to connect/grow into something sustainable — for business, it has to translate. I have to speak to my audience, and not just myself.

That doesn’t mean watering down my vision. It actually means opening it up more. Explaining the when's and why's. This is where I've found the bridge between chaos and clarity. It means I have the power to be the artist, the muse and the strategist all at once. Understanding that sometimes the rawest expression still needs a frame to stand strong in the world.

Year Two: Welcome to Graduation

So here I am, entering another milestone in my life with even more ideas than I had at the beginning.

Entering year two is about the fire. It’s about diving back into everything I know and love, but with even more hunger. It’s about standing tall in my identity as a multi-talented, multi-layered creator who refuses to pick just one path. It’s about pouring myself fully into every class, every detail, every broadcast, every late-night script brainstorm — and knowing that each piece of work adds up to something bigger than me.

Year two is about building platforms. Mastering the art of going live. It’s about keeping multiple streams of creativity and income flowing, because art and survival can (and should) coexist. I’ve already mentioned I’ve got some bold moves in store before the end of the year, and we’re that much closer.

This is the time to start saying yes — to opportunities, to growth, to the moves that pull you closer to the artist you are and have been all along, because when we do that, people notice. They see your light will never dim for the opinions or confusion of others and maybe that's the beauty of it all.

So here’s to sleepless nights. To bold risks. To mistakes that turn into lessons. To victories that remind us why we're here. Here’s to creation, connection and courage. Here’s to never choosing one box when we were meant to live in all of them, and always bet on yourself.

Graduating class of 2026 — here we come.