How the Missunderstood Came to Be
Welcome to The Missunderstood: An Authentic Digital Community for Creatives
We’ve always felt a little offbeat—two steps behind being cool, a little too curious, a little too much. As kids, we lived in our own corners of the world, noses in books, scribbling in margins, dreaming of something deeper. Even then, something didn’t sit right. There was always a quiet pressure to perform, to fit in, to shape ourselves into someone more acceptable.
Eventually, the words began to pour out. We started to realize: we weren’t broken—we were just missunderstood.
From a Winery Dream to a Digital Sanctuary
The first spark came during late-night conversations over wine. Those sacred, unstructured nights where we would just be. We imagined a physical place—a poetic urban winery-bookstore where books lined the walls, deep conversations filled the air, and everyone belonged. We called it PEN NAME. A speakeasy-style refuge where you could leave your performance at the door and walk in as your truest self.
Agnes Varda became our emblem. A creative force, a war refugee, and a truth-seeker. Her life reminded us that authenticity matters more than belonging. That art isn’t always pretty—it’s honest.
We Evolved, and So Did Our Vision
Over time, we realized we were never meant to be bound to one space. What we were building wasn’t a storefront. It was a mirror. A reflection of emotional, creative, and personal transformation. And so, The Missunderstood evolved into what it is today: an authentic digital community for creatives.
This space is for the feelers, the thinkers, the wanderers. For anyone whose truths never quite fit the template. Here, empathy replaces performance. Curiosity replaces conformity. And authenticity is everything.
This is The Missunderstood. Welcome home.
If this story spoke to something in you, you might also like our piece Why I Quit College Sports—a personal essay about identity, pressure, and what it means to walk away with grace.