I've got a friend and fellow peer that often messages me after seeing me doing something online and coming up with their own story they immediately apply to me.
If they see I've shaved my head, they assume it's for a costume, instead of the real reason I have (i just wanted to for me).
She say "oh good thing you talked clients out of this!" No, our agreement is they only wanted certain things. You didn't see the one they wanted the edits we were talking about on. I still did them.
Recently they said "still working on this photoshoot?" (We are both photographers).
Like yes, we were just talking about it and it's been only a few days since the shoot. I think she was assuming I was talking about something from an event a few months ago.
These are all benign mostly but if I correct her she apologizes for offending me. I am frustrated because I don't like people assuming they can divine my thoughts without asking and then they're so wrong it's like they don't get me as a person at all.
Is there a way to point out this habit without putting a serious bruise on the friendship? She is not exactly malicious but the way she assumes is wrong…sometimes it feels like it's also assuming I am less skilled than I am.
In the past I've gotten odd interactions from friends like this and then they later admit I make them feel insecure. I feel like this may be happening again. She has a better artistic eye and her work is far more skilled, but she doesn't have a great business mindset, so I book more and make money when she doesn't. I also, lol, don't want to assume.