2020: Year in Review

2020 was supposed to be a year defined by a new kind of project. I planned to document the lives of refugees living in Durham, NC in a partnership with World Relief Durham. We even had a date set for a gallery showing at the Durham Arts Guild - my first one ever.

Somehow this was all going to make a “real” artist out of me. I had a plan, a subject matter to focus on, and a story to tell. Plus, it was all something I cared about deeply.

Then, not so long after I had my first shoot for the refugee project, Covid hit and a new story stole the show (literally). Eventually the gallery exhibit was canceled, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to capture anything outside of my house. Not gonna lie, I took more than a moment to be devastated about it all.

I tried my best to capture what I could and make an attempt at photojournalism in a historical moment. I did a story on ways the community came together for Midtown Magazine. But honestly, I felt very lost in those early days. I wanted so badly to be out shooting, but I felt like I was putting people at risk whenever I stepped beyond our driveway. On top of the anxiety from not wanting to be a super spreader, I had four kids to take care of and we couldn’t rely on school, child care or my precious YMCA for a break.

I cried more than once. Granted, I’m fully aware we had it WAY easier than many and we still do. My husband’s job never changed and thankfully we’ve all been healthy (our healthiest year yet actually thanks to no school germs).

Sometimes I felt like I should make Covid life at home some sort of photo series, but then the thought of adding another project gave me (and my husband!) a stress headache. Besides, I didn’t think a self-portrait series of me locking myself in our pantry eating fruit snacks while the kids banged on the door would make for great art.

Still, I eventually came around. I realized I’m an optimist at heart, which served me well throughout 2020. I’m privileged/blessed/fortunate/etc. to be able to look with hope at this moment, and as I reflect on the pictures in this “Year in Review” I believe that hopeful eye was communicated through my lens.

Some of the moments captured below include…

Refugees and how World Relief Durham beautifully responded to the pandemic by serving our most vulnerable neighbors.

A couple who got engaged, married, AND pregnant all in 2020.

Strong women who fought for their small businesses by adapting in some of the most gritty and creative ways imaginable.

A historical moment and movement on the streets of Minneapolis.

A bookstore that amplifies Black voices catapulted to the forefront of that movement.

Parents who transformed their backyard into Disneyworld for their two-year-old’s birthday.

Foster kids becoming adopted kids.

Moonlit nights where musicians performed for socially distanced crowds.

Deliciously random magazine features, from bee keepers, to ghosts, to downtown Raleigh bike tours.

Non-profits who breathed life into the world through the love they shared.

Graduating seniors, baby bumps, newborns, weddings, beach and cabin life, and much more.

Despite the challenges and the tears, I thank God for this year. I don’t want to experience it again, but I do believe it changed my perspectives in many important ways. I have different goals for 2021 than I could have ever had in my pre-Covid days. Our Schulte “motto” has always been “suffering makes us stronger”. And while that used to mean maybe an extra push up or two, now we apply it to much more.

So, here’s a cheers to suffering. May it help us collectively improve both our own lives and the lives of those around us. And may hope, grit and love be what we take from 2020.

As always, thank you so much for following along on my journey.

Love, Mick