Mollie Schaidt update

Below is my updated artist statement:

I am a storyteller. I am giving a voice to my family — and others like them — that live their lives silenced by social oppression. I was raised in a blue-collar household, living off the grid: lower income, no credit, most everything second hand, no central air, well water, and only limited opportunities to better my condition.

I share my story through photography. I am making images of my lifelong home to share with others. Then, with text, I reveal memories from my past, as well as thoughts and impressions of my present. I use the photographs of my family and my home as a tool, to understand who I am as a person today. The intimate images and revealing text scrutinize social class, the human condition, and the meaning of happiness. The photographs also address issues that negatively impact most lower socio-economic households in our nation: income, education, employment opportunities, housing, addiction, mental health, and self-esteem. The text is handwritten, unscripted, and experiential — inspired by the current condition of my home and family.

Since childhood, I have been innately aware of my social standing and my family’s financial struggles. I knew I was different from my peers. I knew that certain material items and opportunities would simply be unobtainable. As a family, we did what we had to do to manage. I felt that my family, our trailer home, and my living conditions were somehow not “good enough.” Limited resources restricted our ability to improve our environment. But, despite both my parents working hard every day, we lived paycheck-to-paycheck just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.

After years of longing for my home to be somehow different, feeling that it was not good enough, I am now determined to be empowered by the place where I was raised. I am finding pride in an “honest day’s work,” a simple home, frugal living conditions, and a loving family. My standard is no longer “everybody else,” but rather my own conscience. I recognize and value the hard lessons my childhood provided — those were the opportunities that molded me into who I am today.