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Lawson Ceramics...

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A few years before my dad died, I was out at the shop in Joshua Tree doing my thing when I ran across this 70's green vase. I'd seen it many times but it was one of those things that you see but don't see. Sort of like the junk on your coffee table that accumulates and one day you really see it and can't believe you didn't sooner. On this day, for whatever reason, I decided to pick up the vase for an inspection. I guess my thinking was "why the hell is this random green vase born from the time of bellbottoms, The Doobie Brothers and myself floating around the shop?". So I pick this beauty up and on the bottom of the vase I see...LAWSONS...huh?

"Hey Pops, why does this vase say LAWSONS on the bottom?"

Pops chuckles.

"Did you guys have them made for something?"

Pops looks puzzled and says "what?"

I say "what?"

Pops says "It's from the ceramic shop." Matter of factly.

I'll save you the boredom of the dialogue and cut to it. Apparently, my grandfather, dad and both uncles started a ceramics shop in the 70's and I have zero memory of it. To this day, still no memory and he claims I was there all of the time.

The point is not to share snippets of my somewhat interesting childhood that has been all but blocked. Honestly, I'm not sure what my point is here but it seems relevant. My grandfather had a variety of businesses through the years (not just machining) and I would like to say that it was due to his entrepreneurial spirit but I don't believe it was that. I believe he was just trying to keep the bills paid and food on the table. If the machine shop wasn't doing well, he would do what he needed to do with the skills he had to bring home some swine. This is also why I believe my grandparents moved out to Joshua Tree in the 70's, it was cheaper and he could have a bit of land with some animals. It's possible that after the ceramics shop failed, they made the move but I'm just speculating. For the most part, Lawson's don't talk about the past...or the present...or the future.

I've always been driven to make something. I believe my grandfather was a "maker" before this hipster term was coined as was my dad, as was my uncle, as is my uncle that's still with us. They all made things just for the sake of making them. They would put this energy into making something until they felt it was a waste of time. Something in them said that if it wasn't paying the bills, it was a waste of time. I have to admit that it's in me as well but I fight it. I also created a business around the urge to make things so I wouldn't have to fight the urge to quit making things. I doubt that I'm alone here and I believe I just found the point of sharing this with you.

Follow your urge to create. Acknowledge the importance of it with or without monetary gain. It's not a waste of time and you do have time for it. If you're on your phone more than 30 minutes a day, you have time to create something.

We are born creators so stop wasting your time and get to it.