Paul Lawson never expected to be an artist. If you have seen his photos on the Michigan City facebook page, you were probably as surprised and impressed as he was. With every new hobby, Paul learns a little more about himself and the world of creativity.
“I thought it was weird to be artistic,” said Paul. “So I never did it.”
It is a common thought, dispelled by experience. For Paul, it happened on accident.
He started with woodworking, which became carving. Then he tried his hand at sculpture, and painting. Paul is a curious perfectionist who likes to take up a skill, perfect it, and then move on to the next thing. It was a natural progression that brought him from trade to art. One might argue they are the same.
Paul’s “thing” right now is photography. He got his first good camera four years ago when he found one that zooms in 42x. That meant he could get close-ups of one of his favorite subjects: birds.
In his backyard, he has spotted orioles, blue jays, hummingbirds, and even turkeys.
“I always see so many cool things,” he said, “And I think ‘I need to show people this.’ That’s why I do it- so they can see what I see.”
Paul brings his camera with him to his weekend excursions in Michigan City. He loves it out there.
“It’s the lake. Whenever I’m not in this area, I miss the lake.”
Most of his photos are of the wildlife but he’s been known to take shots of the lighthouse and the beaches. It is his patience that helps him get the perfect content that other photographers only dream about.
“You have to blend into nature, let everything forget you are there. If they know you are there, you’re a threat," said Paul. ”If you are not a threat," Paul explains. "Then the wildlife gets closer to you and your pictures are blessed with detail.
“It’s my church. Whenever you go out, your heart rate slows and your senses increase. There’s nothing like it. It’s very primal.” Paul’s work lab at home has glass walls so he can be immersed in his true habitat even while indoors. He is surrounded by 42 acres of woods.
As a child, he knew he would one day own his own business. He runs an orthodontic lab out of his house, where he creates braces, fake teeth, and other pieces for the same clients he has had for 22 years. Paul’s current project is a snore appliance: he saw the flaws in the design of the appliances he was already making, so he designed his own.
“I sleep better, wake up earlier, wake up refreshed. It’s changed my life.”
Paul says this is another form of art. It is something he can do with his hands, creating something from raw material, and still get paid for it.
He would rather share his photos then get paid for those. People do buy them- inspired members of the facebook pages and websites that he posts to message him for copies. Employees of the Parks he goes to ask to use his pictures in their programs. He’s even caught people stealing his pictures and selling them on others sites.
“At first, I was mad,” he said. “But then I took it as a compliment. They must be good enough to steal, that’s kinda neat.”
Paul took down his own website because the demands to buy prints grew unmanageable. For the most part, he just wants people to see nature the way he does. He is not looking for a profit. When he does make money from photography, he puts it toward new equipment.
“I like sharing everything. I don’t believe in hoarding secrets and patenting things.”
After graduating high school in New Carlisle, Paul tried college. It was one of the few things he did not perfect before moving on. The slower pace of classroom was not enough to hold his quick mind, and he found success another way.
“College is not for everyone. There are plenty of fields out there where you are creating tangible things that are contributing to society. Just find something that you are really good at and make it your thing.”