We recently connected with Paul Wyman and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

The North American education system seems to be very focused on preparing students for university/college with what seems to be a dismissive attitude towards trade vocations. Many schools are without a woodworking/metalworking/auto mechanic shop and the trades are viewed as a fall-back option versus a first-choice career. Not all students are academically inclined but could excel in skills-based classes. My children’s elementary school recently hosted an arts program – each class was given a prop and asked to create a play/skit around it on the topic of leadership. The actors involved guided the ideas to help them reach their final product. One teacher mentioned that one of her students, who has major struggles with reading and math, positively shone through the creative process and embraced the performance aspect. It serves as a reminder that finding creative ways to encourage students in their learning is imperative. This example is arts focused but similar stories exist in other areas. 

I would love to see more hands-on learning – giving students an opportunity to build or create at a young age. My 6-year-old son is very interested in cattle handling systems and how they work. He had a vision of a squeeze chute (used for cattle restraint) and he told me what he wanted, and we built one out of wood together. He has done this with several projects and has a firm vision of what he wants to build before he starts, and the steps required to execute his project. I was the same as a child. As parents, we have limited screen time for our kids and so we hope that we have encouraged that creativity in them. At my workshop, I have a bin of off cuts that the kids love to play with, and the sky is the limit as to what they create. 

For older students, educating and exposing the educators to the breadth of non-university training vocations that exist is a start. High school students can’t reach out to obtain work experience if they don’t know a particular trade exists. A program where a student is matched with an employer for a weekly encounter over a longer period of time (vs. the 1-2 week exposure that is typical of work experience programs) would give the individual a better understanding of the trade and real-life experience in the workforce. 

About You, Your Work, Services & Brand

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

Please provide as much detail as you feel relevant as this is one of the core questions where the reader will get to know about you and your brand/organization/etc

I grew up in a small lobster-fishing village on the south coast of South Australia. My father was a plumber before he became a lobster fisherman. My mum remembers me changing as soon as I arrived home from school and heading straight to dad’s shop where he was often working on his boat in the off season. I had calluses on my hands from a very young age. We lost my dad when I was only eight, but when I reached high school, I gravitated to the woodwork program that was offered through the TAFE attached to our high school. TAFE (Technical and Further Education) is a government sponsored system that provides post secondary education in a wide variety of areas, including cabinet making, childcare, hairdressing, accounting, etc. 

I completed several modules towards my apprenticeship in Year 12. After graduation I completed a pre-vocational program before heading into an apprenticeship at a cabinetmaking company that was established in the 1940’s. Their specialty was solid timber doors, window frames, staircases and cabinetry which allowed me to acquire a range of skills and knowledge of more traditional woodworking rarely encountered today. In 2003, I completed my Trade Certificate IV to qualify as a Journeyman Cabinetmaker. I have since worked for different companies in Australia, the UK and Canada. This breadth of experience provided a unique opportunity to learn about different design styles and methods to achieve the client’s vision.  

My company, Southern Stars Custom Woodwork, was established in 2016 and has built a reputation for outstanding craftsmanship, innovative design and superior customer service with our interactive updates that keep clients involved and enthusiastic about their project. From inception to completion, we’ve dubbed it the Southern Stars Experience. Bespoke cabinetry is our specialty and we execute our designs to the highest standard.

I am passionate about what I do and as such, I listen to my clients’ needs and desires and finding inventive ways to create more functionality and beauty in their space. Video content has been a more recent addition to our client communication, to educate clients with a video diary of their project which also serves to keep them excited and engaged. The most frequent comment I receive about the manufacturing process is ‘wow, I didn’t realize how much work went into it!’. Time lapse videos of installations are fun to watch back and share with clients. 

We strive to create an experience, where the client is taken on the journey with us as their project is crafted. It starts with video of materials arriving at the shop, the cutting process through assembly, on to the finishing process and ultimately the installation. This video documentation is a tool that allows reflection on our end to identify areas where we can further improve the process and experience. This documentation is something I’m impassioned about – future craftsmen can see how things were done 50 years ago. I would find it infinitely fascinating to have the ability to look back from where I am now to observe the skills and methods of those craftsmen who came before.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My father died when I was only 8, and my mum had only been in Australia for 10 years at that time. She was an inspiration to me, she raised me on her own with little to no family support. I moved to Canada in 2008 and found the distance challenging as I couldn’t provide the physical help I wanted to. In 2018 we received a call that Mum was very ill and would be airlifted to a hospital in Adelaide. I left my young family behind in Canada and was with Mum when she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Once she was settled back home with home healthcare in place, I returned to Canada. Two months later, we flew with our 3.5-year-old and 22-month-old children to Australia to spend two months with Mum. She was very reluctant to fly even before her illness, so it was her first in-person meeting with her grandchildren. Through the end of 2018 and into 2019, Mum continued to do well with regular visits from home care and help from friends.

Upon our return I often struggled with the thought of Mum’s approaching death, and remember times where I was so emotional, I would lose focus and had to stop, as I couldn’t work safely. Before my father died, he made me promise to always look after Mum. As I was unable to be there physically, I felt guilty, as in my mind, that promise implied physical help, more than emotional support. Every time she rang, I was apprehensive, wondering what might have gone wrong.

We decided we would travel as a family again to spend December 2019 with Mum. We ended up with 6 weeks of wonderful weather and created even better memories though there was a constant backdrop of severe bushfires throughout much of Australia. We started our return journey to Canada the same day Mum had a CT scan to assess her cancer progression. There was no advancement of her cancer at that scan. 

Only a month after our return to Canada, Mum called with the news that her cancer was now in her liver, her liver was failing, and she had 3 weeks left. The decision was made to leave the kids with family. My wife and I flew to Australia to be with Mum through the end. It was a somber journey, knowing that when we returned to Canada, it would be because Mum was dead. On our arrival, she asked how long we were staying and was so relieved when we told her we were there until the end. She lasted a week beyond the doctor’s prediction and we were able to keep her at home until the end and held her hands as she took her last breaths. We then faced the challenge of sorting out as much of Mum’s affairs as possible, arranging for her funeral and writing her eulogy, all in the face of a world that was shutting down with the spread of COVID. Her funeral was held 4 days after she died, and we departed three days later for Melbourne to catch one of the last few Air Canada flights to Vancouver that year. Until we were through security in Melbourne there was a constant undercurrent of anxiety that with borders closing, we might not make it back to the kids in Canada. 

Our return to Canada saw us in quarantine for 14 days only to emerge in a different world. I had to navigate the changes COVID caused for my business while I grieved for Mum. 

I have tried to look for the positives in my journey with Mum, I am grateful that we were able to be with her at the end and that we made it safely back to our children. I remember a moment where she voiced her frustration that she had no energy, and that she felt lazy. I use that memory to motivate myself, her drive was such that even riddled with cancer, she felt she *should* be doing more. I try to maintain an optimistic outlook and don’t allow small things to concern me. Her loss has encouraged me to be much more open with my emotions and the challenges I have faced dealing with the distance and her loss. I endured this test of my resilience and strength, and it gives me confidence that I can handle anything life throws at me. 

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative?

I find fulfilment in the process of guiding a homeowner through the initial planning stage, listening to their frustrations and struggles with their current space and finding a way to create a place that their family will enjoy and use for years to come. I receive great satisfaction from the knowledge that our work improves peoples’ lives. One client shared that it was a year after I finished her kitchen renovation that she finally stopped tearing up when she entered the kitchen. She loved it so much and couldn’t believe she finally had her dream kitchen. My role as a designer and craftsman is infinitely rewarding as we bring these dreams to life. 

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My father died when I was only 8, and my mum had only been in Australia for 10 years at that time. She was an inspiration to me, she raised me on her own with little to no family support. I moved away to Canada in 2008 and found it difficult when she needed help and I couldn’t easily get there to help her. In 2018 we received a call that she was very ill and would be airlifted to a hospital in Adelaide. My wife arranged for a flight for me to leave within 24 hours of this news and I arrived in Adelaide to be with Mum through her diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer. I was able to get her settled back in her home with support in place before returning to my family in Canada. Two months later, we flew with our 3.5-year-old and 22-month-old children to Australia to spend two months with Mum. My wife accompanied Mum to her chemotherapy appointments and we both did as much as we could to help her around the house. Mum had become very resistant to the idea of flying, so it was the first time she met either of our kids in person. Through the end of 2018 and into 2019, Mum continued to do well with regular visits from home care and help from friends. Upon our return I often struggled with the thought of her approaching death, and remember times where I was so emotional, I lost focus and had to stop work, as I couldn’t ensure my safety. There was a lot of guilt as well, with the distance keeping me from doing more than supporting her emotionally. Every time she rang, I was anxious, wondering what might be wrong.
We decided we would travel as a family again to spend December 2019 with Mum. We ended up with 6 weeks of wonderful weather and even better memories created. The only downside of the visit was the backdrop of severe bushfires throughout much of Australia that summer. We started our return journey to Canada the same day Mum had a CT scan to assess her cancer progression. There was no change reported, compared to the previous scans.
Only a month after our return to Canada, Mum called us with the news that her cancer had spread to her liver, and she was in end-stage liver failure. Her oncologist estimated she had 3 weeks left to live. We left the kids with my mother-in-law and my wife and I flew to Australia to be with Mum through the end. It was a somber journey, especially as our most recent memories of her were of her laughing with the kids and giving them cuddles before we left. Mum lasted a week beyond the doctor’s prediction and my wife and I were able to keep her at home until the end, and both of us held her hands as she took her last breaths. We then faced the challenge of sorting out as much of Mum’s affairs as possible, arranging for her funeral and writing her eulogy, all in the face of a world that was shutting down with the spread of COVID. Her funeral was held 4 days after she died, and we departed three days later for Melbourne to catch one of the last few flights Air Canada made directly from Melbourne to Vancouver that year. We’d thankfully decided to rent a car instead of flying with the regional airline from country South Australia to Melbourne as at midnight the night before our scheduled departure, South Australia closed its borders and all regional flights were cancelled.
Our return to Canada saw us in quarantine for 14 days only to emerge in a different world. I had to navigate the changes COVID caused for my business while I grieved for Mum.
I have tried to look for the positives in my journey with Mum, I am grateful that we were able to be with her at the end and that we made it safely back to our children. I remember a moment where she voiced her frustration that she had no energy, and that she felt lazy. I use that memory to motivate myself, her drive was such that even riddled with cancer, she felt she *should* be doing more. I try to maintain an optimistic outlook and don’t allow small things to concern me. Her loss has encouraged me to be much more open with my emotions and the challenges I have faced dealing with the distance and her loss. I endured this test of my resilience and strength, and it gives me confidence that I can handle anything life throws at me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.southernstarswoodwork.ca
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/southernstarswoodwork/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/southernstarswoodwork/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/southernstarswoodwork/
• Other: www.houzz.com/pro/southernstarswoodwork

Image Credits
Rocket Grid Studio