Artistic builder

VALDEEN SHEARS

Blind faith, incredible perseverance and sheer determination to succeed, are the traits which Hayden Williams held onto when he laid on the hospital bed.

Williams was only 23 when he lost his right hand in a motorcycle accident in Point Fortin.

Losing his limb, though, only slowed Williams down – it did not stop him, as the father of four rambunctious boys, is actually left handed.

The 46-year-old owner and chief designer at Artistic Furnishings and General Co Ltd, Parrylands, Gonzales Village, Point Fortin, recently sat with Business Day, and recalled his journey of acceptance and overcoming.

While, he said, he does not attend church frequently, Williams firmly believes there are consequences to being disobedient to God.

Williams, who came from a very spiritual home, was scheduled to have been attending Bible classes on that fateful day.

Instead, he decided, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up going for a spin on his recently bought motorbike.

"Funny, even as I realised and accepted that I had lost my hand, I was extremely thankful to God for sparing my good hand. The accident really opened my eyes to my true God-given talent, as a designer and artistic builder. It's amazing the lessons we learn in life and often even more amazing the way in which we do learn them. I could have come out unscathed or I could have died, but God saw it fit to spare not just my life, but the hand with which I could continue my trade and grow a lucrative business," he said, shaking his head.

Following the accident, Williams admitted there had been "bad" days, but self-motivation and support from his family saw him through months of pain and physical therapy.

Sought after in South

Now, as if to say, "You still can't beat me", Williams has since gone on to be one of the most sought after carpenters/joiners in south Trinidad.

So much so that he is booked solid until March next year.

"It's when people think I can't do it (building) I am motivated to create even more. Customers' doubt inspires, fuels my drive to produce their requests either exactly how they envisioned or even more intricate than they wanted. They have to continue to be amazed," stated a smiling Williams.

He firmly believes God spared his left hand, so he could continue to realise his dream of becoming an internationally acclaimed craftsman.

This goal, is not only understandable, but judging from his pieces, very reachable.

Williams' artistic flair leads to carpentry that is as intricate as they are efficient.

His mother's home, adjacent to his workshop, boasts several of his pieces, including a cupboard which looks simple from the outside but is far from it.

One of the many styles, he said, is called a Lazy Susan, with circular shelves pulling out the instant one opens the door.

Williams said it was designed for convenience for busy mothers, who can't waste precious time trying to get to stray items lodged at the back of their cupboards.

Some of his designs, he said, comes to him while he is at sleep.

"I live and breathe and dream my creations. They often come to me while I asleep. I jump out of bed and have to start creating what I know has to be both artistic and practical for my customers' needs," explained Williams.

Recognised for his gifts

This drive has seen him earned both local (Point Fortin) and national recognition.

Williams entered and placed second in the Prime Minister's Award for Innovation and Invention competition, in 2004, with a security telephone system which restricted unauthorised callers, but allowed access to emergency numbers.

One of the main features of the wall unit was that it also prevented users from removing the telephone from the owner's intended place.

Williams also received the Naranjit Award for "courage, determination, perseverance and overcoming disability" from the Point Fortin Borough Corporation.

He said even at the Prime Minister's competition there were those who expressed disbelief. Little did they know, though, that his gift was hereditary.

Williams' trade is actually the continuation of the profession taught to him by his father and honed through employment with joiner Brian James, also of Point Fortin.

His skills did not go unnoticed by James, who rehired him after his rehabilitation.

While at work, though, Williams said he knew he was not fulfilling his purpose, as his creative senses heightened daily. He said he knew God had a bigger plan for his life.

Ironically, it was the insurance money from the accident which enabled him to establish and register his business in under a year.

It helped that several of his clients were confident of his skills and continued to seek him out when he launched out on his own.

Williams laughed when recalling how new clients would indirectly question his capabilities the minute they saw he worked with one hand.

However, his clients are reassured that their homes would be outfitted with signature pieces.

"I try to ensure that no two kitchens are ever alike. I design and create difference for my customers. It’s mostly always done from my head, unless I give it to an employee or trainee to complete," he said.

Williams suffered a great loss in 2011, when one of his long-standing trainees, turned employee, 25-year-old, Dane Gift died suddenly in a vehicular accident.

"That one was hard and reminded me also of how short life could be, how sudden things can change and keeps me humbled, being reminded that I too could have died. We felt Dane's death really badly, he was a friend more than an employee," he said wistfully.

In the last ten years, Williams has added a female employee to his workshop, who is not intimidated at all by the skills of her male peers.

In fact, he said, she does every aspect of the job, done by his two male workers, except for handling the more complicated "dangerous" tools. It's not that he doesn't think she is capable, though, it's that the equipment often calls for brute strength to manipulate correctly and it's a risk better not taken.

Certainly, one who knows about the consequence of taking a risk, Williams' daring spirit is today fulfilled through his creativity and the unbridled satisfaction he sees across the faces of his many clients.