About Me

My name is Charles Vangas. Born in Columbus, Ohio 8/29/1986 and raised in the small town of Bexley. Grew up kind of an awkward kid. Always a little nerdy and for as long as I can remember, loved creating things. Whether it was model cars or airplanes, to any kind of art and design. Growing up, my father Charles, was a landscape designer and woodworker. He specialized in refinishing and cabinetry, but an overall expert woodworker and lathe turner. It wasn't long before I started to get my hands into my dad's shop. I was quite young, before high school, when I first started helping. Then high school hit and I started a year round soccer career that took up all of my time so I kind of lost interest in the woodworking, and started to lose my love to create. I ended up with a small scholarship to play soccer at Urbana University but quickly realized this college was not for me and my soccer career was over. I attended a couple other universities studying in different fields such as architectural design and drafting but never ended up following through. I ended up in the restaurant business for a long time and about 6 years ago I started working with my mom and dad at Wood Werks Supply in Gahanna. Immediately I fell in love with woodworking all over again. Fast forward a little bit, I had been drinking since I was 14 and had become an alcoholic before I was 30. At 37 I was lost. I didn't know who I was anymore. All I knew was alcohol. I was married to a wonderful woman who will always be my best friend, but alcohol got in the way and ended up splitting us apart. A couple years later I had found myself so sick and couldn't function without alcohol. It was tearing my life apart. Family and, at the time, girlfriend were pleading that I seek help. Instead I ran. I didn't run far. Something in me decided to pull off the highway and check into a rehab facility. Once admitted they quickly noticed how sick I really was and immediately called for an ambulance to take me to the hospital. There I was told if I didn't stop drinking I would most certainly die. I had been diagnosed with ascites and end stage liver disease. Not something you want to hear as a 37 year old at the time. I toughed it out in rehab for almost 2 months. During that time is when I found myself again. My true self. My love for art. Reading, writing, drawing, painting, music, and woodworking. I am happily sober and in recovery and trying to live life for me. I reconnected with my ex-wife and we remain very close friends and I will always love her. Other than that, it is just me and my other little best friend and shop mate, Arthur the mini golden-doodle.

There are two people in my life that I want to thank the most. To my mom and dad, it is beyond description the love and appreciation for everything you have ever done for me in my life. Without you and the absolute strength and willingness to never give up you have shown me has been nothing short of inspiring. You helped me not only get sober but keep me wanting to better myself. I love you both with all my heart.