Author, former musician, and photographer/videographer Timothy Lyon Jr. is a Warren County native who has 4 published works and counting. Hitting several Amazon Top 100 Charts with his debut novel, “Ashes A World’s Fair Saga,” it also won the 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Award.

This article is part of the “Meet Your Neighbor Monday” series, highlighting the stories of individuals who make Warren County a special place to live. If you have a suggestion for a person to profile, email jrex@timesobserver.com

Timothy Lyon Jr. is an artist of many trades.

Growing up in the Pittsfield area and a 2010 Youngsville High School Graduate, Lyon was the Historian of his graduating class, and well known for his music. He attended districts, regions, and states with the orchestra and band.

Lyon graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2013 with a bachelor’s in Visual Effects and Motion Design. With experience in filmmaking and photography, his major encompassed a lot of different avenues in the entertainment production industry, but it was revealed to him shortly before graduating that the visual effects industry had become volatile. This led Lyon to steer away from it. Instead, he worked on a few short films, one movie and, he was also a wedding filmmaker for about five years. Alongside all of that, Lyon did some ghostwriting novels for other people.

Lyon’s first published written work was the original version of “Ashes” in 2016 but upon realizing it did not have a strong enough foundation to build a whole series on, Lyon committed to rewriting it with the 2021 re-release possible with a much better success. The work on its sequel immediately began and was nearly finished with the rough draft, except Lyon suffered a head injury causing everything to be put on hiatus.

The accident happened in 2022 when Lyon was struck on the side of his head.

“I don’t usually bring it up anymore because I try not to let it define me anymore,” Lyon said, though he added it is well worth mentioning for the purpose of finding triumph over tragedy. “I would like people to see that you can leave these traumatic injuries behind and that they don’t have to be a part of you anymore. You can move on and find a new future.”

Not thinking too much about the accident directly after it happened, Lyon later found that his balance was off and he could not focus. Suffering a concussion, as well as post-concussion syndrome, whiplash, trouble with his eyes and a rough physical state caused a lack of activity and other issues.

“What felt like a month was nearly half a year. My mood was muffled, and I was simply going through the motions,” said Lyon.

The next two years were spent with doctors and specialists in Erie and Cleveland. His nervous system was muffled, or overactive depending on the day.

“It was expensive; it was time-consuming, but I gave up a lot of my time and life to focus on finding myself and recovering,” Lyon said.

Lyon described how he felt stuck in a body that was misfiring and it warped how he saw life.

“My grandpa told me, ‘what we cannot cure, we must endure,”‘ he said.

While Lyon can agree with that, he did not want to live in fear and decided he would not suffer like that the rest of his life. Neuroplasticity exercises for his brain and learning a new language were part of his recovery. Working to rebuild himself in several ways to become the healthiest he could, Lyon had to learn to deal with the experience and the fears and overloaded emotions that came with it. He wanted to find a reason he was still here, and ultimately what his purpose in life was. Committing to a healthier lifestyle with food and exercise changes, Lyon did not want to mask the symptoms for the rest of his life but instead wanted to fix what was possible.

“Our bodies want to heal, and I was going to give it everything it needed before I went down that road. Not that I am against medicine when needed, but I was determined to see what I could do first by treating my body right,” said Lyon.

While recovery went well, Lyon still faces challenges with how his body changed as a result of the accident.

“The biggest thing is I could find peace in what happened. This injury changed my life, in bad ways and good,” Lyon said.

Not allowing it to define his life, Lyon learned about advocating for himself with his health. While not able to do much writing among other things, there was a need for doing something practical, without the use of screens. It was then that he took an interest in bookbinding and woodworking and wanted to turn it into something more. The name Oak and Ash Bindery came about while brainstorming a new book idea. The name fit the theme of that potential series and became the umbrella for his writing, bookbinding, and smaller woodworking projects. Although a century or more late to the bookbinding industry, Lyon enjoyed it at the time, saying that it helped with his recovery.

“I have written many books, and “Eclipse” has been the most fun,” Lyon said. “As my skills improve, the story weaves in more engaging ways.”

One of Lyon’s most recently published works is a story in a card and puzzle format called “21 Wishes.” Incredibly unique, the story is dyslexia-friendly and color-blind accessible. Sharing that the story came to him during a dark period in his life, Lyon wanted to focus on something lighthearted. Recognizing the difficulties that any era can have on children growing up, Lyon has always been an advocate in helping others on an emotional level.

“Emotions are okay, you can have good and bad feelings, but knowing how to navigate them is something that is sometimes lost,” Lyon said. “I know as a kid, and even to this day, I wished I knew where I belonged in the world. I felt many others had the same wish, and that was the basis for 21 Wishes.”

The story is about a young girl who wishes to find her place in the world. Exploring the journey of friendship; dealing with mistakes and forgiveness are some of the key takeaways from it.

“I used techniques and design principles to make it easier to read, including most forms of color blindness, and those with dyslexia,” he said.

Much of Lyon’s inspiration came from retired band director Cynthia Scheid. He shared that joining the marching band with her as his director was the foundation from everything that has, and is to come.

“I started to figure myself out as a person, found some of my best friends, and I have many fond memories,” Lyon said.

During a special moment in Scheid’s final Memorial Day parade last year, Lyon felt that it was an honor to do one of the final tap offs for the Youngsville Marching Eagles before the school closed. He is forever grateful for how his experience pointed him in the right direction in life.

“It showed me what truly is important,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of people have that realization until later in life, but I was gifted with that sight now. I want to put good in the world and enjoy it thoroughly. My gift is through stories, and if I can make a positive change, enjoy life creatively, and help people along the way, that is what matters to me.”

When Lyon is not writing, he enjoys drinking tea, listening to music, and testing his cooking skills. Currently working on book 2 in the Eclipse series, Lyon expects the book to be released later this year. For more information, visit www.timothylyonjr.com