LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE JASON WATERS
A skateboarder's journal of life beyond Schizophrenia
In his follow up to Unbalanced: A Life of Schizophrenia and Skateboarding Jason Waters covers more ground with new insightful details of transcending stigma to lead a dynamic life. This book focuses on more of the overcoming than the suffering of mental illness. Written by Jason Waters who experienced schizophrenia at age twenty. Years of remission later after being diagnosed with Covid-19 in December of 2022. The first draft was written by hand using drawing pens and sketchbooks. This lead to a flow without editing that comes with going straight to a keyboard. Jason's background and favorite art medium is drawing with pen so it felt natural to handle the writing process in this manner before getting on the computer.
Two parts of the cover were done by hand. The Lightning Strikes Twice text was done by Lino cut which is basically like creating a stamp by carving a block of linoleum and inking it to create a print. The sequence drawing of the skateboarder is a self portrait that illustrates Jason's more technical side of skating with a step by step of a frontside tail slide kick flip out. This shows how a move can be broken down into several smaller movements that combine to make one trick. Jason is well known in his hometown of Charlotte, NC for his involvement in skating that has spanned over three decades. He has traveled around the country looking for new skate spots.
Jason has lived with schizophrenia for twenty-seven years and been in remission for about twenty years. He attributes much of his success dealing with the challenges to his support group and family, finding sobriety and participating in a clinical trial. Jason has a bachelor's degree in art and finds that art provides a way to adapt in an ever changing world.
