Meet Cazzy Zahursky | Children’s Book Author and Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cazzy Zahursky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cazzy, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always enjoyed working in the arts, so I decided to pursue a career in the arts. From a young age, I have enjoyed activities such as drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, and performing. I find immense fulfillment in engaging in many forms of creativity, as they provide me with a sense of purpose and happiness.

In addition to my artistic pursuits, there was a time when I explored other interests, even majoring in biotechnology and computer programming. I worked as a personal trainer for years and was employed at a biotechnology firm for several years right after college, but I always found myself gravitating towards artistic pursuits during my free time. It was no surprise to my colleagues and boss when I decided to switch gears and pursue a more creative career path. Ultimately, storytelling is at the core of who I am, and I find solace and joy in expressing myself through various artistic mediums.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My journey as an author and illustrator has been far from smooth sailing. While my passion for writing and illustrating fuels me, navigating the complexities of the industry has proven to be a steep learning curve. I’ve encountered numerous challenges along the way, and despite overcoming these challenges, new hurdles continue to arise.

My involvement in bringing each book to fruition encompasses many roles: author and illustrator, book formatter, designer, and marketer. Marketing has posed the most significant challenge. Crafting the stories and illustrations comes naturally; it’s the promotional aspect that I find the most challenging.

What sets my work apart is the unique nature of my stories. They’re designed to be thought-provoking and often feature interactive elements or clever wordplay, all while delivering engaging narratives with social-emotional themes. My aim with every book is to evoke a spectrum of emotions, from laughter to sorrow and everything in between, recognizing the importance of exploring and embracing all feelings.

Beyond writing and illustrating, I extend my storytelling through a storytelling YouTube Channel called Story Time with Cazzy. Through my channel, I breathe life into my own creations and those of fellow authors through animated readings complete with silly voices and sound effects.

Finally, during my school visits, I distinguish myself from the rest by providing an immersive ventriloquism performance designed for young readers. This interactive experience features a personalized puppet show starring one of my beloved book characters, Barnabee.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a friend planned to visit me in LA, I’d definitely suggest including these spots in our day’s itinerary: exploring Temescal Canyon on a hike, exploring the Getty Center, enjoying Zuma Beach, and rounding it off with dinner at Geoffrey’s Malibu.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s a long list of people I feel deserve credit for my chosen path, which has led me to my journey as an author and illustrator. For starters, my late grandmother, an artist herself, spent precious hours doing art with me as a child. My parents for always praising my budding passion early on as a child. A number of my friends who have encouraged me to pursue the arts over my initial career in biotechnology, Ruth Ho, for one. Several friends encouraged me to pursue writing and illustrating after having written a few custom books for the children of some of my friends; Maria Toler is among one of the very first of these friends.

My current author community is immensely helpful with my journey. There are so many in this community that I cannot possibly name them all, but you know who you are! One particular group of authors is referred to as AF (Author Force), but there are also so many more. Without this wonderful community of authors I’ve befriended worldwide, it would be a very lonely and discouraging journey.

I’m grateful to my daughters and nieces for being a significant source of inspiration!

I am fortunate and grateful to have such a robust support system of friends and family cheering me on.

Website: www.CircleTimeBooks.com

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/cazzycreates

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cazzycreates

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CircleTimeBooks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/@CircleTimeBooks