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

Hi Arthur, how do you think about risk?
Risk is very important if I want to survive. Without risk, I would be afraid to leap into projects. The biggest risk I have ever taken is on myself. I trust my character to get me through anything, especially when I live in a world that challenges my well-being. It’s crucial to have a strong support system and know where to turn when things get rough. Without risk, I would never have published a book nor gotten a full-time tenure track position teaching at a local college. Risk is walking through fear to achieve my goals.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a writer. It is what I have loved to do my whole life. I am unsure what sets me apart from anyone else, but I can tell you that something changed in my writing after I got suicidal during the pandemic. I did not want to live anymore, and that, for some strange reason, catapulted me into a voice that I had never met but had known my whole life. This unapologetic, tender, sincere, austere, wise, foolish, childlike, experimental, and edgy person inside me has a story to tell, which changed everything.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to Katsuya (if they like sushi) and then a bookstore like Skylight Books or The Last Bookstore, and then maybe some coffee. If there was a reading or a play in town, why not. I am homebody. This question was tough.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my therapist, Carolyn Wheeler, who, through EMDR therapy, helped me face my anxiety, depression, and CPTSD. I would still be locked in my fear had I not reached out to her for help.

Website: https://www.artkay.org/

Instagram: @arthurkayzakian

Linkedin: Arthur Kayzakian

Twitter: @Artkay19

Facebook: Arthur Kayzakian

Image Credits
Photography is by Andy Smith. I have rights to use these images.

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