We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jaimie Paulson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jaimie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’m currently narrating the audiobook of my father’s recently published poetry book, A Look Inside: Sonnets, Quatrains, Pantoums & Other Poems. This is the most personal project I’ve worked on. Growing up, my father wrote many poems and short stories for my brother and I for Christmas and birthday gifts. Getting to share his work with a wider audience has been a wonderful experience.

Jaimie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m excited to bring decades of performance experience to the world of audiobook narration. Some of my favorite acting roles have been, Maggie, the determined heroine of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; a magical tree in the NYC premiere of Guellen, Kansas; and a whimsical work in progress in Lift, for which I also won the award for Best Screenplay at the Sunset Film Festival.

An award-winning improviser, my natural humor and bright, friendly voice is a perfect fit for YA, Middle Grade, and Children’s lit, as well as the playful and colorful characters of a cozy mystery. With years of experience as both a certified ESL teacher and a performance arts teacher, I’m drawn to scholastic narration, to present information in a uniquely relatable way.

An avid traveler (26 countries to date), I have lived, worked and studied around the country and the world. I even met my husband on a rooftop in Tokyo! We adopted the cutest old baby cat and named him Pablo, after our favorite Japanese cheese tart, of course. When not recording or globetrotting, I can most likely be found watching game shows in my pajamas and eating all of the pizza.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There are many lessons I’ve had to unlearn throughout my career. Things have changed dramatically in the world of performance art, even just over the last five years. When I was younger, I had so many unhealthy narratives fed to me. I’m sure I also had tons of great information around, but that wasn’t always what stuck. I thought how I looked would be much more important than it was, and had a very unhealthy relationship with food and my body. I believed that an actor should be a blank slate to play any role at any time – which often lead to losing one’s true self in the process. I believed that to be a performer was everything, and would sacrifice anything for my career. I believed that putting up with sometimes power-hungry people’s personalities was just something I had to endure.

I am so grateful that I’ve seen these things change. Now, when I’m on set, I see people stick up for themselves and their values. I see people held accountable (not always – this is a work in progress) for their bad behavior. I see actor’s given agency to say no to roles that aren’t in alignment with their values. I see people bring their quirks and flaws and the sparkle that makes them who they are to the role, rather than dimming their light to fit a generic mold they think they are supposed to be.

For myself, I had to step away from my career for awhile and it was the best decision I ever could have made. I was able to see things objectively from the outside. I saw that I could be happy and fulfilled in other ways. I solidified who I am and what I want. I understood that performing did not have to be my everything, but rather a piece of a much larger puzzle that makes up a fulfilled creative life.

When I talk to young actors, I always hope that I can impart this to them. There are many definitions of success. Don’t be afraid to have a relationship or take a vacation or take time to study something else. There is no behind. These timelines are made up. Live your happiest life.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The courses I’ve taken that have had the most impact on me as an actor and narrator from a business perspective are: The Actor’s Think Tank / Actors Insider with Jodie Bentley
The Great Audiobook Adventure and Momentum Club with Elise Arsenault and Justin Marra
The Career Academy with Bill Coelius

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jaimiepaulson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimieppaulson
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimie-paulson-9559578/