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

Jim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I’m now at an age where I spend a bit more time than normal reviewing the highs and lows of my life. As a result, I’ve often been impressed by how often major gains in my life were brought about by the kindness of others. Probably the biggest, most long-lasting and significant kindness that was bestowed on me (besides the innumerable kind and supportive acts by my mom, actress Marion Ross) was by a painting teacher whose class wasn’t even one that I wanted to sign up for.
When I was 19 and in college at the University of California, Santa Cruz, I was intent on learning to paint. I wanted to be a realist painter. (I also wanted to be an actor, but was very disinterested in training to be one, and just did the odd play here and there, which turned out to be a fortunate choice.)
UCSC was in a kind of time warp in the late seventies and early eighties, and was firmly dramatizing the tumult and social freedoms of the prior decade of the 1960’s. So, though it was a great place to study abstract expressionist painting techniques, it was the worst place in the world to find training as a realist painter. Realism? How gauche!
I took several classes with teachers who were good at splashing paint, and less good at painting things that were identifiable, and was myself starting to go down the road towards being the kind of artist who could talk convincingly about how important the work was, despite how unfathomable it appeared to a less “educated” viewer.
Then, despite my desire to get into the class of another popular “splashy” teacher, I got put into a painting class with a visiting artist from Spain, a man named Miguel Argüello.
Miguel was many things, but he was NOT an abstract expressionist.
He was a classically trained Spanish realist painter, from a country that produced many of the world’s finest, including Goya, El Greco and the matchless Diego Velazquez.
I was to spend three years studying, living with and learning from Miguel, and various adventures ensued, but the point I want to make here is his generosity towards me, which to this day I am as equally grateful for as baffled by.
My late teens and early twenties were periods of great uncertainty and turmoil for me as I struggled with personal issues that are far too embarrassing to share here. Suffice it to say, I was not a very pleasant or trustworthy person to have near at hand. My intentions may have been sterling, but were far too concealed from view, and contrasted with my general behavior towards others.
If I had such a person in my life today, I would block them from calling or texting, and if they came to my door, I would find some reason to hide in the back until they left.
Miguel, however, despite my flaws continued to try and help me become a painter. He talked to me patiently, invited me to come and live with him and his wife, in Spain and then again when we returned to Santa Cruz. He really was a complete mentor who took responsibility for me and eventually put me on a path where I could actually climb up the ladder towards becoming a contributing citizen, as well as a competent painter.
I honestly don’t know what he saw in me that warranted all the complications I brought to his life, but at this point, and even though I eventually chose not to pursue painting as my full time career, I see that my time with him gave me a foundation of trust in my own abilities that allowed me to pursue many other areas of knowledge, and eventually grow as a performing artist.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve been an actor in TV, radio, film, theater, animation and audiobooks for nearly forty years (gasp!) From my humble beginnings in New York City working as a character designer for Rankin/Bass productions, to becoming a very in-demand voice actor for commercials, doing countless improvised commercials as an on-camera talent for many clients, then graduating into feature films and television shows, including several Best Picture nominated movies, I’ve been fortunate to work with some very bright and creative people.
I have directed audio books in multi-cast productions, and have myself at this writing narrated around 300 titles.
My one-man Jimpressions show has been seen all over the world and is now reaching a global audience thru live streaming.
I create hours of creative material for social media every week and have many loyal followers who enjoy watching me imitate famous people in unlikely situations.
Above all I am someone who delights in helping others, and sharing what I know.
I may not be as patient as a Miguel Argüello, but I do love people.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

The book The Problems of Work, by American philosopher and author L. Ron Hubbard is a simple book that I find myself returning to again and again. I can say that I have built my business and have weathered many difficult times by using the information in that book, and I turn to it whenever the challenges outweigh my abilities.
I didn’t have much in the way of training in business, and learned by doing and observation, trial and error. The data in The Problems of Work is simple and applicable to the arts as well as other endeavors, and isolates what one should be doing, and what direction one should move in, and makes the complexity of modern business more understandable.
I recommend it whole-heartedly.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Early in my journey, I would take time to listen to people who were critical of me or my artistic attempts. That’s generally considered to be acceptable, to learn the “hard truths” and “get out of one’s comfort zone.” Sure, they might leave behind them a trail of weeping and abused people who have given up on their art entirely, but–hey! That’s just how it is, right? I know now, after long, LONG experience, that critical people are the LAST people one should consult for any honest appraisal of one’s art.
I used to think that people purporting to have my best interests at heart would give me the bad news I needed, and that I would grow as a result, suffering discomfort only to sprout new leaves, like being clipped by a remorseless and businesslike gardener.
Those people who felt it their responsibility to tell me my shortcomings and deride my misplaced confidence in myself were not acting out of friendliness, but out of a joyless, craven fear that someone might actually do well.
So, I never listen to the critics, or the “friendly” person who needs to let me know about my failures or shortcomings. I just keep working and observe how little these “experts” actually accomplish in their sorry little lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: jimmeskimen.com
• Instagram: @jimpressions
• Facebook: Jim Meskimen
• Linkedin: jim meskimen
• Twitter: @meskimenjim
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jimmeskimen

Image Credits
For the wall with paintings: Oil paintings by Jim Meskimen for the drawing of the man with the beard: Portrait of my father by Jim Meskimen, graphite on paper 1982 For the one with all the cartoon characters around my head shot: Jim Meskimen surrounded by characters from animation and video games he has voiced.