Jim Henson Quotes

Someday we'll find it the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me

Certainly I've lived my whole life through my imagination. But the world of imagination is there for all of us
a sense of play, of pretending, of wonder. It's there with us as we live.

(Lisa Henson about her father) He admired the job of the man who walks along the road picking up trash with a long stick. He thought that guy had a great job, walking along with a stick, enjoying the road, and doing only good in the world, with hundreds of small actions.

Here's some simple advice: Always be yourself. Never take yourself to seriously. And beware of advice from experts, pigs, and members of Parliament.

The most sophisticated people I've ever known had just one thing in common: they were all in touch with their inner children.

Yeah, I think we did the term Muppets before we got the show Sam and Friends - a few months after I started working.

You're assisting the audience to understand; you're giving them a bridge or an access. And if you don't give them that, if you keep it more abstract, it's almost more pure. It's a cooler thing.

I really do believe that all of you are at the beginning of a wonderful journey. As you start traveling down that road of life, remember this: There are never enough comfort stops. The places you're going to are never on the map. And once you get that map out, you won't be able to re-fold it no matter how smart you are.
So forget the map, roll down the windows, and whenever you can pull over and have picnic with a pig. And if you can help it never fly as cargo.

The most sophisticated people I know - inside they are all children.

I believe that we form our own lives, that we create our own reality, and that everything works out for the best.

I think there are lots of ways of leading very good lives and growing spiritually. This process of growth goes on whether we believe it or not.

I decided that what I really wanted to do was go off and paint.

[Kids] don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.

If you take a character and you call him a frog, or like Rowlf, our dog, call him a dog, you immediately give the audience a handle.

I do remember doing shows strictly in black and white, too, so you're right.

There was a little afternoon show that was called Afternoon. Back in those days in television, most local stations had a midday show for housewives that had a series of things. It was like a variety show for midday.

It's a wonderful life and I love it.

Yeah, I did some small parts in high school and the first year of college and then fairly soon thereafter I settled into the backstage scenery, and then at the University of Maryland I was doing posters for their productions.

It has always been difficult to get Big Bird to be very pretty. Big Bird in England is much more gorgeous.

Life is meant to be fun, and joyous, and fulfilling.

I believe that life is basically a process of growth-that we go through many lives, choosing those situations and problems that we will learn through.

Actually the copies of characters is something I don't particularly like to talk about in articles but just for your information, most characters there's only one.

If anything, there's a difference in working with color in England and the color in the US.

It's into the same bag as E.T. and Yoda, wherein you're trying to create something that people will actually believe, but it's not so much a symbol of the thing, but you're trying to do the thing itself.

Take what you got and fly with it.

I think my own strengths are in television production.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on an evening star? Somebody thought of it and someone believed it, and look what its done so far.

NBC was trying to convert all of their local programming to color right away to encourage the sale of the sets, so I barely remember working in black and white, although I do know that I did do it, but there was not a major difference, though.

No, there's not much competition between puppeteers in general because everybody's working their own style.

Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep but it's not so bad
I don't worry and I don't weep. In fact I'm glad.
Because I get up off my pillow and I flip on the light.
I get down and get hip in the still of the night I stretch and I yawn and then I breathe real deep And dance myself to sleep.
I hoof around my beddie just a-tappin' my toes
Before I know what's happened I'm a-ready to doze
Got some partners I can count the boogie-woogie sheep
I dance myself to sleep.

At the time of Polaroid - and I did a couple of other commercials just before I stopped doing that stuff - at that point I was at the level where they respect you and your opinion and all that sort of thing.

Watch out for each other. Love everyone and forgive everyone, including yourself. Forgive your anger. Forgive your guilt. Your shame. Your sadness. Embrace and open up your love, your joy, your truth, and most especially your heart.

I was very interested in theatre, mostly in stage design. I did a little bit of acting.

No time is wasted time

I think if you study
if you learn too much of what others have done, you may tend to take the same direction as everybody else.

Somebody like a Piggy or a Kermit, there needs to be several versions and so there will be several of them.

Life's like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.

Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It's a good life, enjoy it.

We thought it would be fun to try to design a show that would work well internationally and so that' s what we're intending to do with Fraggle Rock, and we are indeed now selling it around the world.

Do everything at 100 percent of its potential and never accept second best.

I think it's not particularly necessary to lead a religious life. People progress just as well in music, or art, or math or science or gardening or whatever. It all seems to work as well and the process is good.

life is a kind of Labyrinth, with all its twists and turns, its straight paths and its occasional dead ends.

Moving right along
In search of good times
And good news,
With good friends you can't lose.
This could become a habit.
Opportunity just knocked,
Let's reach out and grab it,
Together we'll nab it,
We'll hitch-hike, bus, or yellow cab it.

I know that I personally have felt quite happy because I've done what I wanted to do. I pursued my interests and have thus managed to combine my business with lots of fun. I guess my only advice is to do what you enjoy, and try to do your best with it.

Only time can heal your broken heart. Just as only time can heal his broken arms and legs.

I hope that something better comes along.

If you can't beat them. Join them

All of a sudden you realise that you are the person who has control of your life.

I don't want'a die ... I have other plans! -Fraggle Rock

The beauty of nature has been one of the great inspirations in my life.

We see with our eyes. We know with our hearts. Outside ... Inside.

I guess I was wrong when I said I never promised anyone. I promised me.

Yeah, well when I first started working, it was $5 a show; it was probably a little higher by the time I got to my own show, but I remember that they put me under contract at $100 a week, which to me was really an astronomical price.

But with The Dark Crystal, instead of puppetry we're trying to go toward a sense of realism - toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive and we're mixing up puppetry and all kinds of other techniques.

Follow your enthusiasm. It's something I've always believed
in. Find those parts of your life you enjoy the most. Do what
you enjoy doing.

Yeah, we pretty much had a form and a shape by that time - a style - and I think one of the advantages of not having any relationship to any other puppeteer was that it gave me a reason to put those together myself for the needs of television.

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. You have no power over me!

At the University of Maryland, my first year I started off planning to major in art because I was interested in theatre design, stage design or television design.