A film is not done by one person. It's done by a lot of people. I love this whole collaborative aspect. When it works well, you end up with something better than any of us started out to do.
Jim HensonIf anything, there's a difference in working with color in England and the color in the US.
Jim HensonI believe that we form our own lives, that we create our own reality, and that everything works out for the best.
Jim HensonCertainly 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.
Jim HensonWell, Detroit Institute is kind of a key - probably the largest permanent collection of puppets in the US.
Jim HensonYeah, 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.
Jim HensonYeah, 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.
Jim HensonIt'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.
Jim HensonAs children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood.
Jim HensonYeah, I think we did the term Muppets before we got the show Sam and Friends - a few months after I started working.
Jim HensonThe most sophisticated people I've ever known had just one thing in common: they were all in touch with their inner children.
Jim HensonThere 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.
Jim HensonThe attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.
Jim HensonI try hard not to judge anyone, and I try to bless everyone who is a part of my life, particularly anyone with whom I am having any problems
Jim HensonNBC 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.
Jim HensonI 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.
Jim HensonI spend a few minutes in meditation and prayer each morning. I find that this really helps me to start the day with a good frame of reference. As part of my prayers, I thank whoever is helping me - I'm sure that somebody or something is - I express gratitude for all my blessings and try to forgive the people that I'm feeling negative toward. I try hard not to judge anyone, and I try to bless everyone who is part of my life, particularly anyone with whom I am having any problems.
Jim HensonYes, its one of the basic truths of the universe,....Things don't disappear. They just change, and change and change again.
Jim HensonI've never felt any sense of competition with anybody, and we're all friends. We're all good friends.
Jim Henson(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.
Jim HensonNo, there's not much competition between puppeteers in general because everybody's working their own style.
Jim HensonWhen I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there.
Jim HensonMusic is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry, music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.
Jim HensonI don't know exactly where ideas come from, but when I'm working well ideas just appear. I've heard other people say similar things - so it's one of the ways I know there's help and guidance out there. It's just a matter of our figuring out how to receive the ideas or information that are waiting to be heard.
Jim HensonIf you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn't anything you can't do if you want to.
Jim HensonI 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.
Jim HensonIf our 'message' is anything, it's a positive approach to life. That life is basically good. People are basically good.
Jim HensonAt 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.
Jim HensonIf 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.
Jim Henson