James Maury Henson was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, filmmaker, and screenwriter who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock; and as the director of the movies The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. His characters and those of his assistants included such familiar figures as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster. Inspirational Jim Henson quotes will get you through anything when the going gets tough and help you succeed in every aspect of life.
Most Famous Jim Henson Quotes
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. – Jim Henson
Yeah, I think we did the term Muppets before we got the show Sam and Friends – a few months after I started working. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
My hope is to leave the world a little better for my having been there. – Jim Henson
The personalities of the Muppet characters are really quite innocent and everyone, in some way or another, seems to be able to relate to this innocence. – Jim Henson
My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here. – Jim Henson
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye. – Jim Henson
As 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 Henson
Here’s some simple advice: Always be yourself. Never take yourself to seriously. And beware of advice from experts, pigs, and members of Parliament. – Jim Henson
When 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 Henson
I 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 Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
No time is wasted time. – Jim Henson
There’s not a word yet, for old friends who’ve just met. – Jim Henson
Only time can heal your broken heart. Just as only time can heal his broken arms and legs. – Jim Henson
Life is meant to be fun, and joyous, and fulfilling. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
I know that it’s easier to portray a world that’s filled with cynicism and anger, where problems are solved with violence. What’s a whole lot tougher is to offer alternatives, to present other ways conflicts can be resolved, and to show that you can have a positive impact on your world. To do that, you have to put yourself out on a limb, take chances, and run the risk of being called a do-gooder. – Jim Henson
Life’s like a movie; write your own ending. Keep believing; keep pretending. – Jim Henson
I believe in taking a positive attitude toward the world, toward people, toward my work. I think I’m here for a purpose. I think it’s very likely that we all are, but I’m only sure about myself. I try to tune myself in to whatever it is that I’m supposed to be, and I try to think of myself as a part of all of us – all mankind and all life. I find it’s not easy to keep these lofty thoughts in mind as the day goes by, but it certainly helps me a great deal to start out this way. – Jim Henson
Simple is good. – Jim Henson
The beauty of nature has been one of the great inspirations in my life. – Jim Henson
There’s not a word yet, for old friends who’ve just met. – Jim Henson
Despite this discussion of things spiritual – I still think of myself as a very “human” being. I have the full complement of weaknesses, fears, problems, ego, and sensuality. But I think this is why we’re here – to work our way through all this, and, hopefully, come out a bit wiser and better for having gone through it all. – Jim Henson
Some people claim Kermit is my alter-ego. I’m not sure I know what that means. I like to work Kermit because there’s a lot of leeway for ad-libbing, which I don’t have with most other characters but I’m not sure that I’m not Kermit. – Jim Henson
Yes, it’s one of the basic truths of the universe…Things don’t disappear. They just change and change and change again. – Jim Henson
There’s not much competition between puppeteers in general because everybody’s working their own style. – Jim Henson
Someday we’ll find it. The Rainbow Connection. The lovers, the dreamers, and me. – Jim Henson
I guess I was wrong when I said I never promised anyone. I promised me. – Jim Henson
I think there are lots of ways of leading very good lives and growing spiritually. This process of growth goes on whether we believe in it or not. – Jim Henson
If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn’t anything you can’t do if you want to. – Jim Henson
I’ve always tried to present a positive view of the world in my work. It’s so much easier to be negative and cynical and predict doom for the world than it is to try and figure out how to make things better. We have an obligation to do the latter. – Jim Henson
The 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 Henson
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. – Jim Henson
Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It’s a good life, enjoy it. – Jim Henson
I know it’s easier to portray a world filled with cynicism and anger, where problems are solved with violence…It’s an easy out. What’s a whole lot tougher is to offer alternatives, to present other ways conflicts can be resolved, and to show you can have a positive impact on your world. To do that, you have to put yourself out on a limb, take chances, and run the risk of being called a do-gooder. – Jim Henson
The only way the magic works is by hard work. But hard work can be fun. – Jim Henson
[Kids] don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
I believe that we form our own lives, that we create our own reality, and that everything works out for the best. – Jim Henson
We see with our eyes. We know with our hearts. Outside…Inside. – Jim Henson
All of a sudden you realise that you are the person who has control of your life. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
I 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 Henson
It all ends in one of two ways: either someone gets eaten or something blows up. – Jim Henson
Do the jobs you like least first. It makes each successive job easier. – Jim Henson
I know I drive some people crazy with what seems like ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked for me. – Jim Henson
Music 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 Henson
When The Muppet Show ended, we all sat around and said, what kind of television show would we like to do. We felt the need these days are for some quality children’s programming. – Jim Henson
I’ve never felt any sense of competition with anybody, and we’re all friends; we’re all good friends. – Jim Henson
When I was a kid, I never saw a puppet show. I never played with puppets or had any interest in them. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
If anything, there’s a difference in working with color in England and the color in the US. – Jim Henson
I decided that what I really wanted to do was go off and paint. – Jim Henson
No, there’s not much competition between puppeteers in general because everybody’s working their own style. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
Well, Detroit Institute is kind of a key – probably the largest permanent collection of puppets in the US. – Jim Henson
I think my own strengths are in television production. – Jim Henson
I was very interested in theatre, mostly in stage design. I did a little bit of acting. – Jim Henson
It has always been difficult to get Big Bird to be very pretty. Big Bird in England is much more gorgeous. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
If you’re doing a large, complicated character with radio controls, it might take a number of people several months to make it and if you’re talking about a quick little hand puppet, it could be made in 2 days, so there’s enormous range there, and no real easy generalities. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
We really have a lot of ambitions for this film, – Jim Henson
Let us use this log cabin as a means of looking back. – Jim Henson
Since the show was done in small bits and pieces, we seldom taped anything more than a couple of minutes so generally you could learn your lines. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
Yeah, all the characters in those days were abstract because that was part of the principle that I was working under, that you wanted abstract things. – Jim Henson
When Sesame Street came on – well, it was a combination – we were too busy to do commercials and it was a pleasure to get out of that world. – Jim Henson
the most profound effect on children of any entertainer of his time. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
If you can’t beat them. Join them – Jim Henson
Somebody like a Piggy or a Kermit, there needs to be several versions and so there will be several of them. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
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 it’s done so far. – Jim Henson
I do remember doing shows strictly in black and white, too, so you’re right. – Jim Henson
Television is basically teaching whether you want it to or not. – Jim Henson
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. – Jim Henson
I 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 Henson
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. – Jim Henson
Cara: Flies Gen: What? I don’t have wings! Cara: Ofcourse not! You’re a boy. – 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 Henson
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. – Jim Henson
I don’t resent working long hours. I shouldn’t- I’m the one who set up my life this way. I love to work. It’s the thing that I get the most satisfaction out of-nd probably what I do best. Not that I don’t enjoy days off. I love vacations and loafing around. But I think much of the world has the wrong idea of working. It’s one of the good things in life. The feeling of accomplishment is more real and satisfying than finishing a good meal- or looking at one’s accumulated wealth. – Jim Henson
Never eat anything at one sitting that you can’t lift. – Jim Henson
It’s a wonderful life and I love it. – Jim Henson
Take what you got and fly with it. – Jim Henson
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 Henson
I hope that something better comes along. – Jim Henson
Nobody creates a fad. It just happens. People love going along with the idea of a beautiful pig. It’s like a conspiracy. – Jim Henson
The most sophisticated people I’ve ever known had just one thing in common: they were all in touch with their inner children. – Jim Henson
If our ‘message’ is anything, it’s a positive approach to life. That life is basically good. People are basically good. – Jim Henson
Do everything at 100 percent of its potential and never accept second best. – Jim Henson
I don’t want’a die… I have other plans! – Jim Henson
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! – Jim Henson
This is a great win. That’s a Division I school that has three wins we just beat. There’s a lot of pride. Our kids played their butts off. – Jim Henson
And also there wasn’t much money in television in those days anyhow. – Jim Henson
