Jim Henson
Founder of Muppets Inc.-Creator of Muppets
His career: Young at Heart
While individual Muppets were slowly being created and displayed in various media outlets, it wasn’t until 1969, when they began to appear in Sesame Street, that their popularity soared. Created by the Children’s Television Workshop, Henson was hired to contribute to the show, but was initially reluctant to accept for fear of being pigeonholed as a children’s entertainer. Nevertheless, he accepted and soon, his creations of Bert and Ernie, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch were captivating both young and old around the world.
Starting Out:
While in high school, Henson began working for a TV station and started making puppets for a children's show on Saturday mornings. After graduating high school he went to college to major in studio arts. It was in college where he began making puppets and experimenting with them on TV. He designed his puppets to have more life-like characteristics by making them with a special type of foam. As a freshman in college he had been asked to create a 5 minute puppet show for the TV station and it became a big success. Then Jim Henson and Jane Nebel created Muppets Inc. In 1969 the company started creating characters for Sesame Street.
Jim Henson with Ernie
Sesame Street & Fraggle Rock puppets
Miss Piggy
His beliefs
Lesson #1: Embrace Your Inner Child
“The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children,” said Henson.
Lesson #2: Be Positive
“I believe in taking a positive attitude toward the world, toward people, toward my work,” said Henson.
Lesson #3: Believe In Yourself
“The show’s not dead as long as I believe in it,” Kermit The Frog says in The Muppets Take Manhattan. “The frog is stayin’.” Much like his beloved signature Muppet, Henson’s determination and faith in his abilities were two of the driving factors behind his successful career.
Lesson #4: Be A Pioneer
Henson not only revolutionized children’s television around the world, but with his pioneering technology, he also brought puppetry to a higher level. His success came from being able to devise a new way to approach an ancient art form. Henson set what would become the new standard in the industry with his imaginative ability to think outside the box.
Lesson #5: Drive Yourself Hard
“The only way the magic works is by hard work,” said Henson. “But hard work can be fun.”
“The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children,” said Henson.
Lesson #2: Be Positive
“I believe in taking a positive attitude toward the world, toward people, toward my work,” said Henson.
Lesson #3: Believe In Yourself
“The show’s not dead as long as I believe in it,” Kermit The Frog says in The Muppets Take Manhattan. “The frog is stayin’.” Much like his beloved signature Muppet, Henson’s determination and faith in his abilities were two of the driving factors behind his successful career.
Lesson #4: Be A Pioneer
Henson not only revolutionized children’s television around the world, but with his pioneering technology, he also brought puppetry to a higher level. His success came from being able to devise a new way to approach an ancient art form. Henson set what would become the new standard in the industry with his imaginative ability to think outside the box.
Lesson #5: Drive Yourself Hard
“The only way the magic works is by hard work,” said Henson. “But hard work can be fun.”
Information from http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/590/summary.php