Jim Henson's Creative Legacy

When we begin to get older and enter adulthood, there is the preconception that we must abandon that which does not serve us in our work. Creativity and imagination are often being cast aside in the belief that these things are only acceptable to engage with as children. But why is this? Why has creativity been regulated to the realm of childhood, and what can we do to change this mindset? And what’s more, why is it so important that we don’t forget and abandon our creative spark, even into adulthood?

As our world continues to become more and more sophisticated and technologically advanced there is a mounting pressure and expectation for humans to follow suit. And in turn, as the world becomes more complex and challenging to live in, we have an ever increasing list of responsibilities.

It is often the case that we become too embroiled in these responsibilities, unknowingly allowing ourselves to be shackled by them, believing that we no longer have the time or the need to be creative or imaginative.

However, there have been remarkable champions of creativity on our television screens as far back as the 1950’s, freeing us from these shackles, and reminding us of the transformative power of our imaginations.

Created in the early fifties by Jim Henson, The Muppets are an ensemble cast of puppet characters who sing, dance, tell jokes, and perform stunts of incredible daring on one of the most iconic TV programs of all time, The Muppet Show.

Prior to their own television show, characters like Kermit the Frog and Ralph the Dog appeared in one off advertisements and sketch comedies, but it wasn’t until 1976 that The Muppet Show was given the green light. The show was incredibly successful, gaining both commercial and critical acclaim.

As the programme continued to win hearts and even went on to win multiple Emmys, The Muppets soon began making their own films, and re-imagining classics like A Christmas Carol and Treasure Island. 14 years after Henson’s tragic death in 1990, Disney bought the rights to the Muppets in 2004, and to this day, The Muppets are cultural icons like no other.

One of the most standout things about The Muppets is that they were always marketed towards adults. With their unique mix of adult humour and slapstick comedy, they demonstrate a masterful tightrope walk between reality and fantasy, reminding us that creativity and imagination aren’t just for children, but for everybody.

Furthermore, the whole idea behind the Muppets as a brand is that they are real. They aren’t just puppets, but celebrities that exist in the real world, starring on live late night talk shows, and having celebrity guests on their own shows, too.

In fact, many professional journalists, hosts, and actors have said it is legitimately difficult to not see the Muppets as people. In one such instance when Kermit was to be interviewed on a talk show, the audio crew couldn’t figure out why Kermit’s microphone wasn’t working properly. That is, until they realised, they had put the mic on Kermit himself, instead of the performer.

Kermit The Frog even did a TED Talk on creativity in which he quotes Sir Ken Robinson when he says, “Creativity is possible in any activity that actively engages our minds.”? In other words, we have infinite opportunities to be creative.

Kermit goes on to say that “For Jim Henson, creativity was all about making us take a fresh look at the world by showing us something from an unusual, different perspective.” At one point during the talk, Kermit says to the audience, “Think about what you’re all doing right now: You’re sitting here listening to me, a talking amphibian. That’s a pretty radical act of creativity! It’s what I like to call a conspiracy of craziness.”

The best part is that anyone can be creative. “As a matter of fact,” Says Kermit, “we all create every single day. And I mean that literally, because we create every single day for ourselves, through our cultural perspectives and belief systems. By manifesting our particular view of the world, we actually create our world with every thought.”

However, Kermit also points out that “Being creative is a lot like living in a swamp. You need to stay alive, or in other words, you need to make a living. We’re all so worried about making a living, feeding and clothing ourselves that we start believing that there’s no time for creativity.”

“Creativity, we think, is for artists.” Kermit continues. “Imagination and inspiration, those are words we use around children, but for grownups, they’re just nice words is some corporate mission statement. Our real job is to make a living. And I’m here to say that is wrong because I believe creativity is an inherent part of everyone.”

We can tap into our creativity in a vast myriad of ways, and sometimes, it requires taking a chance. “We all have to make a living.” Says Kermit. “But we shouldn’t be afraid to wander off down the trail of creative thinking and risk taking once in a while, to explore a whole different world of thinking and living and doing.”

As adults, we come to believe that we no longer have the luxury of indulging in our imagination. But that changes with The Muppets. They remind us that creativity and imagination are inherent parts of being human, regardless of age. With The Muppets, the world is no longer a place where we are shackled by our responsibilities, but a place where anything can happen, and the possibilities are endless.

At their core, The Muppets are imagination brought to life. They represent the opportunity to escape from the mundanity of growing up, to be creative and imaginative once again, to free our minds, and go beyond reality. They were marketed towards adults for a reason: To uplift us, and to show us how creative we can be. The longevity of The Muppets as a brand over time just goes to show how deeply their message about creativity resonates with so many people.

When we tap into our creativity, we have the power to imagine new worlds and countless possibilities. Thus, it is vital that we don’t become complacent and cast aside our imaginations or our creative instincts, because these are the very things that give us hope and help us persevere even in the toughest of times.

We have come to believe that the means through which we earn a living and being creative are incompatible. But perhaps it is time we tried a new way of thinking. Creativity is not a luxury that is only accessible to children, but instead an inherent part of being human. It is something that we call all tap into and explore.

The question remains, how can we engage in such acts of radical creativity in our work and everyday lives? To this, Kermit says that “There are as many ways to be creative as there are Muppets, and to get started, sometimes you just have to take a chance. Jim Henson called it ridiculous optimism, that passion to do something creative because you can’t not do it. Not doing it, is not an option.”

With this ridiculous optimism in mind, we can continue Jim Henson’s creative legacy, and bring our imaginations to life, because it is just as Kermit the Frog says: “When you find that place in your life, to be creative, you make the world a better place to live in.” ??

Written by Katie Wilson, EP Business in Hospitality