“Jim was like a sailor who had studied the compass and found that there was a fifth dimension in which someone could sail.” ~ Jerry Juhl, head writer of The Muppet Show
My pal, Dan, and I recently went to the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image commemorating his 75th birthday. Being enormous fans of the Muppets, we have had this date on the calendar for many months. I was skeptical that any exhibit could do his depth of work justice. I had no reason to be. the Museum of the Moving Image does a superb job of capturing a glimpse inside his genius mind.
Like Steve Jobs, Jim Henson inspired us to be the very best versions of ourselves. His vision was uncompromising. He was unreasonable in his expectations and it never crossed his mind that he couldn’t do something he really wanted to do. He had a different way of seeing. And even if the world around him appeared bleak, he never seemed to be discouraged. If anything the darkness around Jim just seemed to make his light shine brighter.
He is such an inspiration for those of us at the start of a new beginning, for those of us trying to do something that has never been done before. “It’s such a wonderful challenge to try to design and entire world…I love to feel I’m doing something for the first time…There are many ways of doing something. Look for what no one has tried before.” Beginnings held such a sense of excitement for him. He never sought to follow any lead but his own. Jim emphatically wanted to do things differently and personified the idea of the Apple commercial that the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do.
I left the museum grateful and nostalgic for the world that Jim opened up for all of us to share. He sought to huddle everyone together. In his imagined worlds, there is a seat at the table for everyone interested in playing a part. With its collection of ragtag unique characters, we are all welcome – and please bring your quirks and eccentricities. Afterall, they are what makes each of us special and Jim Henson wants us to come out and play, just as we are.
He showed us that it pays, quite handsomely, to be fearless.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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2 thoughts on “Beginning: Museum of the Moving Image Celebrates Jim Henson”
Jim Henson indeed was special. Thanks for sharing this commentary on the exhibit. The most enduring legacy is to leave behind something so alive as this “ragtag collection of characters”. They have become iconic, and truly make us believe that puppets (or muppets) really do speak to our hearts, and definitely span generations. Even one of little Aubree’s first words is “Elmo”!
Christa Avampato 
Jim Henson indeed was special. Thanks for sharing this commentary on the exhibit. The most enduring legacy is to leave behind something so alive as this “ragtag collection of characters”. They have become iconic, and truly make us believe that puppets (or muppets) really do speak to our hearts, and definitely span generations. Even one of little Aubree’s first words is “Elmo”!
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He was a special guy. I miss him.
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