Kermit x TED

 Kermit x TED

1. A friend of mine, who also grew up around here said that his ambition was “be one of the people who made a difference in the world”, and that he hoped “to leave the world a little better for my having been here.” That friend was Jim Henson. And, if I say so myself, he certainly left this a better place for having been here.

2. You are all sitting here listening to me – a talking amphibian. That alone is a radical act of creativity. It’s what I call a “conspiracy of craziness”.

3. I believe creativity is an inherent part of everyone.

4. There are as many ways to be creative as there are Muppets. And believe you me, there are a lot of Muppets. I oughta know; I gotta meet payroll every week.

5. Have what Jim Henson liked to call “ridiculous optimism”. Without it, we wouldn’t have this amazing world we live in.

6. So, never worry about failure. It’s GONNA happen. But that’s okay: go ahead, take chances….and you might just find that what feels like failure isn’t failure at all, it’s what inspires you to dream even bigger.

7. The mind of a child is a beginner’s mind and, for them, every idea is fresh, stimulating and leads somewhere surprising.

8. Like Michael Caine… told me on the set of Muppet Christmas Carol: “Never get between the pig and the camera.” That’s why he has an Oscar.

9. Finally, there’s one other thing that I think every person or frog needs to be creative: friends. For me, the best part of creativity is collaborating with friends and colleagues. Mine happen to be bears, pigs, rats and penguins, but you go with what works for you.

10. As we go through life, we’re piling on deeper and deeper layers of consciousness, which leads to a greater capacity to take multiple perspectives. It’s a little like the many layers of dessert piled on Miss Piggy’s plate at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Only here, it’s less carbs and more nutrition.