QuoteProject
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
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of creating authentic and believable characters in storytelling, rather than just using them as symbols.

Jim Henson reflects on the challenge of crafting compelling and believable characters in creative work, specifically in the realm of fantasy. He suggests that the essence of creation lies not in mere symbolism but in the genuine experience of bringing characters like E.T. and Yoda to life in a way that resonates with audiences, allowing them to truly engage with the story being told.

Themes

CreationCharactersStorytellingAuthenticityArt

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a workshop on storytelling.

More from 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 HensonRead
No, there's not much competition between puppeteers in general because everybody's working their own style.
Jim HensonRead
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 HensonRead
The most sophisticated people I know - inside they are all children.
Jim HensonRead
If our 'message' is anything, it's a positive approach to life. That life is basically good. People are basically good.
Jim HensonRead
The only way the magic works is by hard work. But hard work can be fun.
Jim HensonRead

Similar quotes

The artist who does not feel completely satisfied by elegant lines, by harmonious colors, and by a beautiful succession of chords does not understand the art of music.
Camille Saint-SaensRead
And if you can find out something about the laws of your own growth and vision as well as those of photography you may be able to relate the two, create an object that has a life of its own, which transcends craftsmanship. That is a long road, and because it must be your own road nobody can teach it to you or find it for you. There are no shortcuts, no rules.
Paul StrandRead
Dance music ... stirs some barbaric instinct - lulled asleep in our sober lives - you forget centuries of civilization in a second, & yield to that strange passion which sends you madly whirling round the room.
Virginia WoolfRead
We encourage our people to build their ideas from scratch, and we give them the resources - and, crucially, the candid feedback - that are required to transform the first wisps of a story into a truly compelling film.
Edwin CatmullRead
Art invites us to know beauty and to solicit it, summon it, from even the most tragic of circumstances.
Toni MorrisonRead
What happens in a fantasy can be more involving than what happens in life, and thank goodness for that.
Roger EbertRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.