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JustJimAZ

Monsters, Muppets, and Haunting Zen

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JustJimAZ
, 08-17-2011 at 05:01 AM (456 Views)
Watch out! Its... It's... A MUPPET!
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I love this little video on puppet making from Jim Henson himself. I have said before that I see haunters as "makers with a theme". While Mr. Henson is clearly NOT creating Halloween themed puppets here, isn't he demonstrating the very essence of what so many of us do?

In Zen, the concept of "beginner's mind" is central. Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki wrote,“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.” In a way, Mr. Henson is demonstrating this concept - a concept so fundamental to Zen and to haunting too.

He sees a sock or a paper bag in their fundamental nature (what are their properties) and in their potential(what could they become) rather than simply their intended purpose. Maybe their intended purpose is not their right purpose. Wouldn't it be cool to take Jim Henson to Lowe's and see how he perceives all the wonderful materials there?

Better still, wouldn't it be amazing to find one employee at Lowe's who sees the stuff like that? Then, instead of confused looks when you tell him what you are trying to do, you would get helpful insight. Happy haunting!

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Comments

  1. GobbyGruesome's Avatar
    Just stumbled across this while exploring the new forums. It's a great video - I sure miss Jim Henson - and a great post. Sometimes its tough to see things with fresh eyes and to see the possibilities. This is a great booster shot for creativity. Thanks for the post!
  2. JustJimAZ's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by GobbyGruesome
    Just stumbled across this while exploring the new forums. It's a great video - I sure miss Jim Henson - and a great post. Sometimes its tough to see things with fresh eyes and to see the possibilities. This is a great booster shot for creativity. Thanks for the post!
    Glad you liked it GG! Maybe you'd like some of my previous posts, too. Like the one with creativity juice.
  3. Halloweenie1's Avatar
    Very neat! I haven't seen this. I am a fan of Jim Henson too. Have you seen the making of the Labyrinth movie?

    Here are a few clips:





  4. SimplyJenn's Avatar
    I so loved that video. I love Jim Henson and them. The Muppets are just fabulous. Thank you for posting it.
  5. GobbyGruesome's Avatar
    Another Jim Henson gem is the Storyteller series. If you haven't seen it, someone's posted them to youtube. (We bought the DVDs a while back.) It's great fodder for the Halloween imagination.

    Here's a favourite - love the devils.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8WQhitfMSs
  6. Halloweenie1's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by GobbyGruesome
    Another Jim Henson gem is the Storyteller series. If you haven't seen it, someone's posted them to youtube. (We bought the DVDs a while back.) It's great fodder for the Halloween imagination.

    Here's a favourite - love the devils.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8WQhitfMSs
    Hey GG,

    Thanks for sharing.....I like the devils, too.