COME JOIN IN THE FUN AND HELP CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON!

Did you know that Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar? This year is Year of the Dragon.

On Monday, January 23, I met with friend and artist Day Le to kick of the Lunar New Year right here in NYC's Chinatown.

First, Day took me to a Buddhist temple in Chinatown. While standing in line to get in, a gentleman handed us each a stick of incense to hold, and another man collected the incense before we entered the building. We stood in another line to approach a large and beautiful statue of Buddha. A monk handed us each a red envelope filled with $1 and a necklace (this is part of the celebration) and an orange. We were ushered down to the basement and handed each a box of rice and steamed vegetables. Then sat on the stools lining the two adjoining rooms to eat.

Once back out on the street, I decided to look for more New Year activity. For two hours, I followed the dragon dancers and drummers as they danced from store to store. At each place, they were fed the money-filled red envelopes.

The streets were packed with people of all ages. One of my favorite things was when folks set off poppers - tubes filled with big pieces of confetti and glitter as well as tiny parachutes which fly up in the air and land in the hands of excited children.

All the stores and restaurants were filled with dragon-themed decorations.

There was such a sense of wonder, awe, and happiness in the crowds. It was truly a blessing to be part of a celebration that is thousands of years old.

LUNAR NEW YEAR RESOURCES

For Basic Facts about Lunar New Year: Click HERE

For more extensive information: Click HERE

For more New Year activities in Chinatown: Click HERE

For activities throughout NYC: Click HERE

For my post about Kam Mak, the man behind the Lunar New Year USPS stamp: Click HERE

To view the current Year of the Dragon stamp: Click HERE

VANIA'S CUPCAKE CAPER

This is one of my favorite videos of all time. I've lost track of how many times I've watched it. The story is by one of the students from a Kindergarten class where I assistant taught last school year. Her dad, Jeremy Workman, is a film editor.

Wait for the surprise ending!

BEING AN AUDIENCE MEMBER AT LIVE! WITH KELLY

I recently had the experience of being an audience member at Live! with Kelly - the show that used to be Live with Regis and Kelly, until Regis retired from the show.

One of the things that sparked my interest in the show was reading Regis' autobiography, How I Got This Way. Regis dedicates each chapter to a different person who influenced his life. I'm curious about why he didn't write a chapter about Michael Gelman, who has been the Live with Regis and Kelly (and now Live! with Kelly) show's Executive Director since 1987. One of my favorite parts of the book was the "What I Took Away from It All" section at the end of each chapter.

Now that Regis is gone from the show, they are looking for a new co-host to join Kelly. The morning I was there, Seth Myers from Saturday Night Live was co-hosting and the audience was responding well to him. He knows how to present the news, and also how to play off of Kelly's jokes and comment about human oddities in a way that gets everyone laughing.

Kelly is incredibly funny and quick-witted and during the commercial breaks she came up into the audience and joked around with us.

I vote for Seth to be the show's new co-host.

THOUGHTS ABOUT BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC'S 26TH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO MARTIN LUTHER KING

For several years now, I have attended the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King. I go because I feel it's important to be in a community setting on this day, and to publicly acknowledge the important role that he and thousands of people played during his time to address racism and classism in our society.

The morning program is a combination of musical performances, talks given by New York political figures, and a talk given by a single keynote speaker. This year, that speaker was Dennis Wolcott, Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education. In recent years, it was Danny Glover and Minnijean Brown-Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine.

This year, there were amazing and uplifting musical performances given by Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely, as well as by the Institutional Radio Choir from the C.O.G.I.C of Brooklyn. The choir began the program by leading us in singing Lift Every Voice. To conclude the program, Toshi had the audience link arms and sing We Shall Overcome, replacing the word someday with today.

I had the same thought about the program that I have every year: the most inspiring, engaging part is the music. The time that the politicians use to give their speeches and push their particular agendas goes on for way too long. You can feel the energy in the room go down every time one in the long line-up of people came on stage.

BAM is a cultural institution, and as such, it is in a prime position to inspire and engage people through a range of artistic medium. To their already amazing musical performances for this program, why don't they add film clips of MLK, some performances and readings given by children and teenagers, a bit of theater and dance? The performances given by the choir and by Toshi, and the feeling of inspiration and hope they inspired, will stay with me for far longer than the words of the politicians.

BLOGVERSATION 2012: HOW I GET IDEAS FOR BLOG POSTS

Over at Newvine Growing's Blogversation 2012, Colleen Newvine has asked a group of folks how we get ideas for blog posts. Here's my response:

1. I see an interesting person on tv, in a magazine, or in the newspaper and I think “I gotta meet this person!” So I ring them up and talk to them or to their people and see what I can do. This is how I got to meet design legend Eva Zeisel. I saw her on a tv show, then I learned she lived not too far away, and I called her. It can be nerve-wracking and also take persistance, but I always go forward based on the thought “Wouldn’t it be great if my readers and I got to know this person a bit better?”

2. I skim lots of different publications – newspapers and magazines, mostly. I look at everything from Fast Company to Ebony to Travel & Leisure to Transworld Skateboarding to local newspapers from different New York neighborhoods. I keep my eyes peeled for interesting arts and cultural people, trends, venues, and launches.

3. When I walk down the street, in a shop, in a museum, I am looking at everyone and everything. What’s interesting? What’s new? What’s been there a while already but now needs some attention?

JIM HENSON AND FRIENDS: INSIDE THE SESAME STREET VAULT

If you haven’t taken yourself to MOMI’s exhibit Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, you really should! The exhibit, which has drawn huge numbers of people, has been extended to March 4. It includes special Muppet screenings in the theater, and the remaining screenings and special exhibit-related events can be found HERE.

I started the year by going to see Jim Henson and Friends: Inside the Sesame Street Vault. Compiled by Jim Henson Legacy President and longtime Muppet writer Craig Shemin, it’s an expansive look at the appearances which Jim Henson and other key Muppeteers made on variety and talk shows of the 1970s.

The compilation also features clips from “Old School” Sesame Street.

Vault starts with Kermit making an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He is sitting at the piano, singing What Kind of Fool Am I? while Grover continuously interrupts him. This clip got lots of laughs from the packed audience.

Here’s some other highlights from Inside the Sesame Street Vault:

• Jim Henson and Carroll Spinney (Big Bird) make a 1971 appearance on the Dick Cavett Show. Carroll is wearing the bottom half of the Big Bird costume.
• Big Bird’s appearance on The Flip Wilson Show.
• Big Bird sings with Carol Channing on the 1985 show Night of 100 Stars.
• Julie Andrews on Sesame Street.
• Various Muppets play on tv game shows such as Family Feud.
• Muppets team up with the cast of The Electric Company for a 1970s tv special.
• Muppets do The Nighty Night Show, a parody of The Late Night Show.
• Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl appear as themselves on The Johnny Carson Show.

MY TAKE ON NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Over at Newvine Growing's Blogversation 2012, Colleen Newvine has asked a group of us "Do you make New Year's resolutions?"

Here is the response which I posted on Newvine Growing. I encourage you to hop on over to Colleen's site to read the rest of the responses!

Let’s face it, this is how New Year’s resolutions go for a lot of us: We set goals, we go after them, we run into a hard spot, we get isolated in that spot, we give up, and then we criticize ourselves for abandoning the dream.

I think there’s a different way to go about goal-setting and goal-pursuing, and my idea of that alternative path emerged about fifteen years ago.

I went to Barnes and Noble to listen to Barbara Sher, author of Wishcraft and other books about going after your dreams. During the evening, Barbara said something that stuck with me: “Isolation is the biggest dream-killer.” She encouraged us to start up Wishcraft groups with other folks in the audience. And so I did, with the woman sitting next to me. We formed a group that set goals and met every couple of weeks to keep each other on track.

Ever since that experience, I’ve done goal-setting differently: I do it in the community of other people. Here’s some examples:

• I started off this year by going to a Vision Board Workshop with a small group of people. It was so much fun and so inspiring to be in a room full of people who all selected magazine images and made gorgeous visual representations of what they wanted to bring into their lives in 2012. I walked away from the experience with my vision board, feeling so energized, happy, and less alone in my mind with my hopes and dreams for the year ahead.

• Two and a half years ago, my friends and I started a group for women visual artists and writers. We are Creative Conversations, and we meet about every six weeks. We are a group of women who tracks each other’s hopes and goals, and our struggles and victories along the way. We cheer each other on and brainstorm solutions for times when someone runs into an obstacle, be it internal or external.

Goal-setting and goal-getting is so much more enjoyable and energizing when done in the context of solid relationships with people who know you and want you to have all that is good in life. At this point in my journey, I wouldn’t do it any other way.

IT'S ALMOST VALENTINE'S DAY - HOW DO YOU WANT TO SHARE THE LOVE?

I know, I know. You're probably groaning that December holiday merchandise has barely been moved off the shelves, and the Valentine's day goodies are already coming in -the cards, the candy, all of it.

Yes, I know. Valentine's Day is a highly-commercialized holiday.

But ya know what? Who cares! How about having some fun with it this year, and letting a bunch of people in your life know you care about them and love them in fun and surprising ways?
When I was growing up, I never thought of Valentine's Day as a day that was only about being with "that special someone." My mom would spread out a whole bunch of great art supplies on the kitchen table - fake pearls, sequins, doilies, glue, glitter, scissors, stickers, and construction paper. Our family would go to town making cards for our friends and relatives.

To this day, I still send Valentine cards - and usually at least one Valentines care package - to let a bunch of people know that I am thinking about them.

This doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. You could make cards. Also, there's a section in most drugstores with 99 cent cards that are plenty adorable.

Here's some folks who would probably love to get a fun note or surprise from you:

Great aunt or uncle

A loyal client, customer, or patron

Nieces and nephews

Elderly neighbor

Your mail carrier

Your mom or dad

Grandparents

Your hair cutter

Good friend

Favorite mom and pop store or restaurant owner

So, just for a second, tuck away your curmudgeon tendencies and spread a little love to people who would love to hear that they matter to you!

FROM ZERO TO ZILLIONAIRE

Years back, I had read and enjoyed The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction, written by Chellie Campbell.

I recently read Zero to Zillionaire: 8 Foolproof Steps to Financial Peace of Mind, and enjoyed it also. It's a nice combination of inspiration and practical advice. I appreciate how Chellie is honest about her own past struggles in business and financial matters, and how specific and open she is about the steps she took to turn her situation around.

Chellie refreshingly admits that she's not super-rich. She's figured out how to set her life up to that she can run her business and also enjoy all the other wonderful things life has to offer - friendships, travel, etc. The way she talks to her reader about that journey is the way a friend would talk to you - straight up, no bs, hopeful that you can take charge, too.

WOW! A SNEAK PEEK AT KAM MAK'S LUNAR NEW YEAR POSTAGE STAMP

I am delighted to provide this sneak peak at my friend Kam Mak's Lunar New Year postal stamp which he has designed for The Year of the Dragon. To find more information about Kam and the history of the Lunar New Year stamp which he has been commissioned to design up through 2019, click HERE.

Kam just shared this image with me, along with this press release about the release of the stamp:

Postal Service Sneak Peek at 2012 Stamps
Celebrates Lunar New Year with Year of the Dragon Forever Stamp

To obtain high-resolution images of the stamps for news media use only, email mark.r.saunders@usps.gov

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service continues its sneak peek at some of its 2012 Forever stamps by previewing the Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon stamp today through social media outlets.

“We are using social media to engage broader, more diverse audiences,” said Stephen Kearney, manager, Stamp Services, referring to the initiative that began July 18 with a preview of the Cherry Blossom Centennial Forever stamps. Select stamps from the 2012 commemorative program will be previewed one at a time throughout the summer.

Customers may preview the stamps on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for the back story on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon

“We are excited to celebrate the 2012 Lunar New Year with this beautiful Year of the Dragon Forever stamp,” said Kearney. “We introduced the Celebrating Lunar New Year series in 2008. This is the fifth stamp in that series, which continues through 2019 with stamps dedicated to the lunar years associated with the snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and boar.”

The Lunar New Year is celebrated primarily by people of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mongolian heritage in many parts of the world. Parades, parties and other special events are common. Images associated with some of these widespread customs are depicted in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series.

People born in the year of a particular animal are said to share characteristics with that animal. In the Chinese cultural tradition, dragons are not to be feared, but are respected and considered magical or divine. Individuals born during the Year of the Dragon are said to be flamboyant, powerful spirits and irrepressible innovators.

Art director Ethel Kessler of Washington, DC, worked on the series with illustrator Kam Mak of Brooklyn, NY. The artwork focuses on some of the common ways the Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated. For the Year of the Dragon, which begins Jan. 23, 2012, the art depicts a colorful dragon figure manipulated by dancers welcoming the new year. The illustration, based on a photograph by Mak, was originally created using oil paints on panel.

Kessler’s design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, using Clarence Lee’s intricate paper-cut design of a dragon and the Chinese character — drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — for “dragon.”

Other 2012 Forever stamps previewed to date include the 2012 Cherry Blossoms Centennial, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Love Ribbons, a stamp honoring Ebony founder John H. Johnson and Bicycling.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere: uspseverywhere.com

# # #


A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

HOW AND WHY I BECAME A BLOGGER (A RESPONSE TO BLOGVERSATION 2012)

Over at her blog, Newvine Growing, my friend Colleen Newvine is running Blogversation 2012.

Every week, she poses two questions and five women answer each question in the comments section.

So far, Colleen has asked us "How and why did you become a blogger?" Here is my response:

For the two weeks that followed my launch of creativetimes.blogspot.com, I had the writer’s version of stage fright; I barely slept or ate and I walked around with heart palpitations. The idea of being that visible scared the bejeezus out of me.

In the five years prior to starting a blog, I had been sending out an email newsletter to keep in touch with clients, friends, family, and colleagues. I titled and dedicated each issue to a topic that caught my fancy – Creativity, Using Your Hands, Generosity, Getting to Know Your Neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the list of email newsletter recipients grew and grew until one day my husband (then boyfriend) said to me “You know, there’s this thing called blogging that would be a great vehicle for your writing.” I didn’t know anything about blogging at the time, but I heard that a well-known blogger, Louise Crawford (Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn), lived nearby in Brooklyn. I called her up, she looked at my newsletter, and confirmed that, yes, I had the makings of a blog.

So I went for it, and my life has not been the same since.

I’m now in my 7th year of blogging, and there are a few key reasons why I keep on keepin’ on.

First: Blogging is a huge passport to adventure. I approach people I want to interview for Creative Times who I probably would never go towards without the blog. I got to meet Maira Kalman, one of my favorite illustrators and writers of children’s books. I’ve had the honor of sitting across from international design legend Eva Zeisel, who just passed away at age 105. I interviewed Elmo Muppeteer and Sesame Street Co-Producer Kevin Clash, and then went on to collect the stories of a whole bunch of other Sesame cast and crew. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I’d one day sit in the same Mr. Hooper’s store that I saw year after year as a child who watched Sesame Street on the television. But that’s where I was just a month ago, watching a shoot before interviewing Mr.Snuffleupagus Muppeteer Martin Robinson.

Second: There are so many amazing artists, as well as art venues, projects, and performances out there in New York. I want to know about them, and I want my readers to know about them. I want us to have more and more reasons to fall in love with and be inspired by the New York arts scene on a daily basis.

Third: Blogging is a fantastic tool to build community. When I first started blogging, I helped organize monthly gatherings of Brooklyn bloggers, as well as an annual event called The Brooklyn Blogfest. Doing so was a great way to bring people together and forge lots of different relationships between and amongst folks. Although I no longer organize those events, I treasure the people that I met during those days and continue to meet kindred spirits through my work as a blogger. Although it’s relationships, and not technology, that build community, blogging has certainly facilitated opportunities to bring people together and make my life rich with a wealth of friendships and folks to collaborate with on all sorts of projects.

I am truly grateful to my blog for making life such an exciting adventure!

LOUIS HENRY MITCHELL: THE ART OF SESAME STREET

When Louis Henry Mitchell and I come out of watching archival footage of Jim Henson's television appearances as himself and as various Muppet characters, I ask Louis what he is thinking about.

"I never met him," replies Louis, referring to Jim Henson. "I've met his friends and family. I wish we could have met."

Still, Louis feels grateful that, as Sesame's Associate Design Director of Special Projects, he gets to "influence what Jim considered to be his [Jim's] most important work, and the work of someone [Henson] whose work is so important to me."

Louis' connection to Henson goes all the way back to his own youth, when he saw the Muppets on The Ed Sullivan Show and then watched Jim Henson come out from behind the scenes to shake Mr. Sullivan's hand.

"Seeing Jim Henson on tv triggered something in me," Louis reflects. "I thought if a man was doing that, maybe I could do that, too."

Years later, as an adult, Louis submitted his portfolio multiple times to the Muppet headquarters in Manhattan. After eight months of delivering his work, he was hired by Jim Mahon, a man who would become his Muppets mentor. From there, Louis quickly became a top licensing artist, creating art for many Sesame products. It has now been twenty years since Louis was brought on board the Sesame crew.

One of Louis' main tasks - and joys - of occupying his post at Sesame is working closely with Kevin Clash, Sesame's Co-Producer and Elmo Muppeteer to do story boards. In doing so, Louis is an integral part of Kevin's creative process and influences the directing of the shots. Louis notes that it's fun when Kevin reads through a script in Elmo's voice, but without the Muppet itself on his hand.

One of the challenges of Louis' work is "to keep growing in it, and not just relax in it." Along those lines, Louis feels it's important to remind the folks at Sesame Workshop that "It's about education and an art form, not just [about] business. [...] History means so much to me. I don't let it become a commercial venture. Everything should point back to the curriculum. Ultimately, for me, it is about the children."

When I ask Louis to expand on what he sees as being his unique contribution to Sesame, he has this to say:

"I keep everyone thinking like children, to not lose sight of who the work is for. We have a sacred mission to reach out to children, to families around the world. It's a sacred trust. We have to keep things interesting without resorting to sensationalism. I see this as not just a job, but a mission."

And with a show that claims such longevity (Sesame is now entering into its 43rd season), how does Louis find a balance between innovation and tradition?

"It's really about how things blend and grow together," reflects Louis. "History is influenced by technology. Innovation looks back and respects history. You don't forget where you came from."

One place where Louis himself has balanced, in a literal sense, that respect for both history and technology is in his job of overseeing the making of the Sesame balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. For this special event that is witnessed annually around the globe, Louis has supervised the construction of both the Super Grover and Big Bird balloons as well as the float that the actors and Muppets ride on through the parade.

As Louis explains: "Aerodynamics and physics are incorporated into the design. More cables were needed for Big Bird, causing him to have a bigger than usual head and shorter- and smaller-than-usual legs. I resculpted the balloon to give it more balance and everyone was happy."

Louis brings leadership to other Sesame initiatives as well. Product managers consult with him about decisions around characters, like what phrases and slogans they (the characters) should use on toys and other various products. Louis has also been the one to answer letters which children write to Sesame characters.

Louis' advice for other people who want to make a living from their craft?

"Discover what is in your heart and let it speak to you. Who are you here to be and what are you here to do? It's all about discovery. Once you find out what that is, do not hesitate or you will block the flow. Give it all you got."

BAM'S 26TH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ON MONDAY JANUARY 16

26th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Part of the 2012 Tribute to MLK

Mon, Jan 16 at 10:30am (Ed Note: Get there early; tickets go fast)

BAM, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York present New York City’s largest public celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year, BAM welcomes keynote speaker Dennis M. Walcott, chancellor of the New York City Department of Education. A lifelong resident of Queens and a graduate of New York City public schools, Walcott has spent his life committed to Dr. King’s vision of social justice through advocacy of improved educational policy and social services for both children and adults. Walcott pays tribute to Dr. King’s enduring legacy in this uplifting, music-filled tribute to one of the great humanitarians of our time.

Musical performances by Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely and The Institutional Radio Choir C.O.G.I.C. of Brooklyn round out the program.

Following the event in the Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas presents a free screening of the film The Black Power Mixtape 1967—1975. Featuring never-before-seen interviews with many leaders of the Black Power Movement this moving documentary features a treasure trove of footage shot by Swedish journalists who came to the US drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution.

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

Free! First come, first seated. One ticket per person.

LAUNCH 2012 IN A TOTALLY INSPIRED WAY WITH A VISION BOARD WORKSHOP THIS SATURDAY!

What: Vision Board Workshop

When: This Saturday, January 14th

Time: 10 am to 12:30 pm

Where: A beautiful space in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Led by: Wendy Ponte, Life Coach

Workshop Description:

Instead of resolutions, start 2012 with inspiration and vision.

Use this 2 1/2-hour workshop to create goals and a vision board that will open your mind to ideas and possibilities that you hadn't even thought of.

The price is right at $25 which includes materials, refreshments and inspiration.

Click HERE for the registration link

I'M PLEASED TO BE PARTICIPATING IN NEWVINE GROWING'S BLOGVERSATION 2012

Colleen Newvine Tebeau (pictured above), author of the stellar personal/professional growth blog called Newvine Growing, is launching Blogversation 2012. I'm honored to be one of the six women who are participating, and I'd love it if you would join us in this year-long conversation!

Here's how Colleen has introduced the project over at Newvine Growing:

In the three years I’ve been blogging here, I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to write regularly and to get to know topics and people that inspire me.

Even more so, I’ve loved the chance to engage in conversations about those topics and people.

Ages ago, when I was a young newspaper reporter, writing was mostly a one-way process. Occasionally I’d write a story and someone would call to yell at me, or more happily, someone would send a thank you note. But mostly I felt distant from my readers in those pre-Internet days. Perhaps my favorite thing about blogging is the opportunity to see which posts people are reading and to get immediate feedback.

To encourage a richer dialogue and get more voices into the mix, I’m launching a project called Blogversation 2012. I’ve invited some of my favorite bloggers to join a running conversation about creativity, passion, goals, values, happiness, relationships, career and food and drink.

It’s like an online salon of smart thinking.

It’s like a virtual coffee klatch.

Every week, we’ll post two questions here on my blog. Participating bloggers will all respond, either here or on their own blogs.

Others are of course welcome to jump into the conversation by commenting and doing blog posts of their own. With this impressive, interesting group assembled, I think you’d be hard pressed not to want to join in the action.

To get the rest of the scoop and to see bios of the participants, CLICK HERE.

THE DEBUT OF PINK MONKEY

Keep your eye on this rising star.

ALL THINGS SESAME STREET

For you Creative Times readers who enjoy learning more about the brilliant minds and hard workers behind the scenes of Sesame Street, here are all the posts in one convenient spot.
Enjoy!

And if you have a Sesame person that you would like me to interview, please let me know!
Drop me a line at ETraubman@aol.com.

Sesame Street-Related Posts

Meet Kevin Clash, The Man Behind Elmo
The Life and Times of Sesame Street’s Martin Robinson
Fran Brill: The First Lady of Sesame Street
From Muppets to Mascots: The Incredible Journey of Bonnie Erickson
Frank Biando: The Mayor of Sesame Street
Letters to Big Bird
Louis Henry Mitchell: Sesame Street’s Storyboard Master

BRIAN HENSON SPEAKS AT MOMI ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF PUPPETRY

Last Sunday night, I had the pleasure of hearing Brian Henson, award-winning director, producer, and puppeteer, talk at the Museum of the Moving Image about the evolution of puppetry. The talk was part of the current exhibit entitled Jim Henson's Fanstastic World. This exhibit, which includes special Henson-created screenings, will be at MOMI until January 16.

Brian's presentation to a packed audience included an inside look at the history of the revolutionary Henson technique and style of puppetry; examples of the company's work throughout the years, including behind-the-scenes clips from Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal; recent work on the TV series Sid the Science Kid; a live demonstration of puppetry for the screen; and Q and A from the audience.

The Muppet Technique

Since 1955, Jim Henson always performed puppetry for a camera. (This makes sense since Jim used puppetry as a vehicle to enter the worlds of film and television.) In doing so, Jim and his colleagues turned the television itself into the puppet's stage. "The performance was always to the camera; the Muppets were always looking to the fourth wall," Brian explained. He showed a clip of In the Navy as an example. The old television sets were rounded, so the old Muppets, with their rounded heads, complimented that tv shape nicely.

In the Muppet technique, puppeteers are taught to forget that the puppet is on their arm; they are instructed to be on the outside looking in. (See my interview with Sesame performer Martin Robinson, who emphasizes this point.) "You forget yourself completely, " shared Brian on puppeteering in the Henson style, "and what the character does surprises you [the performer]."

With the introduction of the Emmet Otter characters into the repertoire came Jim Henson's use of radio-controlled puppets. Jim went on to utilize animatronix when making The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth films. Animatronix, explained Brian, were first used with puppets at Disney theme parks, where you could find robotic characters with sound tracks. Brian showed film clips to demonstrate how animatronix were applied to the character of Hoggle and also the Henson show Dinosaurs.

From animatronix, Jim Henson moved on to also use 3-D digital characters as well as 2-D manipulation of images. Blowing everyone's mind (well at least my own!), Brian showed a video which explained the technology behind one his newest projects geared toward the pre-school age child, Sid the Science Kid. Sid is produced by motion capture, which "[...]refers to recording actions of human actors, and using that information to animate digital character models in 2D or 3D computer animation." (Source: Wikipedia)

The highlight of the evening for me came when Brian inhabited an armadillo puppet, demonstrating the different puppetry styles of some of his colleagues, including that of his father, Jim. "My dad was the bounciest!" exclaimed Brian. (Watch Kermit the Frog and you'll see what Brian means.) The audience was laughing hard, and there was so much magic and fun in the way Brian brought that puppet to life and made us believe it was real.

A Little Q and A With the Audience
(Here, I paraphrase Brian's answers.)

Q: How were Miss Piggy and Kermit able to ride bicycles?
A: We are riding bikes from above (the shot) and controlling their motions with strings.

Q: Animate means to bring life to something, to give it soul. How do you give soul to your characters?
A: The idea behind Muppet characters is to take an outrageous concept and turn it into a character that people feel they know.

Q: Do puppeteers train in theater and physical comedy?
A: We teach lip-syncing. The early performers were amazing ad-libbers and improvisers. Muppeteers currently go through a training in Los Angeles.

Q:What's the word on Dark Crystal II?
A: Lisa Henson [Brian's sister) is driving this project.

Q: What's the scoop on a Fraggle Rock movie?
A: It will probably start shooting at the end of 2012.

Q: How did you make Miss Piggy?
A: We wanted a bunch of pigs, and someone put a wig on one of them. She was unplanned. She is now molded from soft foam with a layer of flocking over it to make her look slightly furry.

[Editor's Note: This is not entirely true. Although Miss Piggy was not drawn first, she was not unplanned.]

Q: What is your earliest memory of working with your dad?"
A: One of my memories is of playing with the Chicken Liver Muppet from Sam and Friends in the sandbox!

Q: What makes up the essence of the Muppets?
A: Characters with a bold, confident, devil-may-care lunacy. They do crazy stuff, which takes confidence, it goes wrong, they feel bad, and they do it again!

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SESAME STREET'S MARTIN ROBINSON

Do you know who Martin Robinson is? If not, you should! For the last 30 years, he has been performing some well-loved characters on Sesame Street, including Telly Monster, Snuffleupagus, and Slimey. In addition, Marty teams with his wife and Sesame writer Annie Evans to create the Sesame Family Robinson blog for the Sesame Workshop website. On top of that, Marty hires and trains puppeteers for Sesame Street productions all around the world.

Wait! That’s not all! Check out his website, and you’ll find that the fantastic Mr. Robinson is also a puppet designer and builder for shows like Little Shop of Horrors. Take a look at Martin’s resume, and you’ll see that he “Designed and performed a giant carnivorous plant that rose 22 feet into the air, panned 40 feet, and flew over the fifth row of the Virginia Theatre.” For a Lincoln Center production of Frogs, he “Designed and built a giant frog that ate Nathan Lane.”

The Road to Puppeteering
For Martin, who was a shy kid, there were a couple of pivotal events that led him to his love affair with performing and related forms of artistry. First, there was Halloween. Halloween was performance time, the time where there was permission to look and act differently from everyday life. He designed his costume and thought about the character he would play months in advance of the big day. “It was too much fun to do that kind of thing one day of year,” notes Martin. So theater became a way to extend that opportunity to be something else other than his everyday self.

The other important moment in time came about when Martin’s school held auditions for the school performance of Oliver. Martin’s art teacher saw something in him, believed in him, and actually refused to do the sets for the play unless Martin was offered the part of Fagin. Being Fagin opened up a whole new world for Martin, and from that moment on, he knew that performing was “it” for him.

After high school, Martin left his hometown in Wisconsin to attend acting school at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Next, in 1975, Martin toured as a puppeteer with Nicolo Marionettes, now knows as Puppetworks, Inc. In 1977, Martin performed for six months in Busch Gardens, Virginia, with Baird Marionettes, and from there continued working with Bil Baird in New York City.

The experience with Baird allowed Martin to see puppets as “moving sculptures” and view puppetry as a combination of design, sculpture, and acting. As a puppeteer, Martin experienced a kind of freedom in not being limited by his physical body (think about it: actors are often cast based on their appearance); thus, his dream of getting to play “crazy character roles” was realized.

Highlights and Challenges of being a Puppeteer
According to Martin, the blessing of being a puppeteer lies in the many opportunities to have fun, laugh, and clown around. (Having watched Martin behind the scenes, I got to witness first-hand how he capitalizes on those opportunities: the guy has a wicked sense of humor that keeps Sesame cast and crew cracking up!)

Martin is clear that it’s a difficult profession, as well. First, you have to be able to handle a lot of pressure to keep performing at a certain level, to produce results in such an on-demand way. You have to have a particular level of acting abilities to respond to other characters in the moment. (These folks rehearse the same scene over and over and over to match Sesame’s high production standards.) “To perform a character well,” shares Martin, “you have to be outside the character – outside, looking in”. There is also a technical challenge that puppeteers face: while they are performing, they must track their actions by looking into a monitor!

How does Martin meet these challenges? Long time Sesame puppeteer Fran Brill and co-worker to Martin sheds some light on this question:

“Marty Robinson is one of the most positive people I know. I don't think I've ever heard him say ‘No’ (at least on the set of Sesame Street) or complain. If a director asked Marty to puppeteer upside down inside of Snuffy while blowing up a balloon and singing The Star Spangled Banner in Lithuanian, he'd say ‘I'll try.’

Marty is also a very generous performer- everyone loves to work with him because he gives his all, really listens, and makes you look good. He is kind, loving, and tremendous fun to be around because he is really outrageous with Telly. He makes us all laugh and gives 100% of himself when performing.”

Training and Filming and Writing
Martin’s responsibilities with Sesame transcend national borders as well as artistic medium: he is often sent overseas to train puppeteers for Sesame Street in other countries. In this role, Martin teaches puppeteers to collaborate with the camera as well as with the director. “I teach the puppeteers that we are composing the frame with the director,” he explains.

Martin also brings his skills as a filmmaker to the Sesame operation. With his wife, Annie Evans, whom he married on the set of the show, he shares his behind-the-scene experiences as a parent and as a puppeteer through movies and stories on the Sesame Family Robinson blog. As Martin and Annie explain to their readers, “[…] we’ve created this blog to share our journey as parents trying to raise our daughters with love and playfulness, while also being deeply committed to a television show that seeks to educate and empower children all over the world.”

Martin on Going After Your Dreams
According to Martin, we all have dreams as children. It’s important to look at those dreams, figure out what is at the heart of them, and then pursue whatever that essence is. Martin is well aware that he knew from an early age what made his heart sing. And that whenever confronted with a decision about an opportunity that came his way, he would always base his decision on a commitment to follow his bliss.

“We give up on our dreams way too easily,” says Martin. “There is no reason why you can’t really love what you do. There is nobility in almost anything. Don’t wait until retirement to start your life. The key is doing what you love, and loving what you do. Everyone has the ability to guide their life in a way that makes them happy.”

LOUIS HENRY MITCHELL: SESAME STREET'S STORYBOARD MASTER

The Big Dream of working for Sesame Street Part 1 from The Spiritstorm School on Vimeo.

When I visit the set of Sesame Street, there's the story or interview I came to get and then there's the unexpected story I walk away with. Take, for example, when I went on set to interview long-time cameraman Frank Biando and ended up also meeting Big Bird's performer Carroll Spinney and Justin, the (then) pre-teen who had met Carroll because of the many letters he had written to Mr. Spinney starting at age 5.

Last week, I was on set to watch in action and interview long-time Sesame puppeteer Marty Robinson (stay tuned for the post about him!). A ways into the shoot, I was invited to come sit at the counter in Mr. Hooper's store to get a better view of the puppeteers. Sitting on the stools beside me were a man and a woman. The man was doing sketches of scenes with Sesame characters. Intrigued, I struck up a conversation.

Turns out the man was Louis Henry Mitchell, Sesame's Associate Design Director of Special Projects. He was sitting next to his wife, Jackie. Turns out they just got married!

Here are some of the interesting and amazing things that Louis does and did for Sesame:

* Create storyboards the for production of Sesame Street
* Design video covers for all new titles
* Designed the Planetarium Project for the Museum of Natural History
* Design Sesame Street Google Doodle
* Design and install Brooklyn Library Sesame Street Muppet Exhibit
* Design Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float and two of the previous balloons, Big Bird and Super Grover
* Create gift portraits including a special gift for Vice President Joe Biden and wife, Dr. Jill Biden with the Sesame Street Muppets.
* Teach and train artists all over the world how to draw the Sesame Street Muppets through the Muppets' personalities

P.S. - There is a series of wonderful interviews with Louis on The Muppet Mindset: Part I * Part II * Part III * Part IV