The last decade has been a very interesting journey of growth for us all.   In my case, after half a century of involvement with what Jim Henson created I am once again looking at it all from the outside, but this time with a fully informed understanding of what’s going on on the inside. It’s not that hard for me to be in touch with my ten year old self, the kid who fell head-over-heels for the work of Jim Henson.  But I am fascinated at how different it all looks through an integral lens. 

Essentially what that means is considering every occasion from ‘multiple points of view by integrating diverse perspectives—like science, spirituality, and culture—into one comprehensive view to ensure all dimensions (individual/collective, internal/external) are considered for a complete understanding of reality, growth, and development.from a subjective, and inter-subjective’, and an objective position, or from the pronouns “I, We, and It”, respectively. 

I did a tiny little unknown You Tube show called “CAVE – iN with Weldon the I.T. Guy” for the sole purpose of affording me the creative playground to collaborate and learn.  I made no real attempts to market it as it was meant to be an outlet for a small handful of people to simple do whatever made us laugh.  It also connected me with a small audience of faithful viewers who were, in essence, my co-stars.

With no budget, it was down and dirty, and the perfect environment in which to be hands-on in so many areas of production that others did throughout my time with The Muppets.  If you haven’t seen it, check out the CAVE – iN playlist called “Production Numbers”, a series of pieces created in the spirit of Jim Henson’s influence.

I miss Jim, and there is a certain sadness in realizing that I no longer see anything that would draw me to the Muppets of today, this after having been their biggest fan as a child, and onto being one of their biggest supporter as an adult.  I feel a deep sense of loss as I have witnessed Jim Henson’s influence within the world and within the Muppets dissipate, but at the same time I feel deep gratitude knowing that I was a part of something entirely unique and wonderful during my lifetime while it lasted. 

I still love actually doing the work of creating new worlds and stories for characters like the Muppets when given the chance once in a while, but there is no desire to be a member of their audience anymore.  I know too much about the present-day inner-workings to abide the surface exploitation of Jim’s creative depth.  Instead, I prefer even the smallest of projects that offer the chance to simply create with freedom, that freedom being subject only to my own discipline based upon all that I learned beginning with Jim and evolving up until this moment.  So many new ideas, so little time.  And so little chance to bring them to life for me to share them with you!

-Whitmire – January, 2026