Why did Jim continue with puppetry?

I just got to thinking, I'm about as familiar with Jim's history as anybody here, but I have been wondering, has there ever been any explanation or theory as to why Jim decided to continue to make his career in puppetry? We all know he never even considered working with puppets, let alone really knowing a whole lot about them, and we also know that what he really wanted to do was work in television, in a nutshell, he became a puppeteer as a means to get on television. Of course, we know, this led to Sam and Friends, and the rest is history... but again, really, Jim's original motive in becoming a puppeteer was simply to get into television, yet it became his career, so I'm just wondering, has there ever been any kind of explanation as to why he decided to continue working in puppetry?

He just might have enjoyed it. But thats just my crazy theory.

Jim got his main start on television via Sam and Friends, which garnered some fandom within Washington, D.C. With this and commercials, I would imagine that his popularity just began to catch on, and he probably figured that there was no point in going back and starting over when he had an obvious talent.

Makes me wonder though, because I know Jim held a really strong interest in animation, and I also know as a little side job during high school, he drew/designed posters for clients and such, if he had gotten into animation (aside from just Muppet Babies), and what we would have gotten from that. Also knowing how technologically savvy he was, and always trying new techniques, do you think he could have given the likes of Pixar and DreamWorks a run for their money if he did CGI movies?

When you've found a niche on Television that is praised by audiences and making you money, you'd be wise to at least give it a chance.

I do believe that I remember Jim saying, though, that he would never want to go full force into animation like that because that was already done by Walt Disney. He wanted to try to focus on an art form that hadn't been explored quite as much.

"The truth of the matter is that the frog is a great deal more interesting to look at, and who notices what the bearded man is doing?"

What bearded man?

Well the bearded man was Jim Henson. Kermit didn't know who that man was.

Who's Kermit?

Kermit is a frog with flippers. Duh!!

What frog? Okay no more muffining but you do realize I was kidding right?

I knew it! You were muffining! I can't believe it! Okay, you did kid around, eh? You were um scaring me silly. (laughs softly!)

Hi, I can answer that question. During Sam & Friends and well before that Junior Good Morning Show, there were several reasons why he started puppetry.
(1. To get a job working on television
(2. A way to help fund his way through College
(3. To experiment with art and the film medium.

Jim went to Europe and left Jane and Bob (Forgot his name) to making more Sam & Friends' episodes without him. Jim was always an artist, but he mostly did print art like having a little side poster business I think during his college years as well as being the cartoonist for his college paper. Jim traveled and to also I think clear his mind on what he was going to do with his life in terms of a career. He didn't think much of being a puppeteer. Then he seen adult puppetry for the very first time, from my research there was a couple of really risky adult content as well as some satire that Jim must have seen at a certain show. I forgot what show it was but Jim was amazed that here's full grown men performing puppets as a career. So Jim thought of what he was doing with art and the television medium and thought, perhaps there's something there he could do more of. And to my knowledge, became history.

lol World of Jim Henson, I just bought the rare VHS of that recently. Anyone know when that footage originally came out? Not WoJH (that's 1993 right?) but the Jim Henson / Kermit interview? Looks late 80s.