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Los Angeles–based photographer Gregg Segal has contributed to Time, Smithsonian, Fortune, Wired and National Geographic Adventure, among other publications.
"I firmly believe that none of us loses the sense of wonder we felt as kids. For a lot of us, though, it gets covered up. But we all can find that child in us," says Louis Henry Mitchell, who directs character art for Sesame Workshop.
Gregg Segal
As creative director of character design, Louis Henry Mitchell, 66, directs character art for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. His book, Qreative Evolution: How to Question Everything to Find Your Creative Fulfillment, was published in 2025.
Cookie Monster is my favorite character, because he loves his friends even more than he loves cookies. Sometimes, a person will let an obsession take precedence over their relationships. Cookie Monster shows us that you can be obsessed with something and still be sweet, still be sharing.
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Each Sesame Street character represents a different trait, and it’s my job to bring those out. Elmo is pure enthusiasm. Ernie represents playful mischievousness. Bert contemplates the stillness of lakes and connects with kids who like subtler things. Grover, no matter how many mistakes he makes, never gets down on himself.
Some years ago, I visited a school where I presented the Ernie and Elmo Sesame Street Muppets. I met an 8-year-old boy there who was on the autism spectrum and had never spoken a word. He was spellbound by Ernie. On the car ride home with his mom, he started saying Ernie’s name. At the dinner table, he repeatedly said, “Ernie’s my friend.” A nonverbal child was inspired to start speaking; that’s the power that these characters have to connect.
The characters are my friends, too. When I draw them, I’m doing their portraits. When I’m posing them, it’s a playdate. I tap into the sense of wonder I felt when, as a 6-year-old, I first saw Jim Henson on The Ed Sullivan Show with Kermit the Frog on his arm. I thought, Maybe I could do that, and my life exploded with possibility. I started stealing my sister’s socks and making my own puppets.
In my mind and heart, I’ve never stopped being 6 years old. That little kid — that’s still me. I firmly believe that none of us loses the sense of wonder we felt as kids. For a lot of us, though, it gets covered up. But we all can find that child in us. I keep a picture of my 6-year-old self close at hand. He’s my mentor. He guides me.
Everyone is an artist, whether they know it or not. Creativity doesn’t mean just drawing and painting. It’s anything new that you’re reaching for. What you’re creating is your life. Your life is your work of art.
The only failure is quitting. If you try and something doesn’t quite work out, well, you’re just practicing. Until your very last day, you’re a work in progress.
Los Angeles-based writer and photographer Gregg Segal has contributed to Time, Smithsonian, Fortune, Wired and The New York Times Magazine, among others.
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