March 19

In creative work, low overhead is often the key to sustainability, flexibility, and freedom. When you remove the stranglehold of debt and high fixed costs, you increase your ability to spend time and energy where there might be a greater return, even if it’s a delayed one.

However, overfrugality can be a significant impediment to the creative process as well. A lack of resources imposes artificial limits on the ideas you pursue. You might begin to unknowingly settle into your new boundaries.

When considering how you spend your resources, think in terms of investment and expense. There are things worth spending money on if they are likely to improve or increase the return on the other side. Spend money on experiences, workspace tools, resources, and other things that are likely to give you a creative edge. However, be more frugal about spending money on things that are less likely to give a creative return.

“Is this an investment or an expense?” is a great question to ask when you aren’t certain.

Frugality can be good, but don’t allow it to lead to creative strangulation. Invest your resources in things that are likely to yield a return tomorrow.

Distinguish between frugality and creative strangulation.

Is there something you should be investing your resources in right now? Or cutting back on?