Remain Frugal. The less you can live on, the more chance your idea will succeed. This is true even after you've "made it".

In 1997, I landed the dream job. High-paid advertising copywriter. Big office. Big apartment in New York. Glamorous parties and glamorous backdrop. All feeding the urban sophisticate narrative etc. All good.

The trouble was, even though I was being paid very well, I was still broke by the end of the month. Life is New York was expensive, and I was determined to experience it fully. I sure as hell wasn't saving anything.

Like they say, education is expensive. And I ended up paying top dollar.

Because of course, one day the recession hit, the job dried up and I nearly found myself on the street. Had I lived a bit more modestly I would have been able to weather the storm better.

There are a lot of people out there who, like me back in New York, make a lot of money, but spend it just as quickly. The older you get, the less you envy them. Sure, they get to go to the fancy restaurants five days a week, but they pay heavily for the privilege. They can't afford to tell their bosses to go take a hike. They can't afford to not panic, when business slows down for a month or two.

Part of being creative is learning how to protect your freedom. That includes freedom from avarice.


MacLeod, Hugh (8/22/2004). How to be Creative. Gapingvoid. http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html