The paradox of choice is that too many options can stifle our ability to take action. Our natural impulse is to want more. We tell ourselves that if only we had a little more time, money, or material, we'd be able to finally do the work.
But what if we decided to work with what we already have? Better yet, what if we decided to work with less?
Embracing scarcity by deliberately choosing to work with less can be a a catalyst for creativity.
Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe best exemplified this.
Because of the price of film he felt obliged to make every shot count. He did not like making mistakes or wasting film, and so developed his quick eye and decisive manner. He was precise and economical, first out of necessity, then out of habit.
Not having enough can be a good thing. It encourages you to be resourceful with what you already have. At first, working with natural scarcity may be unavoidable because you actually lack resources. But creating artificial scarcity even when abundance is an option is when deficiency becomes a super power.