Infinite and finite.

Human creativity engages with the infinite in order to create something finite, whether it is a movie, a book, a painting or a product.

As creatives, we engage with both the infinite nature of inspiration and the finite nature of resources. Every project we commit to requires a certain amount of time, energy, attention and money which are finite in nature.

For instance, in a week, there are a finite 168 hours. No matter what we do, we can't go beyond this number. And in terms of deep work, we may have a capacity of 3-4 hours a day which limits it to 21-28 hours a week, let's say, roughly 20 hours a week. When we understand this, we put on our plate only that which we can afford to work on.

Piling projects on their plate without giving consideration to the finite nature of time is a trait of the amateur. A finite, discriminant mindset helps us ship work as a professional. The professional is here for the long run, she's patient and she learns how to say no to what she wants to do but does not yet have space for.