The third of Sondheim's principals is a phrase that you may have heard before: "Less is More." If you've spent any time in a group critiquing a poem or novel,play or movie, or a song, you've heard someone say, "less is more." That means that a simple, straightforward expression of your idea can be much more effective than a more elaborate, fancy expression.
Creators like to overstate. Actors love to show more emotion than their role calls for, because they think that's the way the audiences can see how good they are. Writers and lyricists love to show off their facility with words. Larry Hart once rhymed "company" with "bump a knee." In general, your audience finds simplicity and honesty more compelling. Doing less allows the true feelings of a scene to emerge. Less does really create more impact.
Of course, you always have to be careful to make sure that less doesn't mean less. If you are letting the form dictate content, and taking care with the details, you'll know when less is more for your piece.
One other lesson learned from Sondheim is to keep refining your work. You'll probably not get it right the first time, the second time, the third time, and maybe not even the fourth time. Keep working until you get your content right. Your audience is giving you their time and sometimes even their money for your art. You owe them your best effort.
Keep these principles in mind, and maybe you will be a vital artist when you hit 80.
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