First-time DP: Emotional Spine vs. Manifesto - Which is the bigger trap?

Hey DPs, I'm a working Camera Operator, usually on an ARRI with an Atlas Orion set, but I'm grading myself up to DP for the first time on an indie short. It's a character-driven piece, very internal, shot mostly on an FX6 with a couple of Helios Tubes kicking around. I'm trying to develop a visual language that serves the story without being overly academic or distracting.

My core question is this: I'm really trying to lean into the emotional arc of the character with my lighting and framing, making sure every shot reinforces their inner state. But I'm also finding myself developing quite a few 'rules', like 'only warm practicals for comfort' or 'always a subtle dutch for unease.'

For those who've made the leap to DP, what's been the more insidious pitfall in your experience? Overloading the 'emotional spine' so it feels forced and manipulative, or creating vague, unquantifiable 'manifesto rules' that become restrictive and artificial on set? I'm genuinely trying to avoid leaning too hard into either, but I don't have the experience to know which one's the bigger trap.