Hi!
Well it's been a while since I updated my blog and I must admit that most of it is down to me having utterly lost my hobby mojo over the last few months.
I've repeatedly picked up and put down my brushes and tried different scales, settings and ranges from my collection and found myself utterly uninspired.
Looking back on my blog, it's become a bit of a dumping ground for failed projects and I hate to admit it but I've lost all interest in 6mm as well as 15mm scale for no good reason. Equally frustratingly, I don't seem to have much passion for 28mm either at present and while part of me is finding the loss of mojo most distressing, I'm surprisingly unbothered about the whole thing.
Maybe it's because I'm finding myself increasingly busy at work or the frustration that all the games I loved are out of production and even getting the miniatures I fondly remember requires far more of a budget than I have or maybe it's just my interests have moved on (gosh, I really hope not!).
I have a sneaking suspicion that it may also have something to do with my current lead pile as it consists of the dregs of my great clearout and it's pretty uninspiring dross to be honest which doesn't really make me want to pick something out and paint it.
Another issue I'm finding is that I just don't have the space for much of a gaming board so even small scale skirmishes are a bit of a challenge...
Whatever the reason, I'm going to go back to the drawing board and spend my weeks holiday later in the month doing a bit of navel gazing and see if I can't figure out just what I want to do about the situation.
Hopefully I'll be back to some semblance of hobby related shenanigans in the coming months so apologies for the waffling and lack of anything interesting to update but in the meantime, All the best!
Richard
I'm sorry to hear that, especially because you did such excellent drawings for Space Captain Smith. It's hard to give much advice, but sometimes it is a matter of drawing back and thinking about what you want to do.
ReplyDeleteI've found that working on small projects helps, often just an individual miniature found on ebay. Doing one character at a time takes a lot of the chore out of it. But whatever works really. I hope you get back into the swing of things.
Hold your robot-head up mate!
ReplyDeleteI know the pain, really.
Actually nowdays I am struggling with sth similar and must kinda force myself to spend night-time painting.
From my experience there are 2 possibilities:
1. Having too much time for fun - which makes hobby looses it's charm
2. Getting ass kicked by real life - to much stress and duties prevents enjoying painting, especially after whole day fighting for survival :)
Is there any good advice?
Take a break, put the toys away for a month or two and give it a try again.
Hobby is patient and will be there for you ;-)
We all go through fallow periods. Hang in there. Your mojo will return. :)
ReplyDeleteI hate when that happens. I was pretty demotivated last years about doing most of my hobby stuff.
ReplyDeleteI am sure your mojo will come back in good time.
You just have to force yourself once or twice. Then you will fall back into the routine.
ReplyDeleteI have a wife and baby, one on the way and we are still trying to get a home. I understand completely what it is like to be too busy to get stuff done and to have no energy left to start something.
ReplyDeleteSomething I will try when we do finally get a home- lunch box with a few minis and paints. If I take an hour for break instead of my usual 30 mins, I will be able to paint over lunch break and feel like I am still getting some hobby time in.
I would encourage you to try recapture some enthusiasm through lore or being inspired by other peoples blogs. Your blog is one of the few I can view at work and I enjoy hobbying vicariously through you!
Don't feel the pressure to pick up something that doesn't excite you right now- this is about fun not duty. Best of luck with your predicament.
I for one thoroughly enjoy your postings Richard, so fingers crossed your mojo returns at some point soon. Good luck :-)
ReplyDeleteForcing myself to get some hobbying done when I'm at a low ebb of mojo normally works for me, as inevitably I'll get distracted from whatever I'm tying to force myself to work on by something else in the lead pile that catches my eye...
ReplyDeleteIt's okay to have ups and downs, life is larger than the hobby and sometimes one doesn't have inspiration, energy, time, money, motivation or whatever.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter, it's okay to have periods without hobby presence. Sometimes you've got to let your stuff rest for a while.
I do enjoy your blog, love your 15mm stuff and I've been very inspired by your work. Don't let the pressure to produce kill the joy of the hobby. Take a break, we'll be waiting for you.
You’re allowed to go through dry spells in the hobby so don’t be too hard on yourself.
ReplyDeleteI’ve gone for weeks without playing with my toy soldiers then eventually back with new foun enthusiasm. Sounds like what’s left on your leadpile isn’t actually that appealing, praps sell and buy something that does attract?
Mate we all get it sometimes! I’ve had one of those periods before that have lasted a few months; even a year. My advice is to force yourself to paint something; when you’re sat down and painting something will just click and you’ll re-discover your passion. I hope you find your mojo soon as this is one for my favourite blogs!
ReplyDeleteGosh!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for all the comments and encouragements folks! I'm going to take a few days to ponder what to do but I'm finding myself tempted to go and pick up a random pack of miniatures and see how I get on.
I think I need to dispose of my lead pile as well as it really hasn't got much of any interest in it...
In the meantime, All the best!