So the first thing I find myself having to tackle while trying to get the blog up and running off the ground is the fact that as a gamer I am currently suffering from a bit of malaise. My preferred game, Privateer Press‘ Warmachine calls to me and I am busy thinking of lists, plotting which models to use with which Warcasters but I simply cannot dredge up the will to get painting and be productive.
Current thinking amongst my peers is that by simply sitting and doing between 45 minutes and an hour each night of painting a gamer will develop the discipline required to get more of their unpainted models painted and table-ready in as little time as possible. My own experience tells me that by expecting to paint for this much time each night I actually accomplish so much more as the allotted time stretches out into a very good 2 to 3 hour painting session, and I have some decent progress to be proud of.
True painters get paint on everything, I tell my wife…
So why the current struggle? Well, I have had some personal things to address, and I am a father and a husband, as well as a Press Gang volunteer and an employee who has to work, and also a friend who seems to be sought for his ability to listen and be honest/blunt/brutal with his feedback. So I do feel I have a lot of demands on my time, and it would be selfish to spend time just sitting and painting, trying to get some little army men painted so that I can play games with other adults at a hobby store once a week, wouldn’t it?
The truth is that it isn’t selfish at all, and in fact we all need to devote a certain amount of time each day to minding our own shop, so to speak. With all the pressures and demands on us in our daily lives, it stands to reason that more than ever we need to set aside a bit of time to do the things we want to do for ourselves. Guilt or remorse should not be a part of it as each of us needs some time to ourselves in order to allow our minds to decompress, to digest the events of the day and file things away into their proper order and better prepare us for the challenges to come in the days ahead. Sure it sounds a bit flighty and hippy, but the truth is even Hobby Enthusiasts need to look after themselves and put their own well-being, both mental and physical, at the top of some to-do lists in order to be able to better deal with all the challenges we face in our daily lives.
To that end I want to challenge the current thought about how to better get into a hobby groove; I submit that what we need to do first is look after our body and mind in order to allow us to get into a routine whereby we accomplish more of our hobby-related goals. Whether that means we make smarter choices when it comes to eating, get more exercise, take the time to ourselves and make sure we talk to friends, partners, lovers, etc about the issues we face and the feelings those challenges bring up in us, it is all relevant and important that we address these before sitting down to knock out a Hobby activity.
Okay so let’s just take “Juice” out of this and make that 6 a Hobby, shall we?
Now I’m also going to suggest that it is not impossible to multitask here; I often find I am able to have a meaningful conversation with a friend, or my wife, while I sit and work on a hobby. Whether cleaning and assembling models for play, or organizing comic books while chatting, or even arranging a Skype call overseas while I sit down to paint some models, many of these issues can be tackled with your support network while you partake in a hobby. Heck, even going for a walk with a friend around the block and discussing your issues, your lists, current story-arcs in your favourite publishers Comic series, etc, all of these things are possible, and should be looked at as necessary parts of the balance required to be successful as a person and hobby enthusiast.
Because let’s be honest, we can all get a little carried away and spend too much, devote too much time at work, or neglect our health while we obsess over the newest faction for our favourite tabletop miniatures wargame. The Gamer Magpie is alive and well, my friends, and I am just as susceptible to it as any of you.
Oooooooh, SHINY!
For me, I think I’ll go home, take my daughter for a walk, enjoy a conversation with my wife over dinner and then see who is free to chat over Skype while I paint some models tonight.
Who knows, I may even get something finished.
Great start, Northblade. I expect to see fewer steel legions from you now!
I dunno man, I am a blog admin now…..
I’ll commit to trying sir, and do my best!
Great post! I think sometimes we do feel a little ‘guilty’ about spending time doing the things we are passionate about because its time not spent doing things we ‘should’ be doing…but you make a great point…we ‘should’ be doing what we can to unplug from the day-to-day of our busy lives to recharge and keep the fire burning that keeps us passionate about the things we’re passionate about.
Well said!
Thanks Neil, glad you agree and thank you for taking the time topost your thoughts!
Welcome aboard sir, I hope the Hysteria takes hold and you stick around.
i have been trying to better myself as of late in many areas (some more importent then others), but the time i could paint 1 hour lets is now filled with my training for my co-op this coming school year (a ton of running). but with that said i have much time to play with but it is all for not and is wasted away. i really should use my time better, and i am trying.
I hear you brotha. I have been in a funk for the past 2-3 weeks. I am hoping the Hunter’s Grim will shake that….guess we will find out in two days 🙂
To be honest I have found taking with people about lists and such over the past two days has started to get the juices flowing we will see if this can translate into results.
I swear it’s the hardest thing is actually getting started. I find that once I’ve got my paints and water down in front of me it’s I usally find my groove and I’m off painting. Sometimes you’re just getting bogged down in the details though….like metal filigree on Skorne. That stuff kills me. I also find it easier to have a goal for the night. Like “I’m just going to do the first highlight or just the weapons today”. I, like you, only paint for about an hour or so, but not every night. Really depends on what I’m painting and how badly I want to see it done. Everything is a project and like all projects if it’s been on the painting table too long, I’ll usually just rush the remaining steps to get it out of the door. Let’s have another painting night spend a good couple of hours getting our paint on!
This has long been my bane, I have blamed it on many things over the years but in reality I have to own it. I don’t Paint or Assemble right now because I just don’t want to. Once I had a Group to play with my Hobby Mojo came back for a time..but alas that Club is being pushed out of its current home and has nowhere else to go..so back to Funk Square One I go.
Simply put, if I have no opportunity to play the game..I do not paint or assemble the models. I have had some success with Skype ‘BroPaintning’ sessions with some fellow ForumGoers and Gaming Friends so that I can honestly attest to working.
I enjoyed your Post a lot, it was more insightful than most and has more than a few grains of truth in it. A ‘trick’ I use for when I DO get the urge is this: Having my Hobby Area entirely Tidy and ready to go at a moments notice. I have had more than one Urge to Paint get quashed by the “Ah crap..this place is a pig sty!” problem.
It’s true Hexy, and my own painting table needs a bit of a Spring Clean right now too, it’s in a sorry state of affairs.
Glad you enjoyed the post, hope we can keep being of interest going forward!
I’m on the same page as you dude, sometimes i just stare at my models and not touch a brush. A lot of the time i enjoy the quiet and relaxation and just let my mind wander while my body does the painting. In the end its like all things for me, a few burns and a few splashes of blood here and there, but that’s what makes it worth it in the end.