I'm having some massive problems with motivation to paint these days. It's not just a case of not wanting to, because I do want to, but when I sit down to actually paint some stuff I can't seem to keep going. I'll do a tiny little bit and then descend to read... I thought I was bored with GW stuff so I tried a few different things, but the result is the same. I start, I get bored, I leave. If you're bored when you're painting what should you do!? If I'm bored when I paint a mini I can only imagine that the mini will be boring to look at when I finish...
Part of me wonders if the 'critical recpetion' I got when my mini-diorama was posted on the GW Facebook page is part of the problem here. Not all of it was negative, but having it ripped to shreds by the few who did so was a real good kick to my painting gonads. It's at times like these I'm glad I'm not good enough to take commissions, because then I'd be up a certain creek without the paddle... Or even the boat!
So what are the options I've got?
a) Pack everything away until I feel the desire to paint? Dunno if this will work. Like I said, I do want to paint. Or at least I think I do. But ensuring I stay painting when I start is the goal. Besides what would I do with the room... (Yes, good one, that's what we should be concerned with...)
b) Paint anyway! Force it until I get 'Over the Hump'. A possibility, I've done it before when I wanted to get a few things finished, but the overall-outcome wasn't the best. I'm a trainee perfectionist at heart. Failure to get things right just pisses me off, but forcing things will leave me in a state of 'Close Enoughs' which isn't fun when you look back on stuff...
c) A new option! Feel free to chime in here. If you've got advice for me; good, bad or mean, let me have it!
Perhaps having a completed model to look at that you can see is awesome to inspire you to keep going to make your current effort like that? Could be a squad mate or just another model with the same paint scheme that you are proud of. Just my two cents
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one actually. I usually do this when I'm doing a squad to remind myself what needs to be what colour... Thanks man :)
DeleteI know I'm late to the party on this - seeing as the post is 10 days old - But I am terrible for suffering hobby burnout on an all too regular basis. To combat this I try to keep myself busy with multiple projects so that I don't have an opportunity to get bored with "that project" or fed up painting "that colour". Doesn't always work, but it's the best method I've come up with thus far.
ReplyDeleteIf you're beyond that though, just take a break mate. Yes, this will hurt the output of your hobby queue, but so what? You're doing this for YOU right? No commissions or deadlines, so going off complete a video game, finish a book, write a book - the queue isn't going anywhere and you never know, one of the things you fill your time with in the meantime might well inspire to get back to paining with even more enthusiasm than before.
Okay, I'll step off the positivity soapbox. :)
Thanks Dai. I appreciate the input. And you're right. I do this for myself, I don't take commissions and while I try to keep a deadline there's very little penalty when I fail to keep it.
DeleteNew projects seem to keep me interested... ^_^