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View Full Version : Motivation and you - How do you keep going?



RandomX
08-01-2009, 09:54 AM
Recently I have noticed that I have no real drive to paint, or build models. I really have been in a slump for the last few years.

I love the game. And I love the background for it. During the entire time that I could not be bothered to sit at my painting table or go to the shop to play, I still read BL books, armybooks, and was an active member of about a half dozen forums and such.

Anyone else having problems with trying to keep the drive alive, so to speak, for their hobby related activities? How did you break the funk?

Its strange how when I am not right in front of them I want nothing else then to sit down and sling some paint onto a mini. When I sit down to do so though I usually just end up pushing around the models, making the occasional "pewpew!" noise, and organizing my paints just right. >.>

One thing I am doing is working on getting a Mordheim campaign started up with a few guys over here with me (in Iraq at the minute, had the wife send models and hobby stuff), and am also trying to fire up some Kill Team and Bloodbowl. Small scale games that are quick and fun.

Anyone else have the modeling blues? And how did you snap out of it? I gotta get some painting done.

-Eric

bob
08-01-2009, 11:53 AM
I look at awesome models and think damn i want an army/warband/gang as good as that.

I also look back at the stuff that got me into the hobby , thats why i keep old white dwarf's

Brambleten
08-01-2009, 11:56 AM
motivation to paint is a problem for me, but entering things on websites which gives a team points for painting helps. even if i'm not painting what i set out to paint, i am still getting something done, which i suppose is a benefit of having 6 different armies and therefore 6 different schemes to paint

Mortagon
08-01-2009, 12:11 PM
I have had the painting blues myself on several occassions, it usually happens right before summer and during the summer I take a break from the hobby, but I always return sooner or later.

As for motivation, I tend to frequent the internet looking through modeling forums and blogs for inspiration and ideas. Having some friends to paint with is also a great kicker for me. But the best motivation is to play some games with unpainted armies, I hate playing with unpainted models and I have even refused to play because my army wasn't finished yet.

Orlock
08-01-2009, 12:46 PM
The bottom line - you have to sit at your painting table and work through the block - look for inspiration around you, on the web etc, but really you need to force yourself into a regular system. Eventually things will start to click and before you know it you will be producing some fantastic pieces of work.

Lerra
08-01-2009, 12:59 PM
The best way for me to get out of a slump and start to enjoy painting again is to sit down and have a beer or three, listen to some good music, turn off the cell phone and just sit down and paint. The beer makes it more fun, especially when all you need is that little push in the right direction to get started. Just pick a simpler model for that night lol.

Although personally, my best work has been done with a light buzz going :rolleyes:

MrGiggles
08-01-2009, 01:30 PM
The bottom line - you have to sit at your painting table and work through the block - look for inspiration around you, on the web etc, but really you need to force yourself into a regular system. Eventually things will start to click and before you know it you will be producing some fantastic pieces of work.

Bydand. Nice and simple.

Hal'jin
08-01-2009, 01:49 PM
I've had a huge problem with it. Had a large pile of grey plastic guardsmen lying on the shelf. They all needed some gs converting and painting and I just couldn't get to do it. Had at least 70 unpainted minis backlog. It was nearly a year that I've did pretty much nothing with them. And then something happened, not exactly sure what it was. Maybe the rumours of the new IG codex. In two days I converted all the 40 guardsmen that needed it and primed it all. And then the painting commenced. Now I'm sitting with two shelves of fully painted models and only a handful (Psyker squad, a second CCS, advisors, a Sentinel and a Vendetta left. Of course from things I currently own. *cough*). seeing so much done models sure is inspiring , especially with all the kind opinions I'm getting on the army.

I think the major fault was having way too many unpainted models. Then you just walk to the shelf thinking "Maybe I'll paint a few" and then look at the sea of plastic and go "Oh gosh, that's a LOAD of work... I'll do it later.." and so it went. Even now I have to force myself a bit to paint that 100-something-th guardsman but once I start I keep going till its done.


The bottom line - you have to sit at your painting table and work through the block - look for inspiration around you, on the web etc, but really you need to force yourself into a regular system. Eventually things will start to click and before you know it you will be producing some fantastic pieces of work.

QFT. Do not take long breaks in painting or you'll have much harder time getting back to it.

And there's one more thing that keeps me motivated - the comments left by people watching my army on my blog (http://42ndcadian.blogspot.com). Actually it's a huge thing! Now I work on stuff not to disappoint readers and have something to show that we all can enjoy!

Slann
08-01-2009, 01:58 PM
I get in the slump too I also have a weekness for my " sons " playsation 3 or pc games and that can bigtime into painting ( ooh just talking about it makes me want to pop in infamous and beat it agian this time with the elctro blades ) . Anyway what I do to help is get involved in some painting threads online also start one of my own and promise the forum more updates now I am giving myself a little deadline for people that are watching me paint my stuff and leaving awesome comments .

Also having a friend come over and instead of playing a game make it a painting night make some bbq get a few cider jacks and just convert stuff bull**** and paint !

Cosmic
08-01-2009, 03:06 PM
I think that pretty much everything needed to be said here has been said. The good thing, though, is that you're still interested in the hobby, and so that's the main thing. I've also found some stuff to do with this on good ol' Dakka, which should hopefully come as a link in this reply.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Getting_Motivated_to_Paint
http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Assembly%20Line%20Painting

Agramar
08-01-2009, 03:22 PM
I look at awesome models and think damn i want an army/warband/gang as good as that.

I also look back at the stuff that got me into the hobby , thats why i keep old white dwarf's

I do the same ,but most of the time:or i have motivation but no time..or i have time but no motivation...Damn!!

AsgeirArnald
08-01-2009, 03:53 PM
My motivation is that I really want to get better at painting, since I'm not the best at it right now. So I just have to keep doing it. Like they say, practice makes perfect.

chachi
08-01-2009, 04:07 PM
Playing a game gives me the boost to keep painting, especially when that unpainted unit or model helps me win the game!

Magos
08-01-2009, 05:43 PM
Power Metal is a very good way to get motivated. No really, Primal Fear makes you want to make your space men look awsome, so your pew pew noises are justified

darth_papi76
08-01-2009, 05:56 PM
I always check out other people's minis to get motivated when I'm in a slump. Though, sometimes it is good to take a break and do something else once in a while.

vman
08-01-2009, 07:26 PM
From the sounds of it your a procrastinator

Either that or you may be overwhelmed by something... perhaps a messy hobby room, the thought of so many unpainted minis.

Whatever it is this hobby is no different to a normal day to day work life

If your work area is messy and your work is all over the place, we tend to procrastinate and waste time.
If we have too much work we sit back not knowing where to start and again motivation levels go down. This may not seem obvious but its true.

I think the best bit of advice would be to have small goals and tackle them one at a time.

For example, saying i want to paint x army is not a small goal. Thats a massive goal

So why dont you put away all of your unpainted minis in boxes and just have the ones out you intend to paint, ie. a squad. Painting them and painting slowly and painting them well will inspire you to finish off the rest of your army

Commissar Lewis
08-01-2009, 07:41 PM
Depends. Some days I just feel like doing some painting. Or if nothing good is on TV. Just yesterday I painted my Leman Russ Demolisher. Now I have around 20-30 Guardsmen.

And to the original poster who is in Iraq, good luck man. Thanks for keeping up the fight. Hope to be in the Navy soon.

Slann
08-01-2009, 08:14 PM
Also dont leave your whole army out it just looks like alot and can cause you to hold it off more , instead just leave out whats already painted and add to it , take out 10 figures or one large fig at a time and work on that til its done , add that to the painted stuff and continue like that til there is no more unpainted stuff to pull out of your case .

kitiara
08-02-2009, 08:03 AM
For me, motivation is as inspiration; you don't search it, it comes to you.
when i see or hear or something that give me an idea, then i begin to paint.
perhaps i had been two month without paint and then, i pass a week painting in my room...

Orlock
08-03-2009, 04:19 AM
I agree with Magos about Power metal to inspire you!! Have been listening to Manowar, Dragonforce and much more to blitz through models. Slayer's the best though.

Diagnosis Ninja
08-03-2009, 04:33 AM
Hmm... The less I have to do in the rest of my life, the more time I have for painting. Since the beginning of the year, I can only have painted about 15-20 models, but they've been at times when there hasn't been any coursework, my best mate is at Catterick, and my girlfriend is at work. It's let me get started properly on my Space Marines chapter, Cerberus Company, properly, and really get to grips with what I've wanted to do with them artistically (ooh, fancy word for the morning :P).

Anyway, for inspiration, I come up with all sorts of cheesy marine-esque things that they could have done in a story, and think of how damn good a painter my best mate is, and it kinda builds up a rivalry in my head with him. Obviously, I'm never gonna outpaint him, but having that goal kinda makes me want to paint the living sh*t outta him, somehow...

Metal and music helps a lot as well... Long live Spotify! (on a side note, if anyone is interested in it, I still have 9 invites to that if it isn't open to the rest of the world yet...)