Is it just me?

OK, no pictures for once.
I need to write off some thoughts about the hobby. I will start with this question: "Is it just me?"
On a regular basis I get comments from friends about my short attention span in modeling armies. Over the last month I acquired through trade a unbuilt Chaos Warriors army, a large lot of Empire, another bag full of Ogres, resin models, blisters etc etc. My cabinet is really crammed to the max. And all of this stuff I want really badly.

I have fantasies about the Empire Army I will build or how to paint all the Chaos soldiers. I am excited about the Ogres and bought some beautiful models from Avatars of War. Wonderful stuff. I am slowly fantasizing about my Renegade Guard army and what to do with it. I even started reading Gaunts Ghosts 7-8-9 again to remember Sons of Sek and the Blood Pact. And that while I am painting the SpaceWolf drop pod, modeling and thinking about the crew for my scratchbuilt Chaos Hell Cannon, having to finish up the Vampire Counts and the Bishkek 2nd.............and pondering once in a while it would be cool to model some vikings, civil war soldiers  or roman centurions.

I find great comfort in having all these thoughts and projects materialize at the same time. It gives me piece of mind that whenever I get bored with one model, I can jump to something else. I do force myself to create a story for each army that I start, so when I make a jump, I feel I jump right into another storyline. It's wonderful and certainly refreshing. Here's this year's work as you have seen it on the blog:
January: Space Wolves
Feb-Sept: Vampire Counts
Summer: Heroes of Armageddon Orks
May: Bishkek 2nd Storm Troopers
Sept-Oct: Ogres
Oct: Chaos Warriors
November: Space Wolves

And now I am pondering options in Renegade Guard. I have scoured Dave Taylor's Blood Pact again and checked out the various Sons of Sek projects, all very interesting. I have toyed with some bitz and colour schemes....and there it start all over again.

The armies that I have finished (or almost), hardly hold any interest any more. I have a 1500 fully painted Ork Army that's boxed up and I am tempted to also box up the Bishkek 2nd. The project is done and it's time to move on. Some days I decide to sell those two and from the money start again with something else. I would let the Orks go but I couldn't let the Guard go...but still, they are in the way now.


All in all I feel good about having figured out what makes me tick, modeling wise. And that's great comfort. I have my entire life to model all the stuff I still want to do, even if no one else gets it. And that makes it so I don't have to rush for anything. One model at a time, always having fun, never trying to make it boring...

I just haven't met anyone who said: "yeah, i have that as well!"

Mike

Comments

  1. I do know what you're talking about, once I finish something it has a tendency to see action a few times and then an extended period of disuse in one of the many random boxes under my gaming table. I think it's the thrill of creating something that previously only existed within your mind. I find nothing more exciting than realizing a long term project, completing a difficult conversion or achieving a new painting technique. I think as long as you find joy in the process you will never lose interest in the hobby even if you grow bored with a particular subject.

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  2. Just be glad you finish things! I get really into the different modelling, converting and sculpting opportunities with different schemes. Sometimes a build something for one project and pull it apart for another before it even gets primered. I am terrible for jumping between projects before each individual model or terrain piece is even fully painted.

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  3. No it's not just you. I end up selling unfinished armies to make way for the next enthusiasm.

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  4. Hi Mike, for me our "miniatures addiction" works exactly the same way as for you. I have always many ideas in mind while working on a special project. I'll hope the fun of inventing new models, armies, colour schemes and conversions will never end. For me that's exactly the essence of fun in our hobby.

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  5. I think anything that you can improve at (like building and painting minis) naturally leads one to "move on" past your older and even current achievements. I've been gradually "making room" by selling or gifting my early 15mm work from last year, and I hate any drawing I've dome after about a month no matter how good it is. I hung on to more stuff when I regularly played games with the minis though.

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  6. Oh I don't know. I have lots of projects going on at once, been that way for a long time. I sincerely like the hobby and especially the building aspect of this hobby. I get tired of one for a bit but still want to get it done and then move to the next to freshen up a bit.

    One thing that has often cured me of this is building armies on commission. It gets certain ideas out of my head, plus I normally get to see someone elses take on the stuff I build.

    But that often leads to further delays in getting things done. Its like right now I have Chaos Warriors, 40k Templars, Gripping Beast Vikings, Fantasy Orcs, and Perry Miniatures Crusaders all on my desk and in my storage bins pulling in a number of directions, in various stages of completion.

    I eventually know that I will sell off armies. The one thing that I usually do though is a I generally keep some of the best models, just for a memory, better than photos.

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  7. damn! this makes me feel much better. I am not alone in this wonderful madness.
    Mike
    SCWH

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  8. Nope, definitely not alone, Mike. There's just so many ideas out there, so many great sources of inspiration and projects I want to do, it's like I can't concentrate one one thing at a time!

    Then again, I also get very narrow minded when I finally do settle on a huge project and work on nothing else for 14 months...which then results in hobby-burn-out. Which I don't wish on anyone :P

    I've found this year that if I mix it up on purpose though, I tend to get more done productively.

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  9. I think as long as you find joy in the process you will never lose interest in the hobby even if you grow bored with a particular subject. Sometimes a build something for one project and pull it apart for another before it even gets primered.

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  10. I'm also pulled in multiple directions in my hobby efforts. From my Raven Guard, to my Nurgle Marines, to the endless amount of rpg figs that need painting to the Malifaux collection that has been sneakily creeping up in size and lastly my current obsession my Inquisimunda project.
    It's all there. At the same time. begging for my attentions. I also have a Hordes Circle Orboros project that never got finished, but I've moved on from that and so it'll get sold, maybe, sometime.

    No shame mate, just keep doing what keeps you centered, feeds your creative juices and what helps relieve the stress, cos that's what this hobby is all about for me in the end.

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  11. I'm pretty sure most of us out here suffer from it to one extent or another. I started an Ogre Kingdom army about 4 years ago with a heavy Nippon theme and still come back to it to this day. Then I have the Thousand Sons that I bounce around when I see anything that inspires me. I like to scratch build Ork madness when the inspiration hits. After that I have a few skirmish level games that I can't stop buying, finally is the terrain projects.

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  12. I love working on multiple projects, but I do not have exactly the same affliction as you. Like you I have more ideas than I can possibly ever realize and I collect parts and models in the hope of one day building one of my dreams (my Ad Mech army was one of those dreams). Right now I am working on Ad Mech, Lizardmen, Dreadfleet, CSM, LoTR Easterlings, Necrons, and a couple terrain projects. I really enjoy bouncing between projects because it keeps me from getting bored at what I am working on. Where we differ is that every piece I make remains special to me forever. I have never given or traded away a finished model or army. I don't think I ever could. I have a display case in my hobby room that displays a sample of each of my projects, so that I can appreciate the work I have done and the work I am doing on a daily basis.

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  13. Definitely not alone, though you're better then I on getting progress on anything. ^.~

    Though now that I have a job i may end up collecting more models then I already have been.

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