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Hey folks, no doubt this isn't the best place to seek life guidance, but hey I like a lot of the chatter I see here so here goes! I recently posted a topic about getting back into 40K, now that I've graduated and I am able to work my life and budget around an pretty sweet full time job I'm sorta adjusting to a world without, drinking, uni work, and ya' know all that lot.

At the moment I'm pretty fortunate with my time and money having very few commitments, of course work takes up a lot of my week. But outside of that I've started to get back into hobbying in general (not 40K at the moment I'm working on some GoT figures cause damn i love that world!) but I'm also starting to feel guilty about the time I do spend hobbying the days when I don't work aside from excising and ya know house stuff, I could easily burn an entire day painting.

Tl;DROkay so it may sound kinda dumb, but I was just interested to hear how my fellow hobbyists balance their hobby around their life?

EDIT: Such a variety in responses! Man it certainly seems that you guy's have your heads screwed on right, or at least you appear to be! I think this hobby has be good to me, since going to my local game store a few new friends. That's part of my I wanted to get back into gaming after a few years out, I wanted to get back into a hobby that was more communal and I'm looking forward to it! But all the same I really appreciate the positive response!

Enjoy it while you can!

As long as you are still doing the exercise and house work, and it isn't interrupting work or social life; just enjoy the moment.

It will pass.

You know your hobby is part of life right? Its not something to feel guilty about. This is the one life you get, enjoy it and dont sweat stuff like this.

The graduated from college, full time job, no wife yet days were the golden age of my hobby life. Enjoy it while you can.

 Nevelon wrote:
The graduated from college, full time job, no wife yet days were the golden age of my hobby life. Enjoy it while you can.

Ding Ding Ding.

Balancing hobby life around a job is easy. Married ? no sweat.

Kids entering the equation is where it gets interesting and your hobby time will dwindle.

I try to paint a couple nights a month (fair being fair, half of this is being too tired from work / kids / it being 9 pm before i finally have free time), and i try to get games in at least 2-4 times a month if possible. And i'm probably the most active gaming family man i know. Part of those "game times" are playing xwing with my son, and almost every time i head to the gamestore with a pal to play minis it's on a day when Pokemon League is going on so he can play his Pokemon.

If my son wasn't interested in games of all kinds, i probably would engage in less hobby time than i do, which isn't all that much, but more than most married with kids friends of mine.



If it's not interfering with non-gaming social life, exercise, marriage, parenthood, then its just a hobby and part of life.

 Easy E wrote:
Enjoy it while you can!

As long as you are still doing the exercise and house work, and it isn't interrupting work or social life; just enjoy the moment.

It will pass.

I'm not sure I follow you...what is "house work", "exercise", and "social life?"

 Easy E wrote:
Enjoy it while you can!

As long as you are still doing the exercise and house work, and it isn't interrupting work or social life; just enjoy the moment.

It will pass.

Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. One day you might be married with young kids and you'll be having to coast on all of the stuff you were able to get painted up nicely when you had the time .

Just think of your self-indulgent hobby time now as a down payment on hobby time you are going to lose in the future. Your future self with thank you greatly for it.

Good Gods, the way you people talk it's as if everyone who's born signs up a contract saying "You SHALL marry and spawn more humans upon this world"

Enjoy it. Breath it. You work, you deserve your break time with the hobby.

Hell, you already do more than me I just can't find any motivation to do that "exercise" thing you mention.

Enjoy your hobby and take no shame in dedicating time to it.

Its part of what makes you you, a defining feature.

You are entirely correct that your hobby should probably be subordinate to the more important things such as exercise, maintaining a clean dwelling, earning a living, taking time for socializing with other humans, etc. If you are neglecting one of these aspects then your guilt is probably a good warning that something is wrong.

If, however, you are keeping up your other responsibilities then spending an increased amount of time on your hobby is just fine. It's all about maintenance and balance.

And as others have said, enjoy the hobby time you have now before family, work responsibilities, etc begin to take up your time.

Met (now) wife in college, missed glory days.


Enjoy it, OP. You could, instead, be in a situation of having a decent bit of time, practically no money, and be feeling guilty about the free time you don't spend hobbying, since it's at least more productive than watching TV, playing a video game (arguably, granted), or sitting on your ass, listlessly.

If hobby time isn't cutting into anything else important, it's not a problem. What, exactly, is important to you isn't for us to decide. Some people enjoy their solitude, so spending a Friday night painting is time well spent. Others need the contact, so finding yourself ditching drinks or a movie with friends to lock yourself in a room full of plastic shavings might be worrying. If you find yourself feeling guilty, try to figure out WHY that is - are you actually neglecting something or are you just stuck in a mindset that places a lower value on the hobby than what you feel it's actually worth?

[edit: forgot Dakka orkmoticons ]

Do you work, excercise, and shower regularly? If yes...then gaming is not a problem and you should get off Dakka right now and go paint.

If no....then you should also get off Dakka right now and take a shower.

But seriously man, there is a million and one ways to actually waste time and wargaming is not one of them...My girlfriend just spent an hour watching an interview of Bruce Jenner explaining why he is a woman......go paint some models.

 xbenblasterx wrote:
Hey folks, no doubt this isn't the best place to seek life guidance, but hey I like a lot of the chatter I see here so here goes! I recently posted a topic about getting back into 40K, now that I've graduated and I am able to work my life and budget around an pretty sweet full time job I'm sorta adjusting to a world without, drinking, uni work, and ya' know all that lot.

At the moment I'm pretty fortunate with my time and money having very few commitments, of course work takes up a lot of my week. But outside of that I've started to get back into hobbying in general (not 40K at the moment I'm working on some GoT figures cause damn i love that world!) but I'm also starting to feel guilty about the time I do spend hobbying the days when I don't work aside from excising and ya know house stuff, I could easily burn an entire day painting.

Tl;DROkay so it may sound kinda dumb, but I was just interested to hear how my fellow hobbyists balance their hobby around their life?

Its a hobby, its supposed to be something to do in your free time for fun or relaxation. Its no different than if you spent all day fishing, at the range, tinkering on your car, knitting, playing music, watching movies, or reading. As long as you're being healthy with it (as in, not ignoring friends/family, falling behind on obligations, etc.) there should be no problem. On the flipside, too much can be harmful. Its like that one guy at the gym who is obsessed with being ripped, or a guy who drops $8,000 for a guitar when he can barely cover rent. Only you can find that balance, and its up to you to keep it in check.

I live in a hostel with 30 other people right now, work primarily outside, and live what many would consider the least wargaming friendly life you could imagine, and yet I still find time for my minis and wargaming (much to many of my roommates surprise, as the last thing they expect me to pull out from under the bed is a case full of paints and models) Many of them aren't sure what to make of it at first, but they quickly get used to it, and I often get questions about how I painted something or why I got into it. Often times I don't even have a table or desk of my own, and have to paint at odd times so as to ensure I won't be bothered, but that's life.

Enjoy it now, because once you get married you wont get chances to go full wargaming shut in again till you're retired.

See, I think it's because you are still stuck on Uni's "Grindstone rhinoplasties are normal" mentality. You're fine, relax.

As long as you are not a shut in because of it you will be fine. There's worse things you can spend your down time doing.

Sometimes, your life is so screwed up that priorities make little difference.

Well.... Too an extent.

I have issues with many things people have said should be a higher priority than a "hobby."

I cannot exercise regularly because I have a corrupt doctor I have had to sue in order to be able to get the medication and treatment I need to be able to exercise regularly.

I tend to avoid showering because it is so exhausting (the damage to my legs causes my skin to peel like a freaking snake (actually, a snake is positively neat and clean compared to what happens to the skin on my legs). So I may sometimes go a month between bathing/showering, avoiding what I know will be an ordeal with scraping off a mountain of dead skin. Again... If the F***ing doctor was responsible and attentive, this could be avoided.

I don't eat right because of the nausea produced by the medications I am on.

So... This makes my priorities a little screwed, and they amount to:

Do whatever I can, whenever I can.

Many disabled people are in this situation, especially those whose insurance screwed them, and thus they live in a rather economically challenged situation,

In these situations, "The Hobby" is an escape from an otherwise miserable existence.

In my own situation, it also involves the recovery of skills I am supposed to be able to use professionally (and in areas other than gaming).

But, then, I have typically been an outlier in terms of the typical population. Which can be both a boon and a curse.

In terms of my "normal" friends.... I have seen them struggle with coming to terms of family, and jobs, which took away from their ability to game or paint miniatures.

Watching them was one of the reasons I decided against ever having children (when I want children, I will build them).

But balancing life priorities is a challenge.

MB

I can only echoe what people have already said: enjoy it while it lasts! Your post-grad early twenties will be the most time and spare cash you will have in a looooong time, so enjoy it. No need to feel guilty doing a hobby that you enjoy and you may find that enjoying some down time helps your productivity at work.

Why you feel guilty? It is good for you to enjoy your life as already said, making things you like. When you paint minis it's not hurt anyone.
It's not same as "Oh I feel bad, I spent all money on casino and then robbed someone on the street to buy drink, and then beating my wife and crushed car, and then jumped from window but survived and now writing on the forum"

Wait till you hit your 40's... You look forward to hobby time because you sick and tired of the job you been working close to 20 years.

40k. It costs your money, it costs your time, it costs your life (wife).

Are you bragging or is this a cry for help? I'm not sure what to make of this.

If you hate having free time, dislike sleep and have an aversion to money then go make a baby. Nothing brings death to your hobby and social life swifter than having children. Seriously! Use a condom... or just have butt sex.

Or on the other hand , oni.If your parents had the same view as you , where would you be?

Seriously though,priorities change through out your life, as you change as a person.

Any hobby that detracts from personal health or welfare, or the health and welfare of others to any significant degree is a problem.

I wish that I had recognized how good I had it when I was younger.

Gaming opportunities tended to be rarer and choices narrower at that time, though,


MB

BeAfraid wrote:
I wish that I had recognized how good I had it when I was younger.

Gaming opportunities tended to be rarer and choices narrower at that time, though,


MB

"Youth is wasted on the young.”

Darn kids these days, don’t realize how good they have it. Back in my day…

<mumbles off while waving cane>

 Eilif wrote:


It's all about maintenance and balance.

Exactly this. Exalted.

There is nothing wrong with using your free time for your hobby as long as it isn't interfering with the other aspects of your life.

I work, have a wife and daughter, and am finishing my first year of vet school. Painting/Gaming is how I de-stress and zero myself. It's part of my life balance. I'm lucky if I get five mini's done a month right now, so enjoy it while you can.

You'll always have some time for your hobby, but you will likely not have reliable, weekly, full days to engage in your hobby.

Enjoy it, learn to balance your life, but do what you like. Looking back on my time working while single, or even when I was unemployed coming out of school, I probably regret not spending more hobby time!

-

My hobby time is spare time, and I don't have much of it. Between a toddler, a house work, home improvement, and balancing a writing career, I get very little time to do painting/modeling, and even less to play these days.

 Bottle wrote:
It's all about priorities. When I took up this hobby again last October I decided that would be it for video games and watching TV. There's only so many hours in the day and it's important to meet your responsibilities.

I cram warhammer into the gaps in between, and never feel guilty for it because to me it's a much more worthwhile hobby than say computer games as you have so much more to show for all the hard work you put in (a collection of beautifully painted miniatures).

Have an Exalt. This is literally the exact same conclusion I came to this past Sunday. I was playing a PC game and all the sudden I said to myself, "What am I really getting out of this besides burning free time?" After some reflection I decided to divest my desk of my desktop computer, wipe the dust off my old laptop and fill the rest of the space with hobby stuff. I have to say the change hasn't been easy, as abrupt as its been, but I don't regret it one bit. Now I may have gone a little overboard and put my D&D stuff in the "garage sale pile" but that isn't a hobby that takes up too much in the way of resources or time anyway, so they will probably be rescued from their fate.

Balance is certainly the key, and it has taken me a long time to realize that there is no balance with me when it comes to PC games, so I owned up to it and cut it out.