Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have a bit of a problem right now with miniatures in general. I've been in the middle of a move, so my "hobby space" has been totally disrupted, and I've been too busy getting the apartment to look decent to be able to get set up again. Now I do have the time but I just am not getting motivated right now. I've been inundated at work because there was a fly ash spill in our area ( that was national news, so it is a problem of some magnitude), and I just haven't felt like working on a project when I get home. I thought that I'd look forward to doing something after all the mess at work, but it doesn't work that way. Warhammer Online is also killing me as far as the miniatures hobby goes.

Any suggestions? I'm leaning against just buying more stuff, as I have some things that need to be finished up anyhow. The only exception to this is if I bought an army and used some sort of "mass production" technique, such as dipping, to create an "instant" painted army. Should I strip and repaint some of my older stuff to bring it up to my current standard? I'm thinking finishing my Eldar Avatar might be a good start.

Im thinking dont fight it, embrace it, do other stuff- this isnt a job its a hobby and you will come back to it in time.

Velsharoon wrote:Im thinking dont fight it, embrace it, do other stuff- this isnt a job its a hobby and you will come back to it in time.

I'm thinking about that. This has happened before, I just don't want to take two or three years off, like I did once. I'm thinking about taking a month and a half, and deliberately not even think about models, other than to just take what I have and play at the FLGS.

You appear to be operating on principle as opposed to what you actually want to do. If it is meant to be 3 years it will be. Just treat it like any other hobby like watching tv or reading- unlike what people think this isnt a lifestyle.

I used to play Eve online *a lot* and we used to get burned out all the time but kept playing cos we felt we had to, or were letting mates down etc. Thing was you only have to look to yourself, you work hard eveyr day so want to relax at the end of it. A hobby aint a job.

By all means go down to the FLGS and have a game or whatever but dont push yourself to paint or model, just socialise and have some dakka.

Velsharoon wrote:You appear to be operating on principle as opposed to what you actually want to do. If it is meant to be 3 years it will be. Just treat it like any other hobby like watching tv or reading- unlike what people think this isnt a lifestyle.

Good point there.

Gotta agree with Velsharoon. Just find a decent way to put things away until you feel interested again. I've gone for years without playing, and each time I've come back, but when I do, I really enjoy it. Just don't get rid of any of your models. (Painted, you've put a lot of time in, unpainted, GW prices WILL go up!)

The Golden Care Bear speaks truly...

If you don't want to do it, don't do it. There's no "virtue" in being a martyr to a hobby that has lost its interest. There's no point in buying new crap that's going to sit around gathering dust, and there's no point gluing and painting crap if you'd rather be watching a DVD or playing a video game or doing something more social.

Find something else to do with your time and come back to it when you feel like it.

I regularly take months off, and then have a few months "on" when I enjoy tackling a new project.

The times when I've had to drive myself to paint models because for one reason or other I felt I "ought to" were some very miserable times indeed, young padawan.

If you force yourself too much you'll only make yourself unhappy and will likely end up quitting altogether in the end.

Feel the Force, and follow its leading.

Grignard wrote: The only exception to this is if I bought an army and used some sort of "mass production" technique, such as dipping, to create an "instant" painted army.

I don't think this is a solution- I just did this in October, and have yet to get through cleaning the mold lines :(

However, I also have a plan (because I am basically burned out on cleaning mold lines, but itching to have it done so I can get to dipping and then finally Playing again!) and I think you hit on it when you said you've moved and haven't had time to set up your space. I think that is a big part of it. It's like having a dirty vs a clean house / apartment. If it's clean, you feel better and want to hang out with people there more. If it's dirty, you just want to go someplace else. If your hobby space is a wreck, it's a big deterrant to picking up a modelling tool / paintbrush / hobby knife.

So I'd say at least clean up your space so it's there for your now if you want to give it a go, or in a month or so if you want to try it then. Otherwise, it will be just as much of a deterrent then as it is now!

Also, about "forcing" yourself to do it- one of my best memories is when I was on a regiment of painting every morning with my brother (in high school then). It wasn't efficient, we didn't even do assembly line so it was like one model a day (and my other brother did an assembly-line method after the summer and finished his army before either of us!) but it was fun! And we watched the same show beforehand and listened to the same CD during it every day... Starship Troopers in CG, and the Oasis CD with Champagne Supernova as the last song! Ah... good times! So a schedule / routine like that might help too... you just never know what will work for you to stir your love of it again!

Speaking of which, you've inspired me (knowing there's another burnout hobbyer out there!) to go and clean my hobby space for the same reason... Right Now!

It's always funny when this topic comes up. It could be a race between you and the typical New Year's crowd that flock to gyms before realizing that learning to run for 5 miles straight and lifting a couple hundred pounds IS hard.

I'm sure you already know the best thing to do is to do what you want and lay down painting for a while - you're just looking for excuses not to. :-p You notice the quality of your painting goes down and you're gonna have to repaint those later anyway.

Alright, probably the answer is like the solution to most things in life, just chill.

I would temper the advice the above posters have given. I'm not sure, but it sounds like your life has had a series of complications (moving, extra hours at work), and you know have less energy for hobbies in general when you get home. TV and computer games are pretty passive, while painting is an active activity.

The key, I think, is to decide which of the two camps you fall into:
1) You want to paint, and enjoy painting once you start, but you have trouble getting motivated to paint.
2) You feel like you should be painting, but don't really enjoy it when you do.

If it's the latter, than by all means take a break. Keep playing, and eventually you'll get your swing back.

If it's the first one, I'd consider setting up some small goals for yourself. Taking a month or two off and just shutting out minis is fine, but if painting is something you enjoy, then you should listen to your instincts and just kick your butt into painting. One of the previous posters mentioned the gym: most people don't want to work out, but feel good during and after. If painting is that way for you, then take a month, and then come back with something small: a new heavy weapons team, a light vehicle, a small squad. Buy a new model if it'll help. Once you start, you may find that you love it all over again.