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.

So i have a slightly Off topic but kinda relevent topic.
does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint. I have WAY to many unpainted Miniatures in my back pocket, some are projects half finised that i have yet to commit to do to lack of drive or funds, som are just used models i bought on a whim, some are just kinda things i accumulated over time.
Any Idea on how to fight this and how to maintain sanity and such. Before i used to sell things off but it doesnt seem to always work. Sometimes its just giving stuff away(its not that big of a deal to me, my friends do it too, its the circle of life in warhammer lol)
But what can i do?

I made a dent... but then I bought a bunch of stuff to keep on the backburner...

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
So i have a slightly Off topic but kinda relevent topic.
does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint. I have WAY to many unpainted Miniatures in my back pocket, some are projects half finised that i have yet to commit to do to lack of drive or funds, som are just used models i bought on a whim, some are just kinda things i accumulated over time.
Any Idea on how to fight this and how to maintain sanity and such. Before i used to sell things off but it doesnt seem to always work. Sometimes its just giving stuff away(its not that big of a deal to me, my friends do it too, its the circle of life in warhammer lol)
But what can i do?

Yes I have to a degree. I tend to work on 3 or 4 projects at once, usually painting one mini at a time. That way I slowly make progress on everything.

The trouble with that however is the fact that it leads to me having many projects all half done and the end nowhere in sight. Over the weekend I sat down and burned through a bunch of terrain I had sitting around and I managed to finish it! I think I'm just going to pick one project and just go all in on it to get it done.

I'm starting to think just trying to finish something can go a long way to helping the anxiety.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
So i have a slightly Off topic but kinda relevent topic.
does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint. I have WAY to many unpainted Miniatures in my back pocket, some are projects half finised that i have yet to commit to do to lack of drive or funds, som are just used models i bought on a whim, some are just kinda things i accumulated over time.
Any Idea on how to fight this and how to maintain sanity and such. Before i used to sell things off but it doesnt seem to always work. Sometimes its just giving stuff away(its not that big of a deal to me, my friends do it too, its the circle of life in warhammer lol)
But what can i do?

What helps me, is I pack it all up and only have two projects going at a time.

When I say I pack it all away, it means everything. Paints, models, brushes, tools, etc. I don;t have a set workstation to paint. Everytime I pull it all out and then pack it all away.

Out of sight, out of mind.

The next thing I do, is I work with my schedule to schedule actual time to paint. Typically in blocks of 1 to 4 hours every other week. Then, when the time comes I paint. If it is not painting time, I don't. This still allows me to do family stuff, have a life, do chores, etc.

Finally, when I am in a real bad place, I try not to paint alone. If painting is a social activity it is way more fun. Plus, you get positive encouragement on your progress.

I hope it helps.

Absolutely. I really enjoy painting, but there reaches a point where getting through the backlog feels like an obligation that can get overwhelming. That feeling is what really inspiring me to get organized and attack the problem head on. I put it all in a spreadsheet so I could really appreciate the work load. While that creates some anxiety of its own, it also makes it a lot easier to recognize the problems and realized that just trying to paint it all isn't really a solution.

Part of it is recognizing the need to attack the problem from a few angles. You've got a backlog because you've bought things faster than you paint them. That means you either need to paint more or buy less. I'd actually ignore what you have in the backlog at first. Focus on figuring out what you can do in a month and budget your purchases accordingly. Being able to recognize that a purchase represents time you have to put into painting it can be a better deterrent than the cost sometimes. It's a great litmus test for "I'm I being a completionist or is this a priority?"

Once you've stabilized the throughput, you can start attacking the backlog. It's basically just another form of budgeting. To get into the backlog, you have to forgo something new you might want. Maybe that stops you from getting something new... maybe that helps you realize you need to sell some stuff. Either way, just measuring your progress is a great way to keep it from getting out of hand and moving the unpainted needle in the right direction.

Shhhh... fewer than 10 figures to BUILD.... mumble mumble figures still to PAINT....

The backlog anxiety is a big part of why I started this thread. Being busy, using purchasing minis as a surrogate for actual quality hobby time, and not actually having much hobby time has lead to my giant pile.

So this year, just not buying any miniatures, no matter how much I want to.

My other change is, I used to paint stuff for my roleplaying game on a pretty strict timetable. That worked really well as a motivator for me to a certain point, but then I burned out on it and stopped painting much for ages. So now I am just painting whatever I am the most inspired by, whatever I find myself daydreaming about, or wishing I could purchase a model for, I just paint that. No goal other than to enjoy painting what I am interested in.

That seems to be working, although lack of free time is still sort of tanking my productivity!

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint.

This has been a problem for me. I was concerned that my purchasing was outpacing my painting so I created spreadsheets that enumerated my painting backlog. This was supposed to discourage unregulated buying as I would have a quantified account of how much work I have to do. It's been backfiring though because seeing that staggering amount of miniatures has been a bit soul crushing and actually demotivated me from painting because it seems insurmountable.

My solution has been to unclutter my work space and my tracking sheets. Seeing a few models on a desk makes you think you can complete them in short order. Seeing 60 models there makes you think you'll never finish and what's the point of starting. So I've packed away assembled, unpainted minis in a box that I can dip into when inspiration hits. Also, I've changed my tracking sheets to separate them by army. So whenever I look at any one army's tracking sheet I see what models I've bought and have not painted for that army, but I'm not confronted by the whole weight of my purchases.

You seem to be doing the right thing already by selling/giving away minis that you have no plans to paint. This has helped me unburden my backlog. Lastly, I'm trying my best to assemble the minis whenever I buy them now. Even if I don't have the inspiration to finish painting them immediately, the next time inspiration strikes for that army at least I'm not daunted by having to both assemble and paint.

bogalubov wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint.

You seem to be doing the right thing already by selling/giving away minis that you have no plans to paint. This has helped me unburden my backlog. Lastly, I'm trying my best to assemble the minis whenever I buy them now. Even if I don't have the inspiration to finish painting them immediately, the next time inspiration strikes for that army at least I'm not daunted by having to both assemble and paint.

See, for me Assembling is the problem, i assemble and they stay there just waiting to be painted.

I would suggest to continue to try limiting your purchases (especially buying a lot in one go) and then only having manageable projects visible on your paint desk. But the struggle is real. Especially for folks like myself that have a hard time staying focused on one army and game system.

bogalubov wrote:
I would suggest to continue to try limiting your purchases (especially buying a lot in one go) and then only having manageable projects visible on your paint desk. But the struggle is real. Especially for folks like myself that have a hard time staying focused on one army and game system.

Five Intercessors? No problem.
Ten Daemonnettes? No problem.
Repulsor? No problem.
All three? No problem.
One kitbashed Primaris Chaplain, one Master Tech Marine (aka The Iron Father), one Slanneshi Daemon Prince, Herald, and Infernal Enrapturess? Problem. It's a third of the models, but the diversity of them is too much.

bogalubov wrote:
I would suggest to continue to try limiting your purchases (especially buying a lot in one go) and then only having manageable projects visible on your paint desk. But the struggle is real. Especially for folks like myself that have a hard time staying focused on one army and game system.

Absolutely to the bolded part. Nothing gets more discouraging than having other projects loom over you. The only time I like having multiple units on my table is when I know I'll be block painting them.

If you are going to have a spot to place assembled miniatures, either put them in boxes or up on shelves out of your normal line of sight. But be careful - they also have a habit of multiplying if you don't check every so often.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

bogalubov wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint.

You seem to be doing the right thing already by selling/giving away minis that you have no plans to paint. This has helped me unburden my backlog. Lastly, I'm trying my best to assemble the minis whenever I buy them now. Even if I don't have the inspiration to finish painting them immediately, the next time inspiration strikes for that army at least I'm not daunted by having to both assemble and paint.

See, for me Assembling is the problem, i assemble and they stay there just waiting to be painted.

I tend to assemble two squads at a time, then paint them in an alternating method, then base them.

No purchases or other assembly until they are done.

 infinite_array wrote:

bogalubov wrote:
I would suggest to continue to try limiting your purchases (especially buying a lot in one go) and then only having manageable projects visible on your paint desk. But the struggle is real. Especially for folks like myself that have a hard time staying focused on one army and game system.

Absolutely to the bolded part. Nothing gets more discouraging than having other projects loom over you. The only time I like having multiple units on my table is when I know I'll be block painting them.

If you are going to have a spot to place assembled miniatures, either put them in boxes or up on shelves out of your normal line of sight. But be careful - they also have a habit of multiplying if you don't check every so often.

I find having two or three things on the desk at a time actually helps because when I get to a stage on one unit that needs to dry for a while before I can continue I have something else sitting there to work on. Three is about the limit though, I grabbed that handful of characters thinking I would do them as a single block, but mentally they're three different blocks because they're different colors and that means I have five things on the desk. I keep drifting off-task because it's too many things.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
So i have a slightly Off topic but kinda relevent topic.
does anyone ever get Anxiety from just thinking about all they have to paint. I have WAY to many unpainted Miniatures in my back pocket, some are projects half finised that i have yet to commit to do to lack of drive or funds, som are just used models i bought on a whim, some are just kinda things i accumulated over time.
Any Idea on how to fight this and how to maintain sanity and such. Before i used to sell things off but it doesnt seem to always work. Sometimes its just giving stuff away(its not that big of a deal to me, my friends do it too, its the circle of life in warhammer lol)
But what can i do?

Yes.
I got to the stage where it felt like a job. There was so much to do I had to do it - even at the expense of work or relationships.

There are lots of good suggestions here.

The things which helped me most have been

1. Setting myself a lower 'table ready' standard which is basically all main colours done PLUS just basing the model with a simple grey paint (I use Skavenblight Dinge as it matches my terrrain). It is surprisingly quick to whack grey on 40 Terminator bases and covering up the prime paint or black plastic make a massive difference. Of course, I can always go back later and do better nading and painting, can't I?

2. The other thing was sort and label everything. I had a lot of stuff in Ebayed shoes boxes...I put all in Really Useful Boxes and then labelled them and all my tins (all models have magnetized bases) so that I can see exactly what I have got. This makes it easy to chose next project.

3. I do concentrate on particular units with the aim of getting to a minimal TT standard. (See 1). Or a small Army. So my Death Guard and Cult armies are playable...but not finished but they are nearly there. Most importantly, I can PLAY with them.

4. Not buying new stuff. New didn't include Ebay. This is an error. But by buying premade vehicles they are not quite the time sink they could be.

5. I have used a speed sheet but the aim was alwaya to drag as many minia as possible to the next 'level'. Levels being: Priemd: Main base coloir: Four other base colours: base painted.


I think its important to remember,this is about fun. When it stops being fun, do it differently until it is fun again.

I find having a load of different minis on the go at once helps me. I have 4 little plastic drawers each with 3 shelves, so I can have as many as 12 projects on the go at once. When I feel like painting, I have so much choice and variation in the models available to me there is never a time I can’t be bothered because i’m only painting more blue space marines etc. It’s important to me that it’s all tidy though. If I had all the models sat on a desk 24/7 i’d quickly get tired of looking at them. All my paints and brushes go into 2 of the old citadel project boxes. All models are stored in the little plastic shelves. Nothing gets left out when I’m done.

I discovered the key to working down my pile of shame. paying my roommate to doing it for me. Now I don't have to worry about dnd minis, and focus soley on my 40k, necromunda, and AOS stuff. lol

Added 5 Incursors and a kit-bashed Chaplain to my gallery. Kind of a slow start for March, but February started slow too and I still got quite a bit done.

2 more aberrants and 2 neophyte hybrids completed taking me to 56 models completed this year.

balmong7 wrote:
I discovered the key to working down my pile of shame. paying my roommate to doing it for me. Now I don't have to worry about dnd minis, and focus soley on my 40k, necromunda, and AOS stuff. lol

Best way to stop DnD miniatures from needing to be painted is....dont use miniatures in DnD, just use theater of the mind. LOL, saves me time.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 infinite_array wrote:

bogalubov wrote:
I would suggest to continue to try limiting your purchases (especially buying a lot in one go) and then only having manageable projects visible on your paint desk. But the struggle is real. Especially for folks like myself that have a hard time staying focused on one army and game system.

Absolutely to the bolded part. Nothing gets more discouraging than having other projects loom over you. The only time I like having multiple units on my table is when I know I'll be block painting them.

If you are going to have a spot to place assembled miniatures, either put them in boxes or up on shelves out of your normal line of sight. But be careful - they also have a habit of multiplying if you don't check every so often.

What would be defined as managable?
Cause like, right now i have 10 infiltrators, 3 surpressors, primaris captain for a painting competition, 2 thunderfires on my desk, and like, around the room a bunch of primed models ready and rearing.
The problem i face is sometimes i just THINK of what i have and it goes like "Well feth, i got that too"

I find it much less overwhelming to only work on 1 project at a time to keep the anxiety away. Even then I’d keep the numbers so I don’t get bored painting lots of large areas the same. So Marines about 5 max, but units with with smaller areas I’ll do up to 20.

As for my pile I’m closing on finishing 2 more, but have primed my next few minis that I hope to get through this month.

Forgive me father for I have sinned, in February I purchased

The original 2001 fellowship of the ring
Bilbo baggins
The death of sauron
The three hunters
Radagast the Brown

Yeah I'm on a lord of the rings kick.. Been watching it with the wife.

However, I did finish calas typhon, and thorin vs azog.

I also sold a some stuff on ebay.. Managed to offload gabriel angelos, an old metal escher juve, a 2016 limited edition space marine, and my old kitbashed genestealer cult battleforce which consists of about 30 models, so all in all (with a bit of cheating) I'm in the black this month.

I'm now at a stage where all my stuff when completed should fit in my display cabinets.

Selling some models is something I'd recommend everyone considers. It's a great way to shift a load of stuff at a time, and help you focus on the things you really want to paint. I have a look through mine every now and then and see what chaff I can thin out. Ask yourself, am I really ever going to paint this? Do I really want to paint it or is there a list that will take months or years before I get round to it (and that's before new purchases!)

Finished up my master techmarine, aka The Iron Father. It's unusual for me to get a single model done by itself, but as has been mentioned I put him in on the table as part of a painting block of several characters and that didn't work out the way I'd intended.

On a totally unrelated note, does anyone know how to get signatures to show up when viewing these forums on a mobile? I'm not normally this thick but damned if I can figure it out.

It was going well, painted several of my genestealer cult models, finished my carnosaur, even painted a blood bowl team for a friend (it at least saved me buying them) , back log lowered from ludicrous to stupid levels left, ( looking at you orks and eldar AND half or rogue trader set)...

I bought a ossriach bonereaper army out of a charity shop 300 quid worth of models in decent condition for 35 pounds , please forgive me! WHY do the gods of plastic tempt me so.

Uh, so I guess this is more a cupboard of shame...(yes, that pile is at least 2 boxes deep)



In my defence, 75% of my minis are built and painted, but still...

Still progress is being made, have done about 15 epic detachments this year and I’m currently working through a banner of Titanicus knights

This weekend did see some distraction cleaning up and repairing my old 1/72 aircraft kits for my son’s ceiling (spoliered as they are not 40k related)

 Gordy2000 wrote:
Uh, so I guess this is more a cupboard of shame...(yes, that pile is at least 2 boxes deep)



In my defence, 75% of my minis are built and painted, but still...

Still progress is being made, have done about 15 epic detachments this year and I’m currently working through a banner of Titanicus knights

This weekend did see some distraction cleaning up and repairing my old 1/72 aircraft kits for my son’s ceiling (spoliered as they are not 40k related)

Spoiler:

That is quite some cupboard!

 Gordy2000 wrote:
Uh, so I guess this is more a cupboard of shame...(yes, that pile is at least 2 boxes deep)

I have a similar cupboard. And then a room. And then part of my hallway...

Hah, I also have a cupboard of shame. Should take some pictures of it...

Wow! I hope you’ve got those insured, that’s a pretty penny stashed away in your cupboard!

An Infernal Enrapturess, a Herald of Slannesh, and Syll'Esske. Puts me at 10 models for the month.