Friday 25 March 2016

Lack of motivation

Been slim pickings here, I'm afraid. Just haven't had the motivation to paint or the occasion to paint for - keep on missing the weekends for gaming due to work committments, and the noise of oldhammer on facebook really dragged my motivation to low point. I'm back up at Liverpool for Easter and I've brought my paints - it's not as though there's a shortage of things to paint here, I just don't really know what I'm painting for.

Yeah, bit of an emo post I know. Although there is a purpose to it beyond moaning - I'm casting about for some kind of inspiration or goal. I'd be able to assemble any number of warbands for scenario based games, but there doesn't seem to be much on the radar at the moment. Otherwise, vaguely tempted to get back into painting middlehammer high elves, just not sure what I'd use them for right now. Hmm still sounds pretty emo. Well, I'm sure everyone has these moments, just hard to know how to recover from the slump.

15 comments:

  1. I know that feeling all too well. Normally I fire up some appropriate music to get me painting again (Tull, Hawkwind or Yes spring to mind, but then I am into pre-slotta stuff). Try a couple of figures you don't care too much about and slap a bit of paint on, that may get the juices flowing again.

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    1. Not bad advice at all, in fact if anything the problem here is that there are too many figures that fir that description. But perhaps a couple of candidates for speedpainting might spring out of the leadpile...

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  2. Pick a figure for it's own sake. Doesn't have to be for a project just one that appeals to you. Have a look at it, study it, base it and undercoat it then go for a nice long shower or a nice walk and let your imagination colour the figure in for you. By the time you get back to the figure you'll be wanting to pick up the hairy sticks and see if you can replicate what you imagined.

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    1. Been a while since I've done that... the problem really is that I'm a gamer rather than a painter so finding something that motivates me from the painting side alone is putting the cart before the horse for me. But anything's worth a go! I'm going to see what I can dig out.

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  3. I've been pretty much the same for some time. I've had a bit of a clean out and organising of my home and hobby area which helped somewhat to clear my head.

    And I'm getting back into the groove with a small painting competition at my local comic shop.

    I'd say have a clean up of your work space and I second Whiskey Priest's advice, grab a single miniature and just paint for the sake of it not for a project.

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    1. Well I've picked something interesting out as per WP's suggestion, and also something I don't care about mucking up as per Springinsfeld's suggestion, so we'll see where that goes.

      I don't really have a workspace because we don't have the room for it, although a thorough sorting through of the minis and the leadpile wouldn't be a useless task...

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  4. Alcohol, shit loads of it & you'll be good as gold! Painting like a madman, with results that will "amaze" you, that is until you sober up and realise your mistake :p

    Or, just take a break from painting all together? I suggest the former :)

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    1. Blotto painting. Now THAT sounds interesting...

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  5. The Temple of Set Indiegogo has got me breaking out my stalled Norse army and imagining Conan, the Vanir, Aesir, etc. Really got me excited again! Not enough to actually get any work done, but it will come! Good luck, keep looking around, and something will strike you...

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    1. Nice old-school set (no pun intended!) there. I'll probably take a trip to Salute on 16 April and see if there's anything that inspires there. Although as is the case with many of us, it's not as though I need new lead!

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  6. Sorry to hear you're in the hobby doldrums mate - how about getting that Dalek game we were discussing fixed in the diary? There's got to be something we could do with my Amazons and what I've built so far in the Temple of Rigg and your Sea/High Elves? Some kind of pilgrimage or crusade to celebrate/efface the evidence of Amex and Rigg's amorous past? There's also Gauntlet happening at Deeside Defenders in July if you fancy doing something then?

    Either way, chin up mate - it'll pass!

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    1. Yeah the Dalek game would be easy enough to set up, as I have everything ready bar the reinforcements that are coming in the post.

      Sea Elves and the temple of Rigg would be a longer haul project as it would mean painting up more sea elves but then again that's exactly what needs done. How much do you have ready so far?

      And the there's Gauntlet on 2nd/3rd July... I'd quite like to do something Albion based again for that (with yourself and Paul and VanLoon as per last time). So I guess it's just a matter of waiting out the quiet months and getting ready for adventure ahead...

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    2. Sounds like a plan bud! As for the Temple of Rigg - this is where I left it some time ago now. Got a decent amount of Amazons, Slann, a few Lizardmen and various jungle beasties painted up as well as an aquarium plant jungle made up.

      I've got the dates for Gauntlet in the calendar - looking forward to some Albion based gaming then!

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  7. I know that feeling only too well. I followed Whiskey Priest's advice and dug through the boxes for a figure that I just felt just really *should* have some paint on it. In the end I found a Confrontation Bratt that a friend gave me, so as well as being a really nice model, I felt a bit guilty about having not painted it yet!

    It worked, too, I'm now finally making a concerted effort on my undead army that I've been collecting for well over a decade!

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  8. Just stumbled upon this. I have had the same problem of late. Various things going on and anxiety about taxes and scheduling. I'm trying some of the techniques listed above. Hope all is well.

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