While I was working on my Minotaurs Land Raider I fell into a malaise and struggled to find the motivation to finish it. Once I managed to get it done I have experienced my worst bout of creative block in recent memory. I suspect we all go through this from time to time and we all come out of it, I hope.
What I would like to ask is if you have had a serious bout, what specific got you motivated again?????
Vitor
Step away from the models! Really, that is the best thing you can do when you're just not feeling it. I have been thru a few of these spells over the years (5+ years of 40k), most last 2-3 weeks and your kicking it again... You'll start to feel it again, read a few other blogs, and be painting in full force once again. I recently went thru one myself (as you can see from the slow down of post on my blog).
ReplyDeletePlay some video games, read some books or do something that is completely outside your usual routine. Maybe even try something you think you might hate and see what inspires you. Sometimes its as simple as painting something different - try fantasy instead of 40k or even something from another range of models or even a completely different scale like 54mm+. Both approaches have worked fro me in the past. Good luck and don't try to rush it.
DeleteNothing wrong with taking a breather to rest and recharge. I go through peaks and valleys in my enthusiasm for painting and modelling all the time - I'll either focus on doing something else entirely non hobby related (read a book or two, work on some music or what-have-you), or work on some other hobby project (put down the guard and work on some Ad-mech, or Orks, or Chaos or some one-off model that I just want to paint).
ReplyDeleteIn any call, let it slide for a bit, and don't sweat it. After all, it's just a hobby!
Since you asked for specifics I shall deliver. Earlier this year I was completely fed up with 40K, made me sick to look at the minis. I had no desire to play with them, didn't want to discuss it with people, I had no desire for it at all. Sixth edition came out, I didn't care. Dark Vengeance came out, I didn't care. I was getting really worried, my apartment is full of this stuff and I didn't want anything to do with it. I still worked on hobby stuff, did a bunch of 15mm figures for a variety of settings. Played some RPG's with my friends. I read a lot of books watched a lot of movies, but still didn't want a thing to do with 40K. Then like a switch was flipped, my friend Arron started talking about doing Necromunda, I loved the game when I was a kid. He seemed really enthusiastic about it and that enthusiasm started rubbing off on me. Next thing I know I'm planning an underhive and a back story for my gang. Then a couple weeks after that tangent started my friend Ian came home from school, he's always been my good friend who I met through 40K. He starts talking to me about regular 40K and how some things are different and the kind of fun opportunities this can mean. I start working on a bunch of 40K minis. So for me it's often the enthusiasm and excitement of my friends that brings me out of a rut. If you have some good 40k or hobby friends turn to them in your time of despair, you might just catch the extra excitement or creativity that they give off. Kinda long but I hope it helps, nothing is worse than having the desire to do, but not the will to do.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteYour response has meant a great deal to me. I am doing some of the things you guys have suggested already like taking a break from the 40k stuff, looking at other models in particular Flames of War and WW2 stuff, playing some Skyrim and blogging about that (but that has also suffered). I want to read more but cant find anything that grabs me just yet.