How do's my fine friends and readers. You may have noticed a lack of any post of progress on the blog recently, and I am here to tell you why, some of my collected thoughts on the general state of my hobby, plans and what I am going to do in the future. Be warned this is a long post and I do ramble :)
I have been on holiday the last two weeks to Slovakia with my Fiancee and little boy, visitng family and generally getting fat eating some fine food and drinking very nice lager (€1 a pint! Winner), and this has given me pause to re-evaluate the state of my hobby and what I can achieve. I had very intermitent internet connection while over there, so did not really get to read and comment on much of the other blogs that I usually frequent, nor did I do anything to the models I bought with me (I was too busy and did not feel like it when I did have any down time). Having this break made me realise I have massively over committed myself to too many game systems and hobby projects, which has left me feeling overwhelmed and it feels like looking into a bottomless pit sometimes, when I glance over the list of all the projects I have planned.
To complicate matters somewhat my Fiancé goes back to work at the beginning of July. Her work have agreed to change her shift pattern to a Friday to Monday rotation so she can remain in work. We cannot afford childcare, and she was on a revolving shift, which would have been a nightmare to try and plan in relatives to look after My son. I work Monday to Thursday so this means that I will be looking after him the fri-sun I am off and the missus is at work. Of course this is going to have a massive impact in my hobby time, hence the thinking about my hobby commitments and solutions. In a year or two things will improve for us (my wages will be going up significantly, so she can hopefully do part time or get a different job, that means we can spend time together again without having to book holidays, and also mean I can get a bit more hobby time).
Just to give you an idea how many game systems I play/hobby I have taken some photos from my trello app, which is where I list all my hobby projects etc. (It is a great tool for organising, focusing and tracking your hobby projects).
I love gaming, and learning new rules and immersing myself into a project and game is very satisfying to me. I have started too many however, and need a way to get out of this. For two game systems I have come to the conlusion that I will never have the time to paint the models, and have now commisioned a friend of mine (who is a good painter) to paint all the models for these two game systems for me. This frees up more of my time to work on my other projects. My Guild Ball team and Frostgrave warband wll be painted by my mate, and I am seriously considering commisioning him to do my 30k word bearers too. I love building them, and have tons of conversion projects planned, but I just cannot see myself ever getting anything done painting wise, as the scale of the game has mentally defeated me already when it comes to applying paint. I have a cracking scheme I have chosen (shamelessly pilfered from Sheep over at Forlorn Hope) so I do not feel toobad about commisioning my friend to do these for me. It frees me up to work on building and converting the units, which I really enjoy, and can also then concentrate on other projects to get them finished. I will of course be sharing the finished units here, from the conversion work done by me, to the comission paint job done by my friend Dave.
Just to give you an idea of the scale of some of my projects above is the list for my Dark Eldar project, La Danse Macabre. This army is going to be my primary, ongoing focus as it is jsut very enjoyable, and I can't ever see myself finishing it, as there is always room for more units and new ideas (I have plans to eventually expand my eldar allies and do some corsair units too, so the army will be very flexible and multi purpose when it comes to gaming). I have lists like this for every project, but won't bore you with them all. I will just post below a little list of what I plan to do and finish this year, not only for my own focus but also so all ofyou know where I am going.
Guild ball - Commision paint
FrostGrave - commision paint
30k Word Bearers - NafNaf build and convert, paint by commision.
Space Wolves - Finish all units currently owned by end of 2017, and then just expand slightly with the new Wulfen models. This army is pretty big now and I can field a fully painted army on the tabletop already, so the units needing paint are there more for list flexibility than anything else. Not a high priority, but I would like to get them finished off. More of a focus for 2017, but I will do a little this year if I can.
La Danse Macabre - paint 1850pts by the end of the year. If you look at the list above there are some coloured blocks on certain units. (Yellow - Eldar allies, Green - core units, Red - Hero for a day potential list) This is to focus my hobby attentions in units that I use all the time, and are core parts of the force. Completing these will give me a good grounding on which I can then do the more elite and specialist units, that do not always see tabletop time. I will also continue to do conversions when the mood and idea strikes. No limits on this project, apart from the slight focus I lited above.
Malifaux - 5 more models to complete and then I am done! I aim to get this done by the end of 2016
Dropzone Commander - a game I love and enjoy painting the models. I have however massively overbought, so have a backlog of quite a few miniatures to paint. Again I hope to catch up and get throught the backlog by end of 2016, so I can buy some of the newer units that are just getting released.
Dreadball - half a team of robots to go then this game system is done. Awesome :)
Infinity - masses to do here, but I foolishly decided to collect 2 factions, both of which are incomplete. The focus of this year is to finish all my Morat sectorial models, and leave the Yu Jing for another year. At least I can have the satisfaction then of having one faction completed.
In terms of the blog, I will be posting more wip and idea threads as my time becomes more limited. I always enjoy seeing other peoples work in progress, but realised I almost never post up any of my own. Hopefully you all will find these interesting to read. I also have quite a few tutorials either in progress, or in my head ready for pen and paper. I always enjoy writing these, and as my hobby time becomes more limited, my time for writing actually increases (sounds weird I know, but when I am looking after my son and he is watching telly or playing on the floor I can sit down and write a post or two on the ipad).
Hopefully you have all stuck through this ramble of a post with me. I would love to hear any of your thoughts, advice, encourgament etc that you can share/give. I am sure many of you have been in a similar place in life or in the hobby and have some valuable nuggets you can give me :)
Chiaw for now. NafNaf
(Ps here area couple of holiday pics for you all, just because I got all personal at the beginning, I might as well share some more stuff about me :) )
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| Trekking in the mountains. Damn that rucksack is heavy with a kiddie in it |
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| Oh my! That is some strong stuff! |
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| Da missus and me in Bratislava |
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| Just a stunning country. In the Tatras mountains here |
Ah, life, the great hobby killer. Destroying hobby time since the beginning of time.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, it's a big reason I've only stuck to 40K, and only my CSM for the past few years. I simply do not have the time to pick up new games, new armies, and get all of it to a point I'm happy with it. No army is ever complete; well, unless you just stop buying for it, but who does that? So, the idea of having so many armies in limbo just doesn't appeal.
I think you've taken a good luck at your projects, and made some reasonable choices on them. It would be one thing if we were all 18 again, but we're not, and the reality is compromise when it comes to hobby. You'll find a new grove; we always do.
:D yeah I hear you. This is the first time life has had a major impact on my hobby time for quite a while, so it has come as a bit of a shock. Whilst I had all the time in the world I could maintain all those games, but now definitely not. I can see the benefits of maintaining only one army, and I hope by next year my hobby commitments will have been distilled into a more streamlined version of its present self.
DeleteI am actually quite looking forward to getting my stuff painted by someone else, do I can focus on the building/converting elements only. Obviously I will still be painting, but on a more select basis :)
It's a hobby! Do it when it's fun and feasible :) Otherwise it becomes a grind -_- Besides, models keep for a long long long time...
ReplyDeleteI know, I know :). I like to play with painted models, and I have bought a great many the last few years. I would like to get it back to that stage where I don't feel like I have a massive closet full of stuff waiting for me. That is why I did the post, to get me back on track and use my limited time to focus on what I want to do
DeleteI have a cupboard full of crap too and it's only getting worse and i only collect cool minis to paint so not even armies. thought do have many unpainted boxed sets and board games that need love...
DeleteNafNaf, just do what takes your fancy (as long as it's 40k/30k) ha ha ;) when you can spare the time. It'll still pop up in our blog rolls when you do so we'll pop back and see what you are doing...
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a great time! Good stuff
:D yes that is the plan. By re-focusing amd trimming the fat so to speak I can then work on the projects I want to. I have enjoyed doing all the different systems, so I dont regret it, but reality has hit and I just cant see myself ever getting half of it done. By finishsing my current smaller projects it will really free up the time to work on the bigger stuff again
DeleteFocus is good, I'm going to be working almost exclusively on marines for a while, and I'm actually really looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteSetting out what you want to do and when really helps too, in sure we all look forward to seeing what you have to say, especially on the inner workings of your converting mind!
Oh for sure. I have enjoyed the variety (and still do) and I have learnt some good painting techniques and tried out different things, which is good. I would like to get to a stage though where I can work on models I purchase rather than having the huge backlog I currently have.
DeleteI still have alot of ideas for the Carnival, and this will be my primary project still, as it ticks so many boxes for my hobby.
Aye - it's definitely just a hobby, work on what/when it strikes your fancy and let the loose end drag. Looks like that was a spectacular trip - very cool pics!
ReplyDeleteThanks dude. It was an excellent trip. Very relaxing, and the food and drink were very good. The scenery out there is just stunning
DeleteMy problem is I like to finish things, so if they drag it sticks in the back of my mind and bothers me. By commisioning some stuff out and stopping the purchases it should then free me to work on the things I want much more. By the end of 2016 I should be in a much better place as quite a few game systems will be finished.
Hang in there, mate :o) I have gone through seasons like this, particularly when my children were born and when I was studying hard. My wife also spent over a decade working 1.5 hours from home, making me the primary carer of the children. It put a dent in my hobby plans, but I wouldn't give back that time for anything. Having said that, regularly making a little time to do something hobby related (without ignoring the needs of your family) is great for mental health. I found that even 30 minutes bursts, once a week, helped me through some rough times. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marc. Having a family is a big commitment, especially when work kicks in again. I have been lucky so far that my hobby time has only been slightly impacted, but going forward it will definitely diminish. I agree that I will have to make a little time for myself to sit down and hobby, otherwise I think I will go mad!
DeleteOh and thanks for the encouragement. It is good to hear that people go through similar things and still have time to do a little (and survive it :D). I am looking forward to spending that time with my son, watching him grow up. I feel fortunate in one way that I will have that time. I know many people do not have so much time to spend with their children through work commitments etc.
DeleteI know what you mean. I was buying a lot on Ebay a few years back. The deals were too good to pass up. I took stock of inventory and realized the amount of time it will take to paint everything. Thankfully most of my Nids and Sisters are painted. I'm going to commission my Guard depending on the cost. I may end up selling those models if the commission is too much.
ReplyDeleteI've sold a few models. I didn't feel like painting them or repainting. It wad a nice relief to be rid of future projects that will probably never get finished.
Yeah I go crazy when I start new projects too. I love bargain hunting, or shopping for bits to kitbash and convert. I always accumalate too much at the start. I have already sorted through my collection and sold off a bunch that I will never get round to. I am also going to go through it again more ruthlessly this month and really trim the fat again.
DeleteCommision painting can be pricey. I am fortunate my friend is very cheap (mates rates) and does a good job. He also enjoys the variety of different models, so the frostgrave and guildball stuff will be enjoyable for him to paint. Hopefully he will feel the same about the word bearers, as that is a big project.
I feel relieved already just planning to sell stuff, as it mentally frees me from them. I hope you can get a good price on your commision :)
I'm waiting for the Canadian currency to improve. I may commission outside of Canada. It's a Vostroyan army so shipping could be expensive. I'm in no rush. I've been sitting on these models for years. I may sell them as well.
DeleteGlad you had a good time away from everything but the family. Always a nice chance to reflect.
ReplyDeleteI currently stick with my Thousand Sons and a few other curiosity models. Hope things will work out for ue with your new focus.
Thanks Rory. I had a good time and it was very chilled, so a cracking hol in all :)
DeleteDef having one army and a few models for enjoyment is a smart thing to do. I sometimes wish I was back to those days. I just can't seem to stop myself from starting new games. Here's hoping my new focus will pay off this time and I will have cleared the deck a bit by the end of the year
Ah I get you there, the super tip to staying focussed on one army and such is here for you:
DeleteBe broke, at least for hobby stuff.
:D I'm getting there fast don't worry about that
DeleteThat looked like a great trip. It's great to get away (even from our hobby) and just reorganize. I can appreciate the overwhelming backlog, and I like your idea of pairing things down to what you actually enjoy - I'll have to think about that for my own closet of doom :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was, and the break was very welcome :)
DeleteThe backlog reduction will certainly make it much more manageable, and I hope more enjoyable ( as well as actually being able to complete a few projects too for good).
I saved this post for later on feedly so I'm sorry I'm only just commenting! I know exactly how you feel. I've got far too much on my to do list. I actually don't think I've ever finished painting a model. Think I need to do a post like this to sort my life out and prioritise.
ReplyDeleteI keep telling myself I'll just paint what I fancy and therefore I'll get more done because it won't be a grind. Then a tournament comes along and I try to get an army ready for it. By the time I get to the event I'm fed up of seeing that army!
Good tip on Trello. I'm gonna put all my stuff in there. I love a good to do list.
My problem is having too many draws on my free time. If I get an hour or two free do I blog, paint, play xbox, play total War, do some DIY? You get the idea.
No worries! Trello has been a fantastic tool in helping me to focus my hobby. I know what you mean about the tourament painting focus and resulting burnout. We all like to play with painted models and that can become a grind when there is a time pressure put on to our hobby. I have come the conclusion that it is good to focus on one or two projects and that is enough for lost hobbyists (especially those like us who have family, houses and jobs etc to consume our time outside of work). I try and do 20 mins an eve of hobbying, and that has really helped me keep motivation and move projects along, even if it is at a slower pace nowadays. Defining and prioritising your hobby is really beneficial and helps focus on what you need to do (as well as what you want to do). This post has certainly helped me to clarify what I can spend my now limited time on, and having answers and resolutions for the rest has been great for my hobby motivation
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