The News at TIM – Mid Week Musings (No: 22)

by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

Welcome to this weeks Musings!

How To Deal With a Muddle?

For one reason or another this has been a difficult week.  Time spent modelling has been at a premium as has been the opportunity to type up any thoughts I’ve had, until now that is.  No single cause has been responsible for this, more a case of little things constantly coming along to disrupt any plans I might have had.  More like the drip, drip of water torture.  Uncertain as do the best way of dealing with things I decided to update my various lists in the hope some sense of perspective would lead to an orderly desk and an orderly mind.  Invariably I have tended to find that once I have gained some control things don’t look quite so bad.

The “To Do List”, if I ignore likely neglected models, isn’t looking to bad with 35 items on it.  An evenings work for Azazel but not for me.  More like several weeks, longer if things continue as they are for now (excluding going on holiday in just over a weeks time).  All in all not as onerous as I’d thought, particularly as my desk has been tidied too.

Then I got to thinking!

This is a hobby not a job and the time constraints are self-imposed.  I can always grant myself permission to be late if I need to so why on occasions do I feel a sense of pressure to complete something?  Is it the need to have something to blog about and have I become a slave to my own desire to publish twice a week on the same days and at the same times for fear of failing my own self imposed publication times?  Has my hobby become an obsession leading to an addiction where I cannot survive without it?  Above all how has tidying my bloody desk and updating my lists got me even thinking about such things in the first place?

It’s of concern but am I the only one who experiences such feelings and compulsions?  If I am then I’m beginning to think I might need psychiatric care!

“Wish Lists”, the Pros and Cons

The “To Do List” as previously mentioned isn’t looking to bad, the “Wish List” on the other hand is a concern.  Why, because unless I’m the only one that works and thinks this way, the wish list contains many of the things that I want to do now.  This in itself is a rather bazaar statement because the things on my “To Do List” were the things that were once on my “Wish List”.

Now as some of you are already aware that I am a list person, something I have mentioned on numerous occasions although I don’t have a list of the posts in which I have mentioned this (a list to do perhaps?).  Whilst I’m sure we are not all lists people I do feel certain that we all have a “Wish List”, one that’s either written down or in our heads.  The thing is I’m not sure now how good it is to have one.

Let’s deal with the positives first.

By maintaining a wish list I am ready and armed with ideas to give people for birthdays and Christmas presents (presumptuous I know).  I also eliminate the risk of forgetting something I have seen and would like to have if I write it down (I only need to remember where I put the list!).  It also serves as an ongoing ideas bank and prevents me from hitting the “what can I do now?” wall.  By having the list I can also think ahead as to how I might compose any given figure/model in a diorama or vignette by pre-planning and problem solving in advance.  Something I regularly do when walking Buddy the dog.

Now to the downside.

The idea of buying things when you see them, just in case they cease being available, has become my latest mantra.  The result of this approach is “Wish List” items get bought earlier than planned, arrive earlier than planned and invariably get done earlier than planned.  As a direct result, previous items which were once on the “Wish List” that had been purchased and were on the “To Do List” move lower down the “to do” pecking order.  The knock on effect of that is things that were once on the “Wish List” that were added to the “To Do List” only to later be relegated even further in the pecking order inevitably end up in the “Neglected and Forgotten Pile”.  Still with me?

I feel certain this is a dilemma we all share.  Why do I feel certain?  Well because if this wasn’t the case then none of us would be up for Azazel’s “Neglected Model” Monthly Challenges.

Is there a way around this?

Of course if I didn’t look in the first place then it wouldn’t be a problem at all.  The trouble is that right now I am on what for me is a creative role and it kind of makes sense to go with it in case it dries up.  Well that’s how I’ve convinced myself anyway.  Not buying the figures when you see them is also a risk I’m not willing to take, such indecision has cost me in the past.  Patience is a virtue but this is a hobby not a job  and therefore doing what you want to do next because it brings you pleasure overrides doing things in the order of purchase.  Not maintaining a “Wish List” risks  forgetting things I’ve seen and removes the fun of browsing and researching for ideas, a key component of the hobby as far as I am concerned.

So what is to be done?

In conclusion, I’ve decide to do nothing.  I shall just live with it and, whenever possible, seek to reduce the “Neglected and Forgotten” pile thanks to Azazel’s monthly challenges.

—000—

Until next time.

TIM

 

34 thoughts on “The News at TIM – Mid Week Musings (No: 22)”

  1. What a thought provoking post! I was thinking just yesterday if I should “rationalise” my collecting. I have about five main areas and it maybe better to concentrate on one or two? I must admit to actually enjoying being in a bit of a muddle- perhaps “creative chaos” might be more apt.
    Mike

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    1. Love the idea of “creative chaos”, sounds so much more planned and organised than “muddle” which gets alarm bells ringing in my head! Yep, that’s a phrase I’m gonna go with from now on. Feeling better already! Thanks Mike.

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  2. Dave, at our age I think it’s more surprising that we aren’t having psychiatric care! And you do realise that if you hadn’t written this post you’d have probably painted half of those 35 items on your list! You need a “Wish I was on the to-do list” list!
    That aside, I think I agree with everything you’ve said!

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  3. Oh, since my days in the Army, I’ve been a list guy. As for acquiring, I’ve got a plan and this year I’m focused on things that will make my games better and unique. Some stuff that is rare enough I will buy, as well as stuff I know I’ll need to finish projects in the queue. However, if I cannot organize it, I will not buy it!

    Nice post – and a good hobby needs to feel a little like work, but a lot like glee.

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  4. Oh, lists are very much a thing. Here’s my current “back-log” of things I need to buy, just from GW, with no actual plan in place to even start on painting them. Because I’ve got other stuff to finish first:
    Sea Elf Seahorse Rider General x2
    Stormcast Battletome
    Stormcast Eternals Evocators on Celestial Dracolines
    Astreia SolBright
    Reikenor the Grimhailer
    1 or 2x Celestar Ballista
    Storm Strike (another one)
    Aventis Firestrike(?)
    SC: Malignants x2 (?)
    Wracks x2
    Talos x2?
    Grotesques (finecast)??
    Razorwing
    Voidraven
    Sylvaneth Treelord
    Nurgle Rotbringers
    Vermin Lord
    Stormhawk/Stormtalon
    Plagueburst Crawler x2
    Akhelian Leviadon
    Start Collecting Beastclaw
    Stormhawk/Stormtalon
    Eldar/Dark Eldar flyers
    SW Dread
    Stormcast Vanguard Raptors
    Goblin Town Multi-Pack
    Osgilliath Ruins Multi-Pack
    SC: Necrons (?)
    SC: Sylvaneth (?)
    SC: Tzeentch (?)
    SC: Nurgle (?)
    Fortress of Redemption
    Thousand Sons Blue

    I’ve only finished 5 models this month, too. Need to make this a productive weekend, so I’ve got new stuff to post (ideally) every 2 days. Keeping the pressure on myself is the only reason and way I’m able to keep a reasonable pace of completed models up, and as you can see – I’m not shy (or sensible) on restricting my purchases…

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    1. It’s a fine list and I wish you well with the discipline of finishing what you have already purchased. My trouble is simply impatience and wanting to buy some things as soon as possible and get started. Ironic when you consider the patience our little hobby requires!

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      1. Yeah, it’s pretty much the same thing in wanting to buy them ASAP, but once I’ve got them, well, there’s no rush to paint them immediately as there’s other stuff in front of the queue… a problem that never really rectifies itself, as I’m sure you can see…

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    2. Hmm, I don’t see Necromunda Cawdor (x2?) or Blood Bowl Dark Elves (x2) on that list. Tsk, tsk.

      In all seriousness, it does make me glad that my interest in GW, is really limited to a few Specialists games. At the rate I paint, I would have to move the family out to make way for my mountains of unpainted plastic.

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      1. 2x Cawdor are already ordered/on their way, and the 1x Dark Elves are already here, along with Spike! #2 and the various cards from the same week’s releases. 🙂

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      3. I’m just buying 2 boxes of each gang as they come out. I’ll figure the rest out later. Probably need to get more bases, though.
        No doubt I’ll finish my old-school Cawdor first, though…

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      4. Well there might be a game reason to have more than one, as it sounds like a Zerg team. Though I need to verify that before I go more buy crazy. Probably next month I’ll pick up the next Gang War and some Cawdor stuff. If I can hold out that long.

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      5. 2 boxes just gives me flexibility. I’ve got plenty of old-school metal Cawdor, which I plan to get out of the case and rebase and do anything else needed to update to “modern times” soon(ish). Probably after I clear a couple of squads of Marines off the desk. I really like Cawdor models – so easy to integrate them into so many other sub-settings in the 40k universe – Cults (Chaos or Imperial), PDF, Imperial Guard, Frateris Militia…

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  5. Yep, I’m a list person, more or less. I love to inventory stuff in spreadsheets and whatnot. My problem is with all the different applications and hardware (multiple computers, phone, etc.), I tend to start a list in something, then find something new and end up recreating the wheel.

    I had stumbled upon a folder/file structure I had worked on just before my divorce. Which was really nice (not the divorce part!). I had started organizing all the different projects I was working on at the time, role-playing games, collectible conversions, miniature painting, comics collection, artwork, etc. Along with real life projects. Then I guess I forgot about it during the divorce. Years later, found it once again, like an archeological find, as I was transferring data over to a new computer. I’m trying to reuse it again now, but it’s a bit harder when everything is only stored locally on one device. I should probably look into moving some of that into the cloud.

    And speaking of cloud….Google Apps is pretty much where I store most my life now. I have blog posts started there, inventory lists for hobbies like comics, miniatures, etc., paint lists, tips lists and where I found them (else I will forget whom to credit), recent orders and want-to-buy-lists, home-brew game rules, and the lists go on and on.

    I don’t keep a “todo” lists for miniatures projects though. That list is whatever is in front of my face when I sit down to paint minis. I basically have two projects in my work area, one neglected, one current. I often unpackage new stuff in that area, but if stuff starts to accumulate, it gets stored away whenever I clean up my desk. “Next project” stuff is usually prepped inbetween painting sessions. Trimmed/washed/primed, and stored in a container ready to go. New stuff that hasn’t been prepped yet, is stored in a closet, with a fairly close eye on how much stuff is accumulating. If that starts getting out of hand, I’ll likely put a hard boot down on purchasing.

    “Must-have” purchases. I’m trying to be more careful about that. It’s too easy for me to go haywire, buy it all online, all the time. When Blood Bowl was first released, some stuff got totally bought out by um…”jerks”. Who resold for crazy amounts on Ebay. That was crazy-making and made me really nervous about new stuff selling out as well. I haven’t seen that happen in years now, and am starting to think that I can calm down and not rush out to buy it all right away. If it was some rare mini on Ebay for a really good price, I think, those are opportunities you just have to take when they present themselves though.

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    1. Some how I have found comfort from knowing that somewhere in the world, the US to be precise, there is someone as list orientated as me. OK we go about it a little differently but it’s not an exact science and it’s the principle that counts after all. Your clearly a little more mature than me when it comes to being relaxed over the buying of future figures but that gives me something to aspire to …. or not!

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      1. Oh, I’ve had my days of fretting and wringing of hands, no doubt. And the dagger point of pain as I click “buy”. The worst part is being a gamer, which means they have been tacking on things like game boards and dice and terrain and cards. All of which, you know, “you must buy”. Because otherwise your gaming friends (wherever those might be), will laugh and sneer at you. So all the add-ons lately, have kind of forced my hand and said ‘Step away from that cliff for a moment…’.

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      2. There are hidden dangers that’s for sure, not least of all how much you can very quickly spend. Fortunately I’m under no competitive or peer pressure I just happen to be a magpie who likes to collect things that are shinny!

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      1. Haha, I have two sets of the Blood Bowl Skaven dice! The first and second print? Whyyyyyy? Umm, because I plan on having two Skaven teams. Yea, sure, that’s it. Not crazy at all.

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  6. I am the exact opposite, I can’t make lists, maybe it is a self defence mechanism to stop me freaking about the amount of stuff I have sitting part finished or not even started. I usually ask for figures for Birthday or Christmas. This year for my birthday I decided to buy my hunting game for the PS4. Instead of new figures I decided to reboot my 15mm French and Indian Wars figures. Okay to be fair I did purchase a few extras to bulk them out and provide some opposition.

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    1. Lists are far from compulsory and it’s each to their own but having just read your earlier post I’m struggling to get my head around have you can have your finger in so many pies and not maintain a list! Credit to you for that. It always fascinates me how people can achieve similar goals whilst working completely differently. It certainly doesn’t do for us all to be the same.

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  8. I have lists for work, lists for the hobby and lists for lists haha. I have a strange approach to the hobby. It tends to go something like this…

    An idea is born. Inspired by a picture, a book, a movie, a comment, an event, a person and even a challenge.

    I throw myself into that idea and ride the creative wave.

    BOOM another idea is born and the other idea is put aside with an internal promise that “one day” I’ll finish that too.

    Aaaaaand I’m off on the creative wave again.

    Then… BOOM another idea is born haha.

    I used to put unneeded pressure on myself and thing gee I should really finish the other trillion projects I’ve started. Then, as you say, I think HEY it’s a hobby man not a damn job. I can do what I want when I want. I don’t have to be on time or finish anything. I can just be this crazy ideas, creative freak and enjoy it. HOWEVER I do love the feeling of finishing something. In my work I take pride in finishing a job for a client.

    Alllllll my ideas are on lists in the notes section on my phone and there are far too bloody many to mention here sunshine.

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