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Author Topic: Advice on the lack of motivation  (Read 5979 times)

Offline marrony

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1195
Advice on the lack of motivation
« on: February 14, 2010, 05:22:18 PM »
Hello LAF's.Hope the weekend is being kind to you.I would like a little advice of help? My painting recently has been in the doldrums...cant seem to get motivated or inspired.Last few days I've just sat at my table.....and nothing.Zip.Nada.With some much great work going on here in all the different branches I just wonder how my fellow fanatics deal with the meh feeling and how to get the wicked spell broken?  :'(

Good luck in whatever project/ painting/ work domination plan you are working on now.

Graham
'The night is gone and the sword is drawn.And the scabbard thrown away!' -Cry of the People by John G Neihardt.

Offline Mad Doc Morris

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1781
  • Olympus speaketh?
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2010, 05:42:35 PM »
That's an easy one: Do something different.
If painting turns out to be more hard work than enjoyment, drop the brushes and better read a book, watch TV, take a walk, anything. Inspiration is somehow similar to love - comes and goes quite unexpectedly. Just don't force it.

Sorry for not having any magic bullet for you.

Offline rob_alderman

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3718
  • Dribbling wreck...
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2010, 06:05:41 PM »
If I don't feel like painting, I sculpt, or look up uniform references for future projects.
Once inspired, I continue with a new thing and go back to the old thing once I'm bored of that.

Offline anevilgiraffe

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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    • http://anevilgiraffe.blogspot.com/
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2010, 06:11:58 PM »
I flip between painting, building and converting stuff... which is why it's taken me roughly two years to make some hedges...

Offline Prof.Witchheimer

  • Elder God
  • Posts: 12088
    • Back of Beyond
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2010, 06:18:40 PM »
Clean up your workbench and sort out some miniatures. It always works for me.

Offline Mr. Burning

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 175
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2010, 06:32:27 PM »
yeah, go and do something different, clear your head.

If I'm desperately in need of motivation i'll read some books, watch movies or take a trip to a museum or art gallery. Theres usually something totally un connected to what I want to work on that makes me want to jump right back in and create!

Offline Captain Blood

  • Global Moderator
  • Elder God
  • Posts: 19308
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2010, 07:11:13 PM »
GET A GRIP YOU PUSSY!!!!


 ;)


Sorry - not being much help am I?  :)


Seriously, we all get those doldrums occasionally, so fear not.
Totally agree that clearing, cleaning and re-setting your workspace is an essential first step. Then find a couple of figures that are maybe a bit different, but that you really LIKE and think you'll enjoy painting.
That'll get you going again.

The killer is when you have to wade through numbers of figures you don't really like, just to get projects finished.
So like Mad Doc says, swap to something totally different to find your mojo again. Good luck!

Offline Dolmot

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1499
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2010, 07:42:47 PM »
I guess my three step formula was:

1) Do something you really like.
2) Keep the projects small.
3) Finish them!

Step 1 is quite obvious when it comes to motivation. For example, getting stuck to a massed combat system can force you to paint something you don't actually like. Step 2 makes it easier to get something done soon enough. I used to think big and start stuff that would take half a year of dedication, at least, optimistically thinking. Then real life showed its ugly face, and I ended up with piles of half-finished junk in my drawers. Which takes us to the point 3.

A half-finished mini is not really finished at all. It's another unpainted mini, only with the difference that you have wasted plenty of valuable time on it. Try to find that extra hour to call it done, truly and completely. Your project can be ten minis, three or only one. It's still something on your "completed" list. You can post it on the "what I painted" forum or something. That kind of fulfillment keeps me motivated nowadays.

I repeat the previous advice: Bury the extra clutter somewhere, take a small handful of your favourite minis on the table and paint them. That's it, really.

Offline Svennn

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5334
  • Balding bloke with a 'V'
    • Svenns Little Men
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2010, 07:47:36 PM »
Have you tried posting your problem on a miniatures/gaming forum to see what advice you get ;D
"A jewelled sceptre plucked by order to serve their cause"

Offline rob_alderman

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3718
  • Dribbling wreck...
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2010, 07:57:24 PM »
Yeah, keeping projects small is good too!

I am painting 1 unit of 6 Orcs, 1 unit of 3 Rabbitmen, 1 unit of 5 halfling, 1 Dwarf mounted on a pig and a unit of 8 Toadmen. All for flintloque, but changing it around really helps.

Normally I do them in units of 12-24, but by keeping it small it makes life easier!

Offline Sterling Moose

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3370
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2010, 08:13:37 PM »
I sympathise with your plight, I have done almost nothing in 6 months.  One night I sat at the workbench for at least two hours spinning the turret on a steam tank lacking the motivation to actually do anything constructive.   >:(
'I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.'

Offline redzed

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1724
    • redzed
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2010, 12:42:24 AM »
Commission Painting undertaken, PM or email me.

Offline elysium64

  • Potatoe Cup Holder 2010
  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1370
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2010, 01:31:53 AM »
I usually choose something simple like a peice of scenery or a creature that requires alot of dry brushing get it done quickly and hopefully that normally re-inspires me.

Offline Col.Stone

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1864
    • The compound
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2010, 01:45:55 AM »
Put the old stuff in a box and buy something new  ;)

Offline flooglestreet

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 297
    • Old Spaceways
Re: Advice on the lack of motivation
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2010, 03:44:19 AM »
All good advice and I don't have anything to add on getting out of a slump. However, taking a day off each week keeps me out of the slump. A regular day off seems to keep me fresh.

 

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