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Author Topic: How do you motivate yourself to paint?  (Read 3417 times)

Offline FreakyFenton

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1122
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2019, 02:03:08 PM »
I agree with some of the above.

Usually a documentary or some movie encourages me to paint miniatures I have about, that collect dust. Sometimes it's a nice practice after work to just sit down and paint/build/convert.

Books, either fictional writing, historical accounts or magazines sometimes do the same. It really depends.

Though I've adopted the standard of selling of projects that I haven't done anything with/for in a while.  :D
"No human being would stack books like -that-!" -Dr. Peter Venkman

Offline Jay Adan

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 46
  • Gaming since the 70's
    • jayadan.com
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2019, 02:22:04 PM »
My motivator doesn't work for everybody. If I don't paint I don't pay my bills. It's a great motivator.

Offline Dr. Zombie

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3090
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2019, 02:36:18 PM »
I have a rule (guideline really) to spend a minimum of 30 minutes doing “hobby” each day. Everyone can find 30 minutes in their day. But those 30 minutes sometimes turns into 3 hours if the mood takes me. Sometimes I really only have 30 minutes. But I still have completed my goal and it is a success.
If the goal is paint a confederate army. It takes a long time to get to the success.

I spend the 30 minutes doing whatever I like. Sometimes it is building terrain sometimes I paint medieval sometimes ultramodern and sometimes I even clean up my work area! But it all adds up.

Offline FreakyFenton

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1122
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #18 on: November 04, 2019, 02:50:13 PM »
My motivator doesn't work for everybody. If I don't paint I don't pay my bills. It's a great motivator.

 lol lol lol

Offline zemjw

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    • My blog
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #19 on: November 04, 2019, 07:28:05 PM »
You could try the "I'm just going to paint for 5 minutes" approach.

Force yourself to start on something, and if you're hating it after 5 minutes - stop. However, chances are half an hour or more will have passed before you know it.

I use this sometimes for things I have to do, but can't be bothered starting and it works (most of the time). The important bit is to start :)

Offline Shahbahraz

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1425
    • A Lead Odyssey
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #20 on: November 04, 2019, 10:38:16 PM »
My approach:
  • always have a variety of things on the go, so if you get fed up with khaki..
  • make sure your painting table/tray/station whatever is set up ready to go
  • try to find at least 5 minutes to do something every day.. stick on a drainpipe, paint a pair of eyeballs, anything
  • don't set yourself unachievable targets; OR
  • commit to something that forces you to paint...
Wargaming since the dark ages...

---https://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com/---

Offline FierceKitty

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1718
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #21 on: November 06, 2019, 04:40:57 AM »
Mmm, always keep a few horses on the table to use up that interesting mix you've just devised for three men's hair.
The laws of probability do not apply to my dice in wargames or to my finesses in bridge.

Offline ced1106

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 880
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #22 on: November 06, 2019, 06:48:16 AM »
> Playing.

Our gaming group *finally* will play a campaign, of Gloomhaven. So now that I know my painted miniatures will get played, I'm more motivated to paint, but only those miniatures I will use, and I end up painting them quickly to tabletop.

Hobbies are supposed to be fun. I don't mind unpainted miniatures, though I do remind myself I don't need to buy more...!
Crimson Scales with Wildspire Miniatures thread on Reaper!
https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/103935-wildspire-miniatures-thread/

Offline Ahistorian

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 596
    • A-Historical Wargaming
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #23 on: December 16, 2019, 04:23:46 PM »
Thank you all for commenting! Things got worse before they got better, but have painted 26 models in the last week by following the small & simple method!

15 of those gained extra impetus from the game I am due to attend on Wednesday  ;)

Offline syrinx0

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Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2019, 05:21:57 AM »
Good luck keeping the momentum!  That is always the challenge for me in the past.
2024: B: 0; P: 148; 2023: B:77; P:37;

Offline Atheling

  • Elder God
  • Posts: 11905
    • Just Add Water Wargaming Blog
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #25 on: December 17, 2019, 07:06:14 AM »
Mental self flagellation is the key!  lol

Seriously though, don't be too hard on yourself and it makes painting a much more pleasurable experience. Then the mini's will start rolling off the painting desk :)

Offline Ahistorian

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 596
    • A-Historical Wargaming
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #26 on: December 17, 2019, 10:57:04 AM »
Mental self flagellation is the key!  lol

Seriously though, don't be too hard on yourself and it makes painting a much more pleasurable experience. Then the mini's will start rolling off the painting desk :)

When healthy, self-flagellation was absolutely my go to method, but I need something more soothing now :p

Offline rimfire86

  • Schoolboy
  • Posts: 6
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #27 on: December 17, 2019, 04:39:26 PM »
As an individual who tends to tackle large projects, I have found that keeping the last completed batch within sight helps me stay motivated. The task doesn’t seem as daunting when I can look at completed work for inspiration.

Offline Ahistorian

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 596
    • A-Historical Wargaming
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #28 on: December 17, 2019, 06:02:08 PM »
That's a neat idea, I may steal it =]

Offline Atheling

  • Elder God
  • Posts: 11905
    • Just Add Water Wargaming Blog
Re: How do you motivate yourself to paint?
« Reply #29 on: December 17, 2019, 07:38:10 PM »
As an individual who tends to tackle large projects, I have found that keeping the last completed batch within sight helps me stay motivated. The task doesn’t seem as daunting when I can look at completed work for inspiration.

I actually do just that.... but....... I also have all the unpainted, often undercoated miniatures sitting on the same shelf system  o_o :)