Minor Madness - or a goal, maybe (Painting challenge to self)

[FifteensAway]

So, after spending a few months getting a large swath of figures ready for paint, primed and just waiting, I started thinking to set myself a rather ambitious, perhaps even excessive, goal: to paint for an average of two hours per day for 100 days straight.

Yeah, that would mean 200 total hours.  And note the word 'average' - can take a day off here and there as long as I stick to the average, just have to put in extra sessions ahead of time when possible or afterwards if needed.  Say, two hours in morning, a hour in afternoon and maybe another hour in the evening to 'catch up' - but two hours in one go is pretty much my limit.

Being retired and heading into the fall and winter should help.  Now I just need to A. make it an ingrained resolve and B. pick a start date.  I'm thinking October 1 as a good target since I do have some additional figures I want to get primed and ready first.   That would mean 'finishing' on January 7th.   

Oh, and I'm all but certain that I have more than enough figures to keep me supplied through the challenge.  Doing gaming standard and production line painting means I would have a good shot at 6+ figures per hour, 15 mm of course.  1,200 figures in 100 days?  Yes, it can be done.  But will it?

Perhaps a hidden benefit - supposedly if we do something every day for 42 days it becomes a habit.  Maybe I'll just keep on going on the 8th of January and beyond.  We shall see.

[Pattus Magnus]

It’s an intriguing idea. It sounds like you have the time available (which I’m envious about). The main thing may be having a couple of projects or armies to switch between to avoid burning out on a project.

[Dean]

Great idea, and I wish you the best, but don’t let it become a chore or that will put you completely off.  My advice, use that ‘average’, if you have a day when you just aren't feeling it, just do something really simply and call it a day.  I alternate between figure painting, modelling terrain, proof reading or testing, and playing solo games, that works well for me, it’s all hobby related but if I planned to play today but don’t feel like it, I don’t force myself.

[mikedemana]

Making it routine is the important part, I feel. Every morning, I wake up, having some juice to drink while I peruse the news, then head downstairs to my hobby desk. I put in about an hour there, painting or modeling. Then I do my exercises/workout. By the time I'm done and showered, it is lunch time. It is an excellent way to start the day for a retiree! 

Mike Demana

[marianas_gamer]

Mike,
You are my hero!

[snitcythedog]

I certainly envy the ability to allocate that amount of time and energy into painting.  Hopefully your plan comes together and you stay on schedule.     

[mikedemana]

Mike,
You are my hero!

Aw, shucks...! 

Mike Demana

[syrinx0]

I am attempting something similar for my hobbies (painting & fish keeping), exercise and work around the home I need to complete (various maintenance, shopping and cooking etc).  Netfilx binges, NFL games, reading and unplanned social events (all fun as well) pop up often enough that I often miss my target average for painting. Skipping cooking is not an option... 

It will be interesting to see if I can be like Mike and get better at my plan after a few more weeks.   Good luck FifteensAway!

[FifteensAway]

Thanks for the support - and I do, indeed, have a variety of projects to tackle, too many really: Vikings (need to prep and prime), Stone Age (need to prep and prime), Robin Hood (ready to go), Jousting (all but ready to go), Banana Wars - a pulp sort of game (ready to go), French and Indian War (ready to go - much already painted almost all by me), French Foreign Legion (ready to go - much already painted, not all by me), ACW (much ready, much to get ready and, again, much painted and, again, not all by me), AWI (much ready, much to get ready - and probably first and largest element in my self-challenge). 

I'd have to get way over six figure per hour average to get all of those done in 100 days - or way over two hours per day.

And, tonight, after handing over some Old West figures to a friend to paint (not cheating, he can use some extra cash), I pulled out a bunch of Old West buildings to paint so, when he gets those figures done, I'll be ready to run a game.  One of my goals for the year - get the Old West on the gaming table!  I will count that as a distraction since the goal is to get figures painted over buildings and other terrain - but, as suggested, it can also be a diversion to keep the creative juices flowing.  Maybe the next challenge will focus more on terrain/buildings than figures, plenty there to get done.

To Mike D's point, routine is the goal.  And I wish I could have a dedicated and focused time of day to paint but being married - not to a high maintenance but an 'extreme' maintenance wife - there will be...digressions.  (for those who don't get it, watch the movie When Harry Met Sally).  Great wife, just not conducive to what I'd prefer - like Mike, I'd prefer painting in the morning, easily my most productive time of day but more often it will be evenings when she's glued to TV shows. 

Still working to hone in on that resolve...oh, and one good element of it all, I work well under the pressure of a deadline so if I fall behind I can count on myself pushing to get got up before the deadline.  Well, such is the hope.

Again, thanks for the moral support.  Progress reports once I get going - but probably not daily and maybe not weekly.  Or maybe weekly, all depends on my mood and how tired I am.

[LordBrentlake]

Good luck with this.

The key thing, I think, is not to got dispirited when missing the target on a particular day. Some days will inevitably be better than others. I’m still working on getting myself “back in the groove” after a rather unpleasant injury which didn’t do favours for either my coordination or vision. There are good days and others not so good. I concur about the positive influence of looming deadlines. The most important piece of advice that I get from my own (outstandingly) good lady is “don’t be too hard on yourself”.

Again, best wishes in your endeavour.

[Tom Dulski]

Making it routine is the important part, I feel. Every morning, I wake up, having some juice to drink while I peruse the news, then head downstairs to my hobby desk. I put in about an hour there, painting or modeling. Then I do my exercises/workout. By the time I'm done and showered, it is lunch time. It is an excellent way to start the day for a retiree! 

Mike Demana

 I agree completely, I come home from work have a cup of coffee and head downstairs where I put on a podcast and paint for 2 hours. I've been doing it for years now and if something comes up and I miss a day I feel like the whole day was wasted.

[FifteensAway]

Modest - but essential - adjustment: I'm giving myself 110 days to get to the 200 hours.  Why?  Two upcoming multi-day local conventions and then two major holidays where family will rate higher than hobby time.  The extra ten days should cover those events.  Conventions are good times for gaming - the whole reason for painting.  And while hobby is fun it isn't highest life priority.  So, January 17 to achieve goal.  I realized this morning when thinking forward about those ''100' days and what might be an interruption.  Sanity prevailing - or so I'm telling myself. 

[syrinx0]

Sanity prevailing - or so I'm telling myself. 

Good call.

[FifteensAway]

Day One has arrived and the self-imposed painting challenge begins today.

70 (edit: 66 to paint, 4 already painted - truth in 'advertising') French Foreign Legion figures on the table to finish first with two brigades of AWI to finish ready to take their place.  After that, it will be figures primed and ready but not started.  I work in 15 mm and use a production line approach so not intimidated by numbers (usually).

Hoping a medical procedure on the 7th doesn't cause undue delays but will adjust accordingly.

I expect I will do an update every 10 days - more if I need the motivation and have the time. 

[mikedemana]

Good luck!! 

Mike Demana