Motivation and Getting Stuff Done

[myincubliss]

I suck at getting stuff done. I daub a little paint on something, then something else, and only rarely actually finish a miniature, which leads to less blogging, less posting here, and the pile of purchased miniatures teetering even higher. So, in an attempt to make sure that I actually crack on, I'm naming next week the 'Week of Mega Power'* - I have the week off work, and I hereby pledge to attempt to do something hobby related every day and blog about it, and hopefully that will spur me on to continue, and get some stuff done! It seems to be working too, as in preperation today I've undercoated a bunch of miniatures, and based and converted fifteen Halo miniatures, and made two blog posts in the process! So, I hereby invite the LAF to offer opinions and suggestions about what lengths they go to to motivate themselves, in the hopes I can steal some ideas to use myself...

*it's a silly name, which I enjoy, and means I'm more likely to stick to it. And yes, I'm saving the Star Wars related acronym joke for if I fail...

[Alfrik]

Suggest clear the work area of all figures and models except for the one/s your going to work on. Rotate amongst them only. Put on some music or an old movie to fill the air if its to quiet..... this is modeled after my method

[Big Sexy]

I also suffer from a horribly short attention span.  Something shiny is always catching my eye.  I find that listening to gaming podcasts while I work keeps me in the mood.  I also find the best motivation for me is an upcoming event.  Some sort of tournament or con or something where I either need painting minis or will be too ashamed to bring unpainted.  There's nothing like a deadline to get things done.

[Blackwolf]

You are a good painter (I've looked at your blog),so get cracking,no excuses

[Wirelizard]

Clearing your work area is excellent advice.

I will at random intervals realize that my painting/work bench is so choked with supposedly in-progress projects that I can't, in fact, progress with any of them, and that the load of unfinished projects staring at me is even discouraging me working on any of them. At that point it's time to slip some of the figures into bags or storage boxes, move some of the scenery projects onto the shelves near my workbench, and actually reclaim some of the space for, you know, actual work.

Take the time to reorganize your paints, brushes, knives and all that other paraphernalia that accumulates around a workbench, too.

Right now I'm starting to drown in Russian Civil War figures, and there's an ominious pile of pulp and fantasy figures accumulating around the edges of my painting bench. I'm getting close to needing a reorganization and get-shit-done stint myself, just to clear stuff up for new projects!

[Furt]

I find that prepping miniatures ahead of my allotted painting time is important. For example I'll remove flash, mount and undercoat outside of the normal painting time, so when it's time to grab a brush and dab some paint on, I have no excuse to say "they haven't been cleaned" or "I still need to mount these". I think dabbing on paint for me is easier than doing some of those less enjoyable chores, especially late in the day.

[Relic]

I second Furr,

Last year I only got something "partly" done, and I promised that this year would be different. I've been prepping my figs before my painting session and, when I start painting I can concentrate only to that. I have only been able to paint 6 figures on January, but that is a good start for me . More today!

-Mika

[AndrewBeasley]

Here is a thought that would get me a stifle or two on TMP 

Does it matter?

A hobby is fun not a task - you get enough of that at work to last a lifetime.

If you are happy pottering from one thing to another do so - I have done this for a few years and now returned to larger projects (well for me) and in the meantime gained a reasonable 15mm SciFi force, a few 28mm fantasy bands for SoBH, a small collection of Wings of War aircraft and a greatly reduced lead pile due to eBay.

Go with the flow I say 

[zizi666]

Does it matter?

A hobby is fun not a task - you get enough of that at work to last a lifetime.

Hear, hear !
Unless you've got a deadline (when creating stuff for a convention or event) you shouldn't feel bad about lingering projects.
Just make sure you have stuff painted for at least 1 game so you can play something (or have friends with enough stuff to let you play with it )

[Alfrik]

Part of the driving force to get some mini's done is brought about when you go to the game meet and see the nice efforts of the others and then you put your partly paineted figures down and hope they don't notice...................... 

[generulpoleaxe]

Part of the driving force to get some mini's done is brought about when you go to the game meet and see the nice efforts of the others and then you put your partly paineted figures down and hope they don't notice...................... 

Just do block colours (base coat) to start with on a unit, then go back and add highlights to the parts that stand out the most at a later date.
Then if you really want to go back again at a later date and add more detail.

This allows you to get the look of a fully painted unit whilst giving you the breathing space to actually  getting the unit/army finished.

Enjoy the HOBBY, seriously guys, I do this for a living and year after year the painting is less and less fun (I don't paint for myself any more.)

[Za Zjurman]

Oh yes a huge lead pile and lot of different projects that never get done. To get more miniatures painted I play a different game once every 2 weeks with a good friend of mine (also with a huge lead pile). We try to play with painted models. I got a lot painted this way in january (20 models now). The player with the most painted models is the moral victor I lost both last wednesday But remember it is a hobby not work. Set yourself small targets. We play skirmish games or a small fantasy battle (500 points GW fantasy last wednesday) . In this way you have a good chance to finish some projects. What works for me is to paint on a clean desk with only the models that need to be painted in eyesight this avoids being distracted...

[oldskoolrebel]

I am certain, that I have some sort of attention deficit disorder when it comes to gaming. I start each project with vigor and enthusiams which sortly falls away when the next shiny thing pops into view.

My last tactic involved having themed periods of time to finish a project- like 2 months of building and painting middle eastern terrain. But I find I get too easily side tracked! D'oh!
Cheers
Andy

[jthomlin]

Declare yourself a 'Collector' and then you don't have to worry about all that painting business! 

But if you still insist on wanting to paint, I suggest:

• Clear the clutter: The less time it takes to start painting, the less time you have to change your mind.
• Eliminate Distractions: Women and children be-gone! Turn those idiot boxes off! (TV and PC)
• Mood noise: Whatever helps keep you in the zone, music, comedy, talking book. Gotta love Status Quo for mind numbing repetitive work like filing and sanding! 

Cheers!
Joe Thomlinson

[Silent Invader]

In the last year I've had less time and so have had to become more methodical to get things done.... I enjoy painting and so it isn't a chore, which is perhaps key: if I didn't like AND was short of time I think I'd have to pay someone to do it for me (a reallocation of budget; less unpainted lead but more painted lead!).

So, my method:

- Remove distractions (for me it's the internet that can eat time)
- Organise project (I enjoy having an objective)
- Organise workspace (I am short sighted and paint without spectacles so it helps to know where stuff is!)
- Prep in quantity (If I focus I can pretty much breeze through 25-50 figures)
- Paint in themed groups of 6 - 12 (So I can accumulate useable quantities)
- Monitor progress (If I put stuff away I forget about it, so if I want to see results as LAF  and blog posts, minis on display shelves, etc)
- If a project becomes tiresome, put it to one side and pick up another (I tend towards bigger projects and have a lot of organised lead ready to go when the mood takes me)