Tuesday, February 26, 2013

When Worlds Collide, Will One Suffer?

Now there's a bit of a foreboding statement, isn't it? No, I'm not throwing away all my wargaming supplies or armies, I'm not throwing in the hobby towel or anything drastic like that. I'm speaking towards the dichotomy of every hobbyist's life of reality versus toy soldiers. We all have responsibilities outside of our local gaming store and of course they take precedence over tabletop warfare...

My question to you, however, is how much can our hobby "give" before it "breaks"?

Let me begin by defining "breaking". I see that term best described as reaching a point in your hobby life to where you just don't see the point in investing time, money, or anything into miniatures any more. This isn't just getting frustrated and taking a break, no matter how long that break my be. This is throwing in the towel completely, selling everything you have and abandoning the hobby because you have so little time, that you feel it's just not worth the frustration anymore. That is "Breaking".

Work is beating the tar outta me right now. Just last week I pulled a 16 1/2 hour shift on Friday of all days. I'm started writing this at work at 7pm last Friday, while a 19GB file that I've been designing saves. I'm guessing that some of you have noticed that I haven't been posting on time much, and that I've actually missed a week or two this year so far. Well, with added responsibility at work, I'm working more overtime and my hobby time has suffered because of it. What time I have had in this past month, I've spent primarily with my wife and boy, as well as doing freelance work on the weekends that I committed to late last year. This has left me a touch on the wire when it comes to my portion of my Adepticon Team army, and no chance at all of entering anything into Crystal Brush this year. I'll get the army done, I only have a three things left to put together, then the painting begins (more on that next week). I can honestly say that because of work lately, my hobby life has indeed suffered. Thankfully, I don't seeing it "breaking" my hobby life, but it sure as heck is frustrating me to no end.

A good friend of mine is going though a bit of a rough patch in his hobby life right now as well. Time isn't on his side, and on top of that, a large group of friends don't even play tabletop wargames. He not only has to try and find the time to work on the hobby and play games, he has to find time away from those friends who aren't even interested in the hobby. He loves the setting of 40K, heck, he's read more books since getting hooked on 40K with Black Library thanks he's read in a long time. But he's struggling to wonder if the hobby is worth it. He's coming to Adepticon this year though, and I really think that'll revitalize him, personally.

I've got another good friend though, who has some serious responsibilities that are forcing him to give up Adepticon this year. Responsibilities that will be taking him from family and friends for not hours, not days, but months. I'm going to respect that man's privacy by not giving any details, or who he is either. He reads this blog, so he knows who he is. What I will say though, is he is an inspiration to me in this hobby. How he finds the time to do what he does, plus his job responsibilities, and be a father and husband is beyond me! But he consistently churns out quality, award winning work and commission pieces. He finds the time to game with his friends and keep up with God only knows what else. This is the guy I think of when I feel like throwing in the towel, not because I don't love the hobby, but because I think I'm too busy for it.

See the thing is, I'm not too busy. Not to take part in a hobby I love. I'd even challenge that no one is truly busy enough to throw in the towel on something they want to do. There are times when I could be working on the hobby, and choose not to! We're all like that at times. Personally, I'm reevaluating the way I spend my free time, to find more time for the hobby. I've got so many ideas, plans, concepts that I want to make reality that I'm doing myself a disservice by making excuses as to why I can actually do them.

Don't get me wrong, life kicks us all in the cans at times, and pastimes and hobbies suffer because of it. Trust me, I know, I'm not being unsympathetic. But that shouldn't mean we just give up! Take a break if you need to, but also take an honest look at how you spend your time, a good honest look. I bet you can find some time once or twice a week, even when you're busy, to give those toy soldiers of yours some much needed attention.

- Tim

 

17 comments:

  1. I hear Ya Tim. People talk about hobby burnt out from too much time with one aspect of the hobby, but sometimes a lack of hobby time can lead to burnout too. I'm very lucky. I work in an industry that is very much hurry up and wait. I sometimes even work on figures at my desk while I wait. I have a creative job and my bosses like that I keep the creativity up doing something while waiting. In fact, soon I will be painting up some avatars to represent the people in our department. We have a model Pirate ship in our pod of cubicles and we need a crew to represent us. That wasn't always the way and for a while work was starting to not just impede my hobby but infringe on family time too - I almost quit. Then my prayers were answered by a hostile takeover, my bosses we replaced by creative, family people and so far things are amazing. There will be ups and downs I'm sure, but right now I feel very lucky. Hang in there - it's all cyclical ;)

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    1. Sounds like you and I have quite a bit in common, Zab! both in hobby interests and struggles, and in working in a creative field!

      Now if I could just paint figs at my desk...

      Thankfully the extreme time-crunch cycle for me definitely has a light at the end of the tunnel, though it won't come until May :P But that's okay. That gives me plenty of time to prep for Golden Demon :)

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  2. Loved this one Tim, and cannot wait to meet your friend this year at Adepticon and have a drink again with you.

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    1. Adepticon will indeed be a blast, Steve, and while Jason has sequestered himself away in seminars all weekend, I'm sure he can break for a beer with all of us ;)

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  3. It can be very hard to find the time as a working adult. I find it in little chunks here and there. I have a long drive every day, so I listen to podcasts a few days a week, when I am not rocking out to whatever is in my CD player (yeah, CDs are like the new vinyl, lol). I get to work and it's all business, but I take an hour and a half out to go to the gym. WHile I am there, I will listen to podcasts or visualize the next conversion project or paintjob and walk myself through it and my tools/ bits to be prepared when I actually do work on it, so I am not messing around. Then it's back to work where I spend the time others spend smoking, reading a couple of posts and hitting the FB page up. Back to business and the long drive at the end. Once home, it's family time, but I usually have left something waiting for attention during a strategically planned bathroom break, like some bases that need drybrusjing, a model that needs a wash or a couple resin models I need to scrub - basically, some quick admin style task that usually delays painting or converting. Then it is all kids, dinner and college (when I am in classes) until they hit the rack. This leaves me with two hours to spend time with my wife in the living room and get some painting done while being there with her, which she is totally cool with.

    Admittedly, this doesn't work out every day, but I have learned to make it count when it does and it keeps me on track and while it may seem like I am "all hobby, all day" I really keep those thoughts compartmentaized to those times and use the routine as a trigger to know when to hobby and when to do my real life responsibilities.

    Of course, this all may come down to the fact that time management is bred into US Marines, which is the title I earned and have held these last 13 years ... or it may just be that my crazy type A personality is performance driven. I don't know, but I can tell you that for the last 5-6 years I have made it work and I think most others can as well. Like anything, it just takes work and honestly, the harder the squeeze, the better the juice has always been my philosophy. If this hobby was too easy, I just wouldn't be into it.

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    1. Also, while I am thinking of it ... gameplay wise, I either sneak off to play on Friday nights or play at home on my board with a friend so the wife has me near if needed. I also attend tournaments and while people who identify themselves as hobbyists may think tourneys are full of WAAC people and evil, I find most attendees are interested in painted armies, want to play interesting games against people of an equal skill level and really are mostly married guys like me who lov the idea of getting three or more games in a single day while showing off their hard work (sweet painted models). So that's how I find tme to game on top of other things ... now somewhere in there, I supposedly blog, but that is an odd beast that I slay in the moments between moments, then schedule to make it look like I am current, hahaha!

      Great post Tim, I hope your friend has fun at Adepticon. It's really a great showcase for the best of each aspect of our hobby and has allowed me to make freinds on a level I have only known previously in the military. Thanks for continuing to post articles that speak from the heart. The community misses that mark sometimes and I challenge myself to not be as superficial as I have in the past, but seem to miss the mark you hit with posts like these.

      Oh, one last thing: Pour a little liquor for that friend who may be away from his family. I hear it is lucky in some circles.

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    2. Hey OST... you want me to compile your two replies into one blog post? Seriously, who said you miss the mark when writing from the heart like this? Cause you just did, my friend. Your example here is exactly what I think people in the quandary I posed above need to hear!

      Heck, I may just go ahead and post it myself with you as the "guest author".

      It's always lucky for an Irishman to pour a glass of Jamesons in a friend's honor. I will lift a toast for him, you can be sure of it.

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  4. I think the biggest issue for all of us here in the area, Tim is the lack of an active gaming community. There are a few people at one store and a few people at another, but there are no good places to go that had the draw of older shops.

    That being said, Once I finish my Adepticon stuff and prepping for the baby (not exactly in that order) I'm always free to play . I have a game table at my place (with terrain) or we can go elsewhere.

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    1. Come to Ogre Games on Thrusdays, I need older people to play against! I will even play fantasy if you want.

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    2. Okay... both of you. We just need to get together and gaming. I'm not saying we start the overall community that we seem to lack as a unifying hobby front here in the STL area, but we can make a more concerted effort to game I think...maybe?

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  5. Timely article, Tim - I'm in much the same boat, work-wise. 60+ hours a week for the better part of a month now. I'm haveing to seriously consider whether I'm going to be making out to Adepticon at all at this point, which is a shame.

    Nevertheless I plan to press on with the hobby, little enough time that I have as may be. Looking forward to seeing the team army you guys put together!

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    1. No! I'm already going to be missing one good friend this April, you're going, sir!!!

      Seriously though, I understand the work crunch, trust me, but the weekend is a hell of a way to unwind and forget about that world for a while. I would encourage you to make the weekend happen for you, scheduling-wise still, and come out and hang with people you didn't even know, who know you from the blog!

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  6. Great article, and without creating an echo chamber pretty much in the same boat (including having to back out of Adepticon, Ugh...)..

    For me however the biggest mistake I made over the past 18 months was stepping away from the hobby.

    Painting(and converting) as I creep into adulthood is more and more my zen time. I picked up the brush again in a serious way about 4 weeks ago and feel calmer and more grounded (even with 16 hour days and screaming bosses) than I have in a long while.

    Each person is different, of course, but changing my focus IN the hobby made all the difference. From large projects and ambitious dream armies to smaller goals, like a single well converted and painted HQ..

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    1. Are you having to back out, or contemplating it because of the boat you're in? I'll echo what I told Mordian: the weekend is a hell of a way to unwind and forget about that world for a while.

      I will tell you that the whole calming effect that comes with immersing yourself into a hobby you enjoy, no matter the time length each time you do it, is indeed a kind of zen, or meditation even.

      ...And there's a blog post in the works. Thanks Dameon :)

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    2. Backed out, life trumps the hobby this year... There are other events and always 2014!

      lol happy to help!

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  7. I guess I try to keep it all in perspective, at the end of the day this is my HOBBY. Would I love to be able to paint every night for a couple of hours? Sure! But other more important things like family and other projects would suffer. Hobbies are, in my opinion, what we do when we have time and feel so inclined. So the idea that I may have to go a few weeks without picking up a brush isn't the end of the world to me.

    About a year ago I had a long sit down with myself (at my wife's behest) and realized that I didn't have as much time as I did before. So I scheduled it out and carved out 2-3 hours every week for hobby time and set a standing "game night". Does these times get overrun be events? Of course! But I know that I have that chunk of time still ear marked and will get back to it eventually.

    And Tim, yes I've noticed you've fallen off schedule but assumed life was getting in the way. N worries about it buddy

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