Desperately Seeking Motivation.

[Crimea_River]

I've had motivation issues as well but it tends to be related to how much time I spend on a kit. The longer I spend, the more I want to get it done and over with.

We Canucks also have 4 months of what's called "summer" up here (currently about 1/4 of the way in) in which other pursuits may take precedence. So, for me, I tend to spend a lot less time on the hobby between May and September.

 

[Airframes]

I have similar feelings to Andy, and I'm experiencing it now, with the Mitchell.
Bags of enthusiasm and motivation to start off with, and looking forward to getting the finished model into the planned diorama setting.
But as the build continues to drag on - mainly due to health issues over the past months, I'll admit - I just want to get it done, and move on to other things.
I tend to really 'immerse myself' in the subject, focusing and concentrating on almost nothing else apart from the details, history, background etc of the subject being modelled at the time, so I've vowed to myself that, in the future, I'll restrict this practice to a few 'special' subjects, and try to do more OOB builds, or as near OOB as possible.

 

[Crimea_River]

As much as I'd like to put my models into a dio, I can't get that far past just wanting to complete the kit.

 

[Capt. Vick]

And irony of ironies, I keep chugging along with my hangar build. Has the world gone mad?!?!?

 

[fubar57]

Well....my thread, my thoughts. I've noticed that you only use the best of kits and you always turn out excellent models. Nothing wrong with that but maybe, somewhere in the back of your mind, something has gotten bored; take perfect piece 'A', glue to perfect piece 'B', paint, repeat, finish. Perhaps occasionally you need a challenge. Grab an early Special Hobby, Classic Airframes(not Terry) or dare I say it.....Hobbycraft. For me, nothing is better than going one on one with a kit that hates me and then at the end of the day after 4lbs of mud and paint have been added, success. Having said that, my next kit is always a Tamiya or something else shake and bake. I've only got 6 more Hobbycraft kits to build and then the curse will be lifted

 

[Crimea_River]

That wouldn't work for me. Mudding and sanding is the worst part of the hobby to me.

 

[JKim]

It's interesting to note the different motivations that we have for building models. As you've noticed Geo, I prefer to work on good kits. Taking a good, solid model and making it even better is a motivating factor for me. Taking a bad kit and making it good... not so much. I'm not sure of the exact connection between the things I am good at and the things that I enjoy doing but there is certainly a connection. Scratchbuilding... forming new parts with different materials... is something that I am not good at. So I will avoid projects that require lots of scratchbuilding. As I get better at certain things, that can change. For example, I feel much better about detail painting around the cockpit area and I even look forward to it now that I've discovered how useful a magnifying loupe and a good set of fine brushes can be.

There is usually something specific about a model that excites me before I start. These form some tangible "targets" for me. They could be the features of a particular resin or photoetch set. Or a particular camo scheme that I envision. It could as simple as a good spiral on a prop spinner or the look of weathered exhausts that have been hollowed. Some things to strive for. I've noticed that if I don't hit those "targets" to my satisfaction, my motivation takes a hit.

But my main point of bringing this up was to ask if the subject matter has any bearing on your motivation. My enthusiasm for Axis fighter aircraft of WW2 is much higher than for anything else. Motivation for those subjects is built-in and I usually don't run into that feeling of having to plod on to the finish, even if the build is challenging. The Spitfire... I just wanted to get it done and that was a VERY GOOD kit that went together without a hitch.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Geo,

Maybe you have gotten all the pleasure you are going to get out of those unfinished kits. Maybe you only enjoy getting them to the point they are at now. And if that is the case, so be it. Maybe you'll come back to them at a future date, maybe not. Point is, it's a hobby for enjoyment and if you're not getting enjoyment out of it at the present time, it's all good.

 

[Андрей]

Gadzooks, who'd a thunk. Have about a dozen models in various stages of abuse, spent the last month downloading over 400 books and magazines for reference, read all hobby sites on-line daily and haven't put glue to plastic in about 2 months. I will even go so far as to sit at my table and stare at the instructions. Summer and golf are calling so if any of you can offer some inspirational stories about how you got over my new found plastic phobia, it would be appreciated. (I work 6on/6off so time isn't an issue and have Tamiya to Hobbycraft so the ease and variety is there.)

Coronavirus helped?