Help me I've lost the will to hobby!

[mlkr]

Hi all,
As it says on the package - I cant find the will to hobby atm. Painting feels like a chore and rolling dice isnt as fun as it should be. The only hobbyrelated thing I kinda enjoy doing atm is buying more stuff which I can't keep doing since I'm not made of money

So the big question is - how do you find the will to hobby again? How do you keep it? What's the thing about this hobby that keeps you around? Is there a pill to pop or something?


/Mlkr

[Aquahog]

Feeling a bit of the burnout as well. Trying boardgames, Lego and reading about hobby stuff online to get the attaction back. It's all cyclical.

[Lord Borak]

This was a big factor for me 2 years ago. With the Death of Fantasy and the release of AoS I completely burnt out from Fantasy in general. So I switched back to 40k ......... but there's only so much 40k any one person can handle so that left me with a conundrum. What on earth was I going to do with my life? Do adult things? Go to the gym? Do a hobby I can talk openly about in public without getting weird looks? Do things to my house? Spend more time with my wife?.......

After a scary second of thought I realised that I'd been planning to do a conversion on a 54mm covenant for the last 10-15years so just went for it. 2 years later here I am. Neck deep in specialist games with my wallet well and truly empty.

Basically, If you feel burnt out just go and build/paint something you've been wanting to do for years but haven't had the time for. Even if you paint something up for a charity event that's a complete change from the norm. I'm constantly bouncing between Inquisitor 54mm and Gothic at the moment but I have just written my first 40k army list in about 2 years (I might even play a game).

Or go do adult things I guess. 

[mlkr]

I just don't have the feels for any of it right now. No real joy in it. I did get a short game of Mordheim in today but it was just mildly enjoyable. It's a real shame because hobbytime is usually what I do to recharge my batteries. Hence the whining. Family and Work is all good so it's not something spilling over from there either.

Maybe it's just a break that is needed? Or should I just power through until I feel different?

Oh well -  I am still hanging around on forums and FB looking at achievements by others so my own inability to hobby will probably pass with time. But it's no good feeling realizing your main hobby aint doing it for you like you want/need it to.

Rant over

[Lord Borak]

Take a break if needed.  I know I have spent time away from painting/hobby in general. I found it mainly happened when I had loads of stuff on my plate. More often than not getting armies done for tournaments or just doing a big project. Something will then attract my attention and draw me back into it. Usually a new Codex or something like a Film. The New Mad Max got me cracking on an old Mad Max inspired Guard army which was nice!

Hopefully the same will for you as well. I gave up with armies though. In fact all this Gothic is the closest I've come to 'army' making for a long time now. With Inquisitor I can usually come up with a random idea, source the parts and get cracking. That way I never got bored of a project because it was only ever one model at a time.

Except MrBlue..... He's been sitting on my paint table for a year now making me feel guity (and proud) every time I look at his half finished paint job.

[horizon]

There is no help needed.
You just burned out on the hobby.

First attempt to the cure: stop buying new stuff.

Then do other things. Things which you do enjoy at the moment.
I have these periods ... months without painting a single thing. There are many other things to do. From watching a lot of movies to play videogames to do gardening or do sports.

Take inspiration for you hobby from other things. Don't search for it. You'll notice it when it happens.

 

[industrialtrousers]

Just put it down for a bit. Happens to me regularly so I tend to leave it and go do something completely different. I usually get involved in a sport or build furniture in the shed. Eventually I'll get an idea for a giant or monster and get the green stuff out. Another thing is building terrain for a change.

[Dave]

I've found painting/building in a social setting helps. If you have a local store do it there, or have your friends over your place but don't play a game.

Deadlines can be helpful (painting comps or monlthy challenegs) but that can start to feel like a chore to me too.

[Stormwind]

Sometimes I have to dig out and line up some of my painted models that are otherwise tidied away, to remind myself of how good things can look after all your hard work!

[jchaos79]

Have you lost your "moho"?  It happens, sometimes more frenquently than we would like.

When it happens to me... I just not push over, I do not force anything. I just leave the hobby in stand by.

Ususally a book or a film drives me to Total War series, then it leads to Warmaster and then I quiclky forget the pixels and take the brushes.

If your lack of energies is about fantasy but not the hobby you could focus in history, warmaster ancients or other wargames like Bloody Big Battles, On the Seven Seas (if you want pirates), De Dux Bellorum, Heroclix for superheros, Future War Commander, X-wing, or whatever.

hope it helps

[David Wasilewski]

Happens to us all from time to time. Put everything away and try to forget about it. One day you will get an urge to get something out and look at it again. I promise

Don't fall into the trap of selling everything. You'll regret it.
I used to own about 300 metal skaven miniatures for Warhammer - all well painted. I sold the lot and really regret it now as its all oop.

Dave

[Easy e]

I have the opposite problem.  Too much adulting and not enough hobbying.  It forces me to stay "clean" from the hobby for long periods of time which helps me avoid burn-out.

I also like to try and read a lot of different rules sets often using paper templates if i don;t have proxies.  The freewargamewikia is my best friend!   

[David Wasilewski]

I'm the same at the moment too. Too much work (chasing the money!!!) and not enough play time (or energy left for play time).

Still, make hay while the sun shines I say!

Dave