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Loss of inspiration but not mojo.


Red Dog

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Looking through my stash and I seem to have lost my inspiration to build what's in there, but not the mojo to build something.

I read, hear, watch a story or see a pic or profile and say 'wow, I've gotta build that'. I then go ahead and purchase the kit and any accessories (decals, masks, resin) I need and into the stash they go to wait until I get round to it.

Problem is when I do get a chance to get round to it (Covid-19 for instance),  I've lost the inspiration to then build that subject.

Call me anal but to do have every 1/48 kit listed in a word document with manufacturer, kit, whether I have an aftermarket seat and decals and what markings I was keen to model.

 

Brand     Kit                      seat  decals    Markings

Tamiya     A-1H Skyraider   Yes     Yes        'Spad Dad' 6th SOS Da Nang Vietnam 1969 (Illiad Designs decals)

 

Shelves full of kits, draws full of decals and masks, tubs full of resin.

 

I realise why some don't have a stash for exactly the reason I have pointed to above.

May need to find a new inspirational subject to build and then build it straight away.

 

Anyone else suffer from this problem.

Anyone else have this problem?

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Yeah mate. 
I will see a kit/build, buy one, research marking options, buy more of said kit to represent them all but never start one. A few months/years later lose interest in subject  then sell them all off. Frustrating. 
 

I have a note in my phone of what kits I have and their planned schemes. 

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If there a film you can watch which might bring you inspiration?

 

Example:-

Battle of Britain, for your usual Spitfire, Hurricane, etc..

Bridges of Toko Ri Grumman Panthers,

Tora! Tora! Tora!, Midway, 633 Squadron etc etc.

 

Double whammy, watch the movie, get your creative juices flowing?

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Yeah movies, cool.

 

I was looking over Finemolds 1/72 Slave 1 earlier in the week. Watch the whole 6 Star Wars movies (the last 3 don't count in my mind - but let's not get into a rant about how they don't belong and are a great injustice to the the Star Wars universe) and then decide on Boba's green and red brown version or Jengo's blue one. nice idea Grey Beema.

 

Dambusters, Top Gun, Tuskegee Airmen, hmm starting to flow again.

 

With you there Tony, on buying multiples of an aircraft to build different colour schemes only to stall on them all.

4 x Eduards 1/48 Mig-21 and Fw 190D-9s come to mind.

 

Then again I do have plenty of wood to chop, a spare room to clean and prep for an isolation room if needed and a 6 year old to home school while her school is shut down.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

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This all sounds very familiar! Must have spent literally thousands on kits and accessories over the past ten years, only to sell them for just hundreds a few years later. 

 

1 hour ago, Red Dog said:

 May need to find a new inspirational subject to build and then build it straight away.

This is how I used to live, and it worked. I had one model I was building, and the next one I was going to build and that was it.

 

Then I started getting 'big ideas' and began to buy kits and accessories and they went into storage. Gradually the big ideas faded and I look at some of those white elephants now for their resale value rather than their modelling enjoyment 🙄

 

Here's something you might try to kick start your process...I've used this virus downtime to rescue the shelf-sitters that I've abandoned, using the Groupbuilds here on BM to provide artificial inspiration and purpose in building them. It's helped me realise many of my big projects were intended to impress the online fraternity with their 'wow factor' rather than for their hobby purpose alone. Building to a deadline while sharing the process with other groupbuilders means I've just settled on building the things and enjoying the model, creating a simpler and more basic (efficient) result. Creatively it's been more rewarding as things are getting finished. Personally it's been more rewarding as the performance aspect isn't there because it feels more like a community build than my own striving to stand out.

 

It's taught me I need to get back to what I was doing before - build what inspires me, and build it while I'm still inspired! 

 

That confessional was a lot longer than I thought it would be, but thanks for raising the question. Food for thought! 

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I basically do the same thing but not at a loss of inspiration.

All my models are in one of the storage rooms and sit looking/staring at me when I get a new one or an aftermarket product comes in.  Which is weekly much to my SO chagrin.

 

I like to build Canadian or Lend Lease aircraft so get impatient actually and can overload myself.  Like the tail end of last years builds.

 

Ive used all these group builds to challenge myself and Britmodeller basically organizes what will be accomplished for the year; yet I always find a way to sneak a couple extra in.  If you aren’t already a part of the group builds perhaps use that to force your hand and push you to get those out of the box and onto the desk!

Edited by Beazer
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These exact ‘symptoms’ are the reason I have recently cleared 95% of my aircraft kits and taken a different direction. I have now built up a stash of mostly US Muscle cars in 1/25. 
I had aircraft kits I’d just bought on a whim thinking it would be cool to build one day and never did. Sell it, usually for less, rinse and repeat :(

I would also do the same with multiple kits of the same thing. Then I figured if I’m not building one, I ain’t building another 3. 

I also decided that if I’d already built an aircraft at some point previously, I just got rid. Too much time spent building Spitfires and B-17s, I don’t need to do it over and over again, build something different and equally interesting.
My only caveat is the Vulcan. I have a bond with it so to say with my late dad, one of the aircraft we both liked. My mum has had his name put under XH558 and one of our best trips out was to see 558 on the farewell tour at Woodford. He took some great pictures 

Vulcan

I’ve built the old one and I’ll build the new one, pre ordered and paid for already :)

 

Now, the reason I chose the cars is simple. One , they’re cool ;) but mainly it came down to aircraft painting and weathering, getting the right colours, decals etc etc etc. Builds would get bogged down, abandoned or not even attempted because I could already see a problem or bugbear further down the line. 
With the cars, there is a lot more freedom on colour choice, customisations, they’re just as detailed and don’t take up as much room finished.
I know this wouldn’t be everyone’s choice but I felt I’d built enough aircraft for a while I needed a change to actually build something. I may drift back to aircraft one day but I still have 3 to keep my hand in

 

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Hello chaps

 

Firstly an excellent thread.

 

It’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only one out there to buy three or four of a kit, build one and then let the others sit in the stash for a while and then sell them at a loss. Sabres being my recent whim. 

 

Ive now culled my stash down to about 15 kits but there’s always the ever present danger of interloper turning up on an impulse and going straight onto the desk!  I have a about three spitfires, a couple of 109’s and some starfighters amongst others because I know that I will always build another of these aircraft at some point due to the many different colour schemes that they wore. Plus I find them interesting aircraft. 

 

I also have a a few of the new Airfix kits, again because I find the particular subjects interesting, ie Meteors and Hunters.

 

As stated above group builds are an excellent way to work through the stash and add interest to otherwise forgotten subjects and add a dead line which at least in my case is a good thing. 

 

I also try to alternate between say props and jets, or go from a single engined fighter to a multi engined aircraft or something like that. 

 

The other problem as I said above is impulse buying. I have no answer to this!

 

Its interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts on this. 

 

James

 

 

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I will have to have a look at what Great Builds are underway. Great idea.

 

As the info on my side bar says 'Model kit collector, occasional builder', always on the lookout for next kit to put in the stash.

Have recently relegated a couple of kits to the 'to sell' pile because of recent releases being better than the older ones already in the stash. Some might call that doubling up, I call it upgrading.

As for multiples of certain kits, I too am finding that if I've built one then that will do. (Although I am building a collection of 1/72 spitfires of the major production Mk's. - 23 built 10 to go!)

 

Multiples in the stash - all 1/48

Mig-21's  (PF, Bis, PFM, R & UM)                     x 5

Fw190D's & Ta 152's                                        x 8

Spitfires (all Mk's)                                            x 16

Bf 109's (all Mk's)                                             x 11 (so many interesting colour schemes)

Me 262's  (all versions)                                    x 6

Yaks (3,7 & 9)                                                   x 11

 

Crikey I have a problem and this doesn't include 1/72 kits (25 Bf 109's of various Mk's)

 

As I'm starting to use more masks for kit markings, I've now got quite a few sheets of decals that can be moved to the 'to sell' pile also. Although they are great for profiles and detail info on the aircraft your modelling.

 

I'm glad I'm not alone

 

Cheers

Stay safe out there and stay at home.

 

 

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On 3/26/2020 at 6:04 AM, Red Dog said:

Multiples in the stash - all 1/48

Mig-21's  (PF, Bis, PFM, R & UM)                     x 5

Fw190D's & Ta 152's                                        x 8

Spitfires (all Mk's)                                            x 16

Bf 109's (all Mk's)                                             x 11 (so many interesting colour schemes)

Me 262's  (all versions)                                    x 6

Yaks (3,7 & 9)                                                   x 11

 

Crikey I have a problem and this doesn't include 1/72 kits (25 Bf 109's of various Mk's)

Well there will be Spitfire/Seafire group build starting in two three weeks. You could do one or two there. 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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Yes ,Red Dog , I`m in the same boat . I have the Mini Art Avro Rota on the board , painted , marked even the satin varnish sprayed on , just lost all interest

and it would only take about two hours to finish . The next on the shop floor is my fourth HK Meteor ( two are Fisher conversions ), which will be in

post war camo scheme . Hope that doesn`t grind to a halt , that was the most numerous jet ( and my favourite ) when I was in the mob in the early 50s .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Don .

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The mojo is a fickle thing.

 

What I have found that lifts me back out of a "slump", has been something that I wouldn't normally build (primarily 1:48th aircraft) which turns out to be Tamiya 1:12 scale motorcycles.

I've found these to be different enough to be relaxing and gets the "enjoyment" juices happening again! They are really nicely engineered and go together well, so the "bad mojo" is kept well away.

When I've built a bike I seem to have already re-started another aircraft kit as well. Strange that.

 

Hope you manage to get back into things and enjoy our hobby once again.

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Any onterdt in a certain time period?

Get a good book...

For the MiG-21s  I recommemd the Arab MiGs series...very inspiring!

And GBs do help finish something indeed!

 

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On 26/03/2020 at 04:04, Red Dog said:

I will have to have a look at what Great Builds are underway. Great idea.

 

As I'm starting to use more masks for kit markings, I've now got quite a few sheets of decals that can be moved to the 'to sell' pile also. Although they are great for profiles and detail info on the aircraft your modelling.


I am truly shocked that I rarely see on eBay aftermarket decal sets where only one set of markings has been used.  I could imagine there’s concern for the care taken and age but all things considered they should be fine in most cases.

I don’t know how many sets I have and I’ll end up using a particular scheme only and have no use for the others.

Maybe it’s a niche market to capitalize on...🧐

Think we could have a decal swap one day?  Postage isn’t too crazy.

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Beazer i like the idea of partially used decals sheet sell off/swap. It certainly wouldn't be for profit but swapping with a postage cost wouldn't be all that bad.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I build in spells. If the kit is a difficult one, I go at it in fits and starts; love to build but the particular build is frustrating, hence loss of inspiration. Other times, even with a good kit, and I have two I'm working on now, I just have to be in the mood to build. And even in the mood, I work at building for maybe 30 minutes and walk away. Come back a little while later and work some more. And after ceasing building for the day, it may be days before I come back to it. Building when not in the mood is, for me, a recipe for a kit disaster.

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I used to have inspiration problems, but don't any more. Getting into group builds has worked for me. I've found that it prompts me to think about the theme and really think about what I have in the stash and what fits the bill. As a result I've ended up building things I didn't expect to. Once I start something in a GB, the group build aspect of it usually seems to keep me going - I don't often start something in a GB and fail to finish on time, right now there's a Finnish Magister that probably isn't going to finish on time because other things in other GBs have grabbed my attention a bit more, but that's really unusual - and since I started joining group builds 3 or 4 years ago nearly everything I've built has been in a GB.

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I build aircraft and have done for nearly 50 years (gulp!). If the mojo slackens, I change tack and build something different. Model figures make a pleasant change, and various friends and colleagues have GoT figures or Warhammer figures keeping a beady eye on them as a consequence. Then I look at the stash, which is possibly SABLE by now, and find an aircraft that has rekindled my interest. Or, as has been the case during self-isolation, open a box of stashed kits and aspire to build them so the box is empty by the time I am able to roam freely again. It's about a kit a week so far, and I am not feeling any pain. A Sword Lightning F3 is on the workbench now, and next up will be a Hunter conversion (Revell + PJ Conversions) to replace the Xtrakit T7 abomination I wrestled into submission some years back.

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Fortunately I don't tend to really go through significant losses of inspiration or blocks to my modelling, though the reason may lead some to cast doubt on my sanity! 

Many years ago, around the early 90s, I developed an interest in Whiffing. A back story started to develop at the time that put down roots in my imagination and over the years it arranged itself into a semblance of order and feasibility. Alongside this imagined world I have continued to build 'real world' representations, mostly postwar UK military types. 

My whiff models all relate to one another

so I always have in my mind how each model I am building or about to build will fit into the back story. I have developed it sufficently to jump around from era to era, type to type and colour scheme to colour scheme. If I want a change I step back into the real world and resume building UK types.

Something else that helps is not spending much on kits or after market goodies. That way I don't feel intimidated by the risk of ruining a kit and wasting lots of my limited hobby budget. I maybe spend on average £20 a month at most, including paints and tools. Sometimes I go several months not spending anything, simply digging into my stash and adding the next element of my whiff story.

A bit crazy maybe, but my hobby stays interesting and feels fresh. Most importantly I have a lot of fun.

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  • 2 years later...

Thought I'd resurect this a bit. I've been trying to get some modelling done, have a comissioned heavy wrecker on the go which is long overdue. Part of my problem is I'm burnt out from being at work so much. I wash buses and I'm THE washbay now, well for the last three or so years. They are trying to find someone else but nobody wants to work a couple days, well nights a week. Some drivers are trained but they work all week. So to get a day off is rare and days off is non existant. I get my energy up just before I leave for work in the evening or on days when I have to do errands and such. I'm thinking I'll turn down comissioned models for awhile after this one is done. I have to many of my own I want to make and need to make a display area. I ran out of display room. I also get inspired to make something from reading about it etc. I buy the kit(s), parts, decals and they just sit there in a box. I put dates on the models I buy and some go back to 2012. I thought of a different job but full time doesn't exist anymore or everything is out of town and I don't have a car. Plus my job treats me pretty good.

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