The Fickleness of Hobby Interest

[Kaede45]

I haven’t really posted much here in a while & that’s because I’ve kinda been… I don’t wanna say “losing interest” from 40K, but rather “shifting interest” to other hobbies, namely D&D. It is a bit frustrating though because I still like 40K & still buy models & bits for it, but I still haven’t really completed any of my models still in my backlog & I’m finding it harder & harder to sit down & paint or write. The last thing I wrote was part 1 of my faction’s origin story & while I have plans to eventually write part 2, my interest, attention & motivation are all lacking.

 

I think part of the reason for this is a lack of others close to me being interested in the hobby as well. The other part is my ADHD that makes it difficult to focus on anything for a long time. This is one of the reasons I was so upset about my club not taking off as quickly as I wanted, though I do understand that I had unrealistic expectations there. On top of this, my time to dedicate to the hobby is quite limited as I have a job & live with my parents & have a kid to take care of. I also have no real clean area to work & no motivation to clean a space to work in (I hate how lazy I am) & when I do have time I usually choose to play video games.

 

I know there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution to this, but does anyone have any suggestions/advice? Thank you all for your time & as always, God bless.

[Doghouse]

I'd say take a break and try not to be too critical of yourself. life happens and I think everyone needs a break from time to time. Absolutely nothing wrong with taking a step back and trying other things and often can act as a palette cleanser. The more you force it the more resentful you can become of what is supposed to be an enjoyable past time.

 

One way to keep your foot in the door is read one of the novels, they're low commitment and you can dip in and out around life as it happens and come back to the hobby later. Remember the hobby is always going to be still here in some form or another so no rush. 

[Rusted Boltgun]

I went through something similar with my previous hobby. I got into RC cars around the time my son was born and amassed a reasonable collection over nearly ten years. But I never got into the racing or the off-roading side that would have opened up the hobby a lot more. A young family, work, etc meant I didn't have the time for hobby weekends away. In the end I had all the cars (and more) I 'needed' and they just sit there.

Then I got back into 40K and it has become my proper hobby - I get more out of it than I ever did with the cars even though I still have time limitations, etc.

 

Ultimately, the hobby has to serve you. If it isn't bringing you joy or exciting your brain, put it to one side. Don't let it guilt you - the hobby will still be there in the future if you want it. You only have a finite amount of 'spare' time so enjoy it as much as it can with whichever activity you choose - one doesn't necessarily rank higher than another (my wife disagrees - from her point of view, doing  literally nothing beats doing anything).

 

A side note as you didn't mention money in relation to he hobby. A friend of mine has cycled through a lot of hobbies over the years. When he gets to the end of his interest, he sells it all on - sometimes at a loss. From his perspective, it was fun while it lasted and so it was worth whatever he paid and he doesn't expect to get the money back.

 

Good luck! 

[W.A.Rorie]

I have bounced in and out of the hobby over the years. Sometimes you need the break. And it could be a variety of reasons. At the end of the day, the most important thing is you and what makes you happy. 

 

 

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

You need to set yourself realistic hobby goals and complete them. This means for me for example of finishing a unit or group of models in about one week. When this is done and I have no desire to progress with that faction switching to another one is an option when it means using another paint scheme. If I also don´t want to do that it means my mind needs a break from the hobby. So then I am doing nothing in that regard for a couple of days to recharge batteries. However there is one sin that you shall not commit:

 

Beginning to assemble/paint a model and not finishing it in a specific time frame. This is poison for the hobby.

 

 

In regards to ADHD and other mental traits:

This is a modern thing to put a label on a person. Usually this has no meaning and at the end of the day only one thing matters: Do you have the will of completing the task you have set for yourself or not? 

[DemonGSides]

Between the Gundam and League of Legends card games releasing this year I've had so little time for 40k, especially over the past three months.

 

Honestly, it's been kind of nice. It's good to have variety in life. 

[Scribe]

12 minutes ago, Deus_Ex_Machina said:

Do you have the will of completing the task you have set for yourself or not?

 

Agreed, and this applies to everything. 

[Evil Eye]

ADHD is a hell of a burden. Speaking as a lifelong sufferer of a case of it so severe that existing is tiring and confusing, I totally relate.

[Grotsmasha]

Black Library's Audio-books / Dramas, there's nothing like the roar of a chainsword and bark of a bolter to get one in the hobbying mood. 

BL's audios are fully voice and sound effect acted, not just "read through", they are really quite a treat, and can't recommend them enough.

[Tawnis]

I'm very much in the same boat, my interests wax and wane in various hobbies, 40k, MTG, Online gaming, board games, ect... I find that I tend to have more enjoyment when I go with the flow and follow what I'm interested in. 

 

I just made a rule for myself long ago to never sell another collection, because years later, my interest comes back around and I regret offloading all the stuff I had in the past. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Tawnis

[bloodhound23]

2 hours ago, Deus_Ex_Machina said:

You need to set yourself realistic hobby goals and complete them. This means for me for example of finishing a unit or group of models in about one week. When this is done and I have no desire to progress with that faction switching to another one is an option when it means using another paint scheme. If I also don´t want to do that it means my mind needs a break from the hobby. So then I am doing nothing in that regard for a couple of days to recharge batteries. However there is one sin that you shall not commit:

 

Beginning to assemble/paint a model and not finishing it in a specific time frame. This is poison for the hobby.

 

 

In regards to ADHD and other mental traits:

This is a modern thing to put a label on a person. Usually this has no meaning and at the end of the day only one thing matters: Do you have the will of completing the task you have set for yourself or not? 

 

I agree that at the end of the day it's about where I have the will power for it. However, I've had to understand on my end that I just don't complete things for their own sake, and that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed something fully. Other people I guess are more inclined to finish things for their own sake. 

I do agree that I want to want to complete things in a reasonable time frame though, and that's where the scheduling kicks in.