How do you regain your modelling mojo?

[Guest]

Not done anything in anger since last September I think, had a long and sometimes frustrating liaison with a Fujimi Williams FW16 last summer and while pleased with the results was bloomin' glad to finish it. Once finished I almost immediately started on an Eduard Lavochkin almost out of relief to do something else. Fiddled around with sorting out PE bits and bobs in the cockpit but then just stopped and haven't felt the urge to start again since.

Have I lost my modelling mojo? How do I regain it? Start a new model?? Force myself to finish the Lavochkin? (Haven't even joined the two halves together yet, literally only started it really). Or just wait for it to come back of its own accord?

This is clearly not a life and death thing here but I was very much enjoying my modelling after returning to it after all these years and hope it wasn't just a flash in the pan :-(

Any words of wisdom?? :-)

[AlanG]

I hit the wall occasionally. I normally look thourgh all the forums and also have other hobbies to take my mind off it. Then the bug comes back and i start all over again

[Guest]

because of the internet i trawl at the moment to find something which really inspires me,this sopwith i`m doing,i found out a persone in ww1 flew this plane with colours i`m doing,makes for interesting building

mobear

[Guest]

I didn't do any modelling for over a year, just lost interest in it. Then I was unpacking after a move, found a half-built kit & got cracking again!

[Ian M]

I started again after I went to a model shop to buy a new radio control for a bait boat. The rest is history...

Ian M

[HAWKERHUNTER]

i wonder if sometimes you can put so much into a build that it mentally takes it out of you particularly when things dont go right. Building something to put on the forum I imagine only adds to the pressure. I wonder if its best to have a couple of builds on the go at the same time. That way if you get fed up with one build, rather than soldier on and make a mess of it you can put it down and go onto the other model, returning to the first one when the pressure has gone down. i wouldnt worry about it Rob, just have look at some new kits and see if anything takes your fancy, if not take another look in a months time or so. Maybe you just need a rest from it to recharge your batteries

[Guest]

Cheers guys - helpful words. Like I say, far from a life and death matter but feels like it when Mrs M is enquiring whether I'm ever going to use the apparently vast accumulation of modelling "things" again...

[Guest]

Same for me, Rob. I dont know what a mojo is but I get the gist of it. I have an unfinished Eduard Me110C that I keep looking at and putting away again. I found it to be a terrible fit and just didnt want to finish it. I have reverted to doing simple 72nd scale aircraft, a back to basics if you like. It has helped me because I can see better results which encourages me to think about the 110 again. It doesnt even look as bad as I thought now. As a result, I know I'll make a decent job of it when I eventually decide to get my head down and finish it. I found doing another kit was better than saying 'Sod it' and closing the cupboard door for a long time.

Keith

[Guest]

Just let it come by itself, time will sort it out

If you have a favourite aspect of modelling, Building? Painting? Weathering? You could just concentrate on that for now if you want to help it along but really you will drift back into it when the time is right

[Guest]

I usually switch up subject matter ,helps me from getting in a rut

[aaron]

Retail therapy helps model mojo like nobodys business. Buy a nice new kit or some new weathering gear or some different paint.

Watching war docos and trolling the net for blogs is another way i like to wet my modelling appetite.

Building a small vignette also help me stay satisfied, something simple over a weekend.

I am really lucky in a way that im driven to make a model thats better than my last one using what ive learnt from mistakes and crits and comment from past builds.

I hope you find the hunger for plastic soon, Maybe a break can be a good thing but good luck in your poly adventures mate

[Gern]

Hi Rob. I reckon the most important thing you can do is not to worry over it! Hobbies are meant to be for relaxation - not something to beat yourself up over 'cos it's not going right. If you don't fancy modelling, don't do any. If your mojo comes back next week, fine. If it's next year that's also fine. How many times have you read about guys coming back to modelling after 10, 20 or even 30 years!

The only thing I'd suggest is not to sell your stuff! If you're not working with it at the moment, pack it away somewhere safe and it'll still be there when you want it.

Gern

[colin m]

Lots of good advice there Rob, maybe ypu just need a quick hit, something small, but good quality which you can get a good result quite quickly. For me it would be a 1:72 Tamiya 'what ever' And don't do a WIP, just build it for yourself.

Colin M..

[Guest]

I think that the "do a quick 1/72 hit" route is the one I'll go down in the end to be honest Colin. I think the most "fun" I've had so far has been a 1/72 Academy Spitfire, just because it went together so well and so quickly (relatively speaking) and I was pleased with the results. Question is; which 1/72 kit though! Ahhh, decisions decisions :-)

[Guest]

The key to all this is doing it for fun, pleasure and relaxation. The end result will be very satisfying if that's your approach. I find a sense of disappointment (even sadness) as I come to completion of a build, obviously it's the build and the problem solving that becomes the fun element. Then the fun kicks in again as I plan the next build. I've come back to modelling after a gap of 40 years and enjoying anew.