Necessary Evils for the Hobby

"So Tim, what have you been up to for the past few weeks?"

...

"No, really. What have you been doing in the hobby lately?"

...why don't we take another look at the picture above, and then we'll talk about the 'Necessary Evils' in our hobby.

Last Tuesday I showed everyone what was about a weeks worth of work reorganizing my boxes and bits for my Games Workshop addictio...er, hobby. It's been another week and a half, and I'm still not done. I'd say I've got another 2-3 days worth of work before every bit is accounted for and sorted. Needless to say, I've gotten zero progress done towards any project at all, much less the few figures I need to finish for the Feast of Blades Con I'm attending this year. Heck, I haven't even been able to play a full game of 6th Edition yet! So how do I deal with the misery of clipping sprue for three weeks straight?

I write a blog post!

Time to discuss a few "Necessary Evils" we all have to deal with in order to actually enjoy this hobby of ours.

Organization

Ah yes, my current pain in the arse. But why am I spending so much time on this project? Honestly finding not just what I need or want to use has been a pain in the past, but even more frustrating is finding the rogue piece or box that I had forgotten I had. Especially when I have gone and bought a replacement for something that I didn't know I had already! Hey, it may not have happened much, but it's happened. If you stay organized in not just your bits and kits, but your tools and paints, it gives you more time to actually enjoy building, painting and playing.

Education

Self-teaching will only get one so far. Eventually in order to improve your hobby skills, you've got to bite the bullet and ask someone to teach you more than you know. This can cause one to swallow one's pride a bit, but it's worth it in the end. At the least, be humble and ask someone more experienced than yourself for advice, see if they would be willing to take a look at some of what you've done and give you an honest critique. Just be open to it and it'll do wonders for you. You can also go a bit farther and take some classes or seminars at a convention, or your local shop if they offer them. The main reasons I list this as an "Evil" is because you have to have an open mind to learning, and devote the time to do so. It can be harder than you think for some.

Time Commitment

Piggy-backing off the need to devote the time to learning how to improve your skills is the topic of committing the necessary time to the hobby in the first place. Look, I've got awhile, a 4 year old son, a full time job and freelance work. Time isn't exactly in abundance for me, so I understand that committing the proper time to get anywhere in the hobby can be more than a chore. None-the-less, devote the time we must. If you find yourself not ale to just fit it in when you can, you may need to actually schedule specific blocks of time to work on your projects. Somehow, you need to find a way to devote the time needed to get anywhere in this past time of ours.

I've only briefly touched on three of the Necessary Evils of our hobby...mostly just due to my own current and personal frustration, but also to prove a tried and true point. If it was easy, it wouldn't be worth doing. My dad used to tell me that growing up, and I find it funny I can apply it even to my past time.

What are some of the Necessary Evils you've run across I the hobby?

- Tim