How to make a fresh start ?

[SolarBur]

Hi all. 

This is just me looking for some opinions and ideas, but it could also be helpful to those that have a similar problem or issue. So any advice would be pretty helpful. 

So I've come to the point now where the hobby for me just doesn't excite me or interest me that much. Painting isn't something i've really done a lot of in the past... about 15 years i've been into the hobby. And i've went through armies more times than i can count, trying to look for the army for me. At this point anything i have bought in recent months gets quickly built (well quickly for me) for a quick game at the local store, though the last time i played was about the end of Janurary. My friend suggests that i sell up on most of what i own, keeping a few bits behind for more sentimental value, and just do away with the hobby for about a year or so, coming back to it after all that time and seeing how I feel about it. 

Has anyone else gone through similar problems before ? And if you did manage to break out of it, what was the turning point that made you do that ?

Despite the hobby's ups and downs, whether we deem some armies to be under powered or over powered, I still enjoy some of the fluff aspect of it. But i'm wondering if this is finally the time that i just decide to call it quits and move on ^^;  

[BarrowLord]

I felt similar in regards to 40K a few years ago.  I ended up playing other games after the transition from 5th to 6th left me feeling cold (in addition to burnout from playing since 3rd Edition).  Meeting new communities and broadening my horizons was a lot of fun.  It gave me perspective.

When I came back last year it was with fresh eyes.  I could see the problems the game had, sure, but I could also see and get excited about the strong points the system and force selections offered too.  What had seemed to be a dull monochrome became a swirling maelstrom of color.

My suggestion is for you to try the same.  Step back, keep your favorite army or two, and sell some of the dead weight you never use.  When the burnout fades and it is time to come back you'll know.

[Sharkbelly]

Unloading stuff that I would never really get around to helped for me. Also, switching to a different project like terrain for a while may help too.

[lare2]

I quit gaming for something like 15 years at one point. People change. You might just need a complete break - there's no harm in that. 

[Chris Tomlin]

Hey @SolarBur,

I totally get where you are coming from. I've actually taken two breaks from the hobby, one in my teens and another in my early twenties. Both lasted for around a couple of years and I'd say were helpful in allowing me to come back refreshed and passionate about the hobby again. There's no point forcing yourself to continue with something that is meant to be a fun pastime.

Right now I'm re-evaluating my place in the hobby and what I want from it.

[BunkhouseBuster]

I've been into tabletop gaming and miniature wargaming for 8 years now, and in that time I've taken a few breaks.  They haven't lasted longer than a few months, but they are usually brought about by a few different things that come up in life:

• Kids.  They eat into your time and hobby budget like you can't believe.   And then they decide they want you to make a big skeleton army for them...
• Change in circumstance.  I was able to get much more painting and playing done when I was in college, single, and did not have any expenses.  Nowadays, I have to find the time I can get.
• Hobby burnout.  Sometimes I just got tired of painting and assembling miniatures, and I took a break.  Read some books, play some PC games, work on the house some, or other things can help clear your mind.
• Toxic players.  One of the biggest things to cause me to take breaks from hobbies and interests is the quality of other people involved.  I quit 40K tournaments, Warmachine/Hordes, and other nerdy activities because of some people and their attitudes towards gaming.

A hobby is suppose to be fun.  When it stops being fun, take a break from it.  Maybe you can try to figure out what made it not so fun and figure out how to fix it?  Or maybe you just need to exercise a different part of your brain with different activities.  But in any case, keep the hobby fun, and don't let it become a chore.

[RuneBrush]

I think we all go through loss of motivation/enthusiasm/mojo with hobbies over the years, I know I have with the miniatures thing, LARP, computer games etc.  Often a break will help to either revitalise things, or confirm that you've come to the end of a chapter on that particular hobby.  I'd suggest not selling anything, but pack your models away.  That way if you do wake up one day, you're not faced with a big investment of money and time to kick start things again - there's nothing more frustrating then chatting to a friend, getting pumped to roll some dice and then realising that you've nothing to game with.

If you're still enthused by the background then perhaps just keep up to date with the various bits and bobs going on, pickup the odd battletome, White Dwarf, Black Library book, keep an eye on the community site.  Just rein in any model purchases - you'll know when something comes out that is what you've been looking for.

I've been doing the hobby long enough now that I recognise when I'm lacking enthusiasm and know that I've a maximum of 6 months attention span to one project.  If I realise that in the course of a single day hobbying, I've achieved next to nothing, I know that I'm either under the weather or the thing I'm working on just doesn't catch my imagination, so need to move onto something else or set myself a target that I can start the next thing when I've finished the current item off.  Everybody is different though.