Just a simple question.....
What would you do if there was no internet, clubs, or shows to show your work? Would you still be motivated enough to do your best?.......I wonder how many of us started out that way.

Wayne

Yes I would, I think. My motivation comes from inside. Shows have been around a long time and initially did add to motivation (the rush of competition), but the futility of hobby prizes soon tempered this back to normal.
Shows help me to finish things, having a deadline.
Shows, internet mainly contribute to sharing and learning and have greatly helped my learning curve.
But if they would not exist, I’d probably happily do my own thing!

Cheers

Adrian

A good question, Wayne. Thing is, comparison is the thief of joy - it really is.

I'd say to anybody, "Did you enjoy making it?" "Are you happy with the end result?" Nothing else matters, as this is generally a hobby for most.

Great question. I started as kid because I loved looking at figures and models. Since there were limited opportunities to see them, I made my own. I chased awards for a while but my real motivation is still just to have something nice to look at in the display case. Getting better at anything is just a satisfying experience in and of itself.

Like Pierre I too have been painting figures for fifty-odd years. I've never really felt the need
to show my stuff, being happily content to be my own critic. Without doubt though forums
like this have great value as a showcase for manufacturers, and indeed for painters whose
competitiveness is more developed than mine. Show it off if you want to...keep it to yourself
if you don't...right? But remember that figure painters the world over tend to think all their
geese are swans.......even when those 'swans' are sometimes more like 'turkeys'.

Mike

I came into the Hobby via Wargaming after seeing Peter Gilder's Battle of Waterloo ! At the same show were Ray Lamb's Taisho,(painting of the model) and some Historex Figures. The pic shows Pete and just a small corner of his Diorama taken in 1973. Ray

Good thread Wayne

I have always been associated with clubs since my first forays into model making back in the early 1960s. I found the camaraderie and sensible critique invaluable during my early years in the hobby. Later I got into gong-hunting mode, but it didn't take me long to realize that I was painting for reasons other than enjoyment. The result was a long lay-off in the early 2000s. I came back to it when I was ready to paint for my own enjoyment and satisfaction. I post stuff on here as new posts are what keeps this platform thriving and I think it worthwhile to support it in exchange for the support it offers me. I rejoined IPMS and BMSS for similar reasons, and to keep in touch with old friends, but were I back to being a "lone modeller", yes, I'd keep doing it - I love it, simple as that!

Phil