What do you want from this Hobby?
In a previous post, I pondered on what the hobby that we are either in or on the periphery of actually consists of. I attempted to break it down into 6 broad steps or categories, but it’s worth acknowledging that nothing really fits neatly into a single box and that several sit across multiple boxes. Different people will be looking to get different things from the hobby, and as such will likely focus their efforts in different places, so if you are looking to get more out of your hobby time, perhaps thinking about getting into the hobby or just interested in what your friends are spending so much time on and arrive with weird splotches of paint on their hand, then there are 4 possible ways to think about it.
It’s been a rough couple of years. Maybe you are reading this from far into the future, I kind of hope that you are because that means a couple of things have worked out for the best, but if not then you are likely very aware of the hardships and challenges faced by anyone trying to live a normal life from 2020 onwards. Life is stressful, and thinking about the future can be scary and overwhelming, so having the ability to switch off for a period of time and just focus on what’s in front of you is a big draw for people. For some that might be sitting in a quiet hobby space, or perhaps with background music or TV and focusing on the model, only on the model, entering an almost trance like state where the world doesn’t exist. For others it may be about control, about being able to have a small little oasis of something that is entirely within your realm of control. Setting up a game with someone may just be the permission you need to enjoy some time away from whatever task or drain on your energy that is filling your thoughts. Those two, three, five hours that you spend throwing dice, focusing on the models in front of you and the people around the table, may just be the only mental break you get away from the thing that has been all encompassing.
That social interaction can be another huge driver as to why this hobby is so great. There are many posts, bits of research, common misconceptions and general statements that posture we are living more and more solitary lives. We are not leaving the house, everything is delivered and we would rather deal with a robot on the internet than phone someone up to book an appointment. All of this can lead to potentially lonely lives, especially in a work from home / work remote world where if you live alone it could be days between physically interacting with another human. We are by our very nature naturally social creatures, in-built to want to share and enjoy time with others, and mentally not doing that can be tough - there have often been times where, without the hobby, social interactions could be days or even weeks, apart. I am not professing to be an expert on this, and if you are suffering from the effects of depression, loneliness or mental anxiety I seriously recommend seeking professional help, there is no shame in that. The forced physical nature of having to meet someone to play, of making a commitment that you will keep and spending hours chatting, engaging, listening and hopefully laughing is mentally healthy for a lot of people. “My Hobbying is my therapy” is a phrase you may have heard, it may be one you have used, and it makes complete sense, now more than ever.
Speaking of human nature, I have a fundamental belief that humans have an innate need to create. Creation and creative outlet can be expressed in many forms, whether that be physical creation of art or manufacture, intellectual creation in the form of words, of poetry and story, or more and more digital creation, such as art, blog posts and even beautiful code with creative problem solving. If we cannot get that creative fulfilment from our professional lives then I believe we seek it through our hobbying, and on reflection there is a lot of potential for creative outlets. The models we create and use are an artistic expression of who we are, in the models and systems we choose to engage with and the worlds they are a part of. In the color choices we decide to paint them and the techniques used, in the lists we build and the character story choices we make as we assemble armies and squads to fight our battles, and in the way we display them and who we show them off to.
For some, that creative investment can be intimidating. The thought of getting it wrong, of making the wrong decision on a color scheme, of making a mistake when applying paint, of bringing the wrong models to the wrong table. My advice - there is no wrong way when it comes to your decisions and your actions. I believe the key to getting joy with the creative process is making sure what you are doing is for the right reasons. If you are doing it to have fun or relax or escape from the world, and by painting or playing in the way you want to achieves that, then you are doing it RIGHT! As long as you are having fun with your hobby, then you are doing it right. There are 2 comments to make on top of this though. Firstly, whilst there is no wrong, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a better way out there. If you really want a specific look or style from a paint job, it is completely ok to say there is a better way to achieve that look than you currently use, and trying to learn that new technique is a perfectly valid recommendation or process for you to think of. Does that mean your current process is wrong - definitely not! It just means there may be a new or better way out there. The second comment or caveat is to make sure if you are gaming or hobbying with someone else that you are both in agreement as to what you want to have fun doing. Sounds like an obvious thing to say, but what does that actually mean?
With a lot of hobbies or elements within the hobby, it is possible to approach them in a couple of different ways. Let’s take miniature wargaming as an example - battles between 2 or more people can sit on a spectrum between completely narrative to full tilt competitive battle plans. Narrative battles are part of a story and the battle is part of a story telling exercise, playing out how two armies would come to the site in front of you and fight it out. The models and characters in this army are there because you think they are cool, or they fit the theme of your army, not because they are the most powerful or “best” thing to take. The opposite end of this spectrum is the competitive list gaming, where players study the rules and efficiency of the lists, working out how to get the most firepower or toughness within their budget, maximizing everything they can within the rules and exploring the boundaries of the most powerful. There is no logical reason why this group would be together, but they are mathematically the best thing that I can select. Are either of these the right or wrong way to play the game and enjoy the hobby - definitely not. The key to enjoyment for both is to make sure that all players go in knowing what to expect. Turning up with misaligned expectations, where the narrative player gets blown away by the hyper optimized list and the efficient player has no challenge in-front of them, will lead to both sides walking away without a smile on their faces. Perhaps this topic deserves a whole discussion just on its own.
If you get that balance right though, with both players aligned on what they want, the social interaction and gaming time is a massive draw. Spending time with people who love the hobby as much as you do, laughing, joking, rolling dice and enjoying a collaborative experience together can be one of the most amazing experiences you can have. The joy as you both cheer or commiserate roles, laugh over potential outcomes, strategize and discuss what could have been and what will be, and arranging to meet up again next time and then spend the time in between thinking and pondering on strategy, story and tactics can be immense. There are very few people lucky enough to be able to have the time and local scene that can support such regular, consistent and engaging play, but if you find it treasure it and enjoy it for as long as you can.
So the hobby can be a mental break for some people, a requirement for a social interaction to others or just a creative outlet for those that need it, but so can a lot of hobbies so what sets this hobby apart from others. For me, there are 2 main differences when compared to other time sinks that others enjoy. The first is the sheer vastness of the potential hobby space - there are so many different aspects, from the initial creation of models and characters, to the painting and creative expression through to the hundreds if not thousands of ways you can then use them, and as a hobbyist that vastness can be daunting but it can also be liberating. If you want to play scaled lizards with guns and plasma shields raiding an ancient wizards city for magical artefacts, there will be a system for you. If you want to control a fleet of ships that are sailing around the waters of a mystical land, avoiding giant sea creatures and marauding goblin pirates, there is a system for you. If you want to play an alternative historical battle where dragons were part of World War 2 and to fight them you release swarms of carrier pigeons holding small daggers, there will be a system for you. OK… maybe not that last one. If it does exist, let me know, and if it doesn’t then I want 10% of any profits you make…
Finally, and something I will be exploring in another pondering at some point in time, is the value of having an analogue hobby in an ever digitalizing world. In a world filled with emails, notifications, instant messaging, video gaming, zoom calls, streaming and YouTube (which are all very useful and important in their own way, don’t get me wrong) the concept of having a hobby that I could legitimately engage in for hours and hours on end without the need to consult a screen or look at a phone is huge. For health reasons both legitimate and placebo, sitting and staring at a screen for multiple hours all day and then doing the same thing in the evening during relaxing and hobbying is not a good thing for our eyes or our brains. I won’t spend too much time here for fear of stepping on future me’s toes, but I don’t think this element can be under estimated.
Where do you find enjoyment in this hobby, or where do you wish you could find more? I have tried to classify it into 4 main areas (Mental wellbeing, Social interaction, Creative outlet & Analogue hobbying) but have I missed any? Are there things you enjoy that I have not captured above? Let me know down below, and keep enjoying the hobby!
