Space Din-O-Pinions: Making Sure to Live Your Life and Hobby Too

Welcome to Space Din-O-pinions where I ramble about my incoherent thoughts in the wargame hobby. After a bit of a break from posting I'm back with my thoughts on living life outside of the hobby and striking a balance to have a happier, healthier life. 

In life we often find ourselves obsessing over particular parts of our lives, be it work, hobbies, or relationships. All of these are necessary, but obviously in moderation. After fiddling for weeks over a Stormcast Stardrake, I needed a breather from painting. I had also had a rather busy few months at work, so it was time for a vacation. My wife and I traveled a ways to beautiful Yosemite, where I worked other of our shared hobbies like camping and hiking. Plus it was nice just to get away from it all. 

Furthering this thought, sometimes I see folks online talk about hobby burnout, which is absolutely real. Recommendations often include switching to different projects or trying out new techniques or building instead of painting etc. But what I don't often see is the suggestion to just drop the hobby entirely for a bit (not quitting) and doing something else you love. It lets you completely detach from the hobby and come back feeling refreshed when you do. Unless it's your job it's not like you're obligated to do it.

I would also recommend switching to something active. I sit all day for work, then I come home to sit to paint. All that sitting isn't good for you. Go for a walk or go dancing or whatever makes you happy. Now you're exercising your body and your brain, which is always a good thing. 

Plus, you never know where inspiration for your hobby can hit. I learned where the lichen we use for foliage comes from: it was covering a lot of the trees I saw on our hikes. The textures and colorations of the rocks all around gives me ideas for how to paint rocks to look more interesting and not just a bland grey. 

Anyways, food for thought as I come back into the swing of things. Expect to see more painting soon, and the annual Spooktober is just around the corner so look forward to that! Interestingly enough, this is also my 100th post! 

-The Space Dinosaur