"Finished, not perfect." Funnily enough, the change of scenery in the thumbnail is actually what made me click on the video. It was a nice visual change of pace, honestly.
I started using this philosophy at the start of the UK's first Covid lockdown. 1.) I painted more in 1 year than I had my entire hobby journey in 20 years. 2.) My painting has improved so much faster - simply through quantity of painting - because I was actually getting things done. 3.) It's completely removed my painting anxiety about models not looking good, because I know that even a speed painted model still teaches brush control and all that.
3:17 I previously was a MH/BH clinician and this was something I always told clients. "A little bit of anxiety means that this matters to you - that's good!"
The thing about miniatures is that "done" isn't necessarily the end. I make a thing out of, after having played a game, to pick a unit that was involved in something spectacular to bring them back under the brush. Maybe they've shown they're worthy of a highlight. Maybe they were blown away? That's an excuse for adding some battle damage. Having the assurance that a model might get more attention later is a psychological trick that allows me to say: "Done enough! Get on the table."
The "done is better than perfect" mentality has honestly been one of the most freeing life philosophies I have adopted in the last couple of years. I honestly think I do better work now than when I was overly obsessed with doing/being my best and stressing over any (potential) minor mistake. Another really important caveat in all this to me was that no one says you can't come back and change it later, if you want to. Glad that was mentioned in the video.
Getting “reps” in (painting repetition, like workout repetition) in miniature painting helps you more than stopping because it’s not “good enough” - no way to get good enough without reps. Thanks for watching!
Beyond anything else "Its good enough" has been a mental battle for me for all my life. I was raised to deliver "Perfect or dont bother" which always got in the way of me doing anything, caused total "Fear of failure" paralysis. Now in my 50s, I'm better, but not there yet. Last year I set myself a challenging painting goal, 1 human size model a day average. I could only achieve that by accepting "Done is enough" and speed painting everything. TBH, some of the models are not great, but most of them are, and they all have paint on which is better then sitting un used in a box. I still fight with my mental demons, but accepting that my best in the time I have is good enough has been a game changer in my road to recovery.
I read this and a similar age. i have some perfect not good enough projects and they take ages to get done. However, I've begun setting play goals, I am using this unit on the table on this day. I am now playing games rather than procrastinating over models and not playing games. My mental health has improved. It's great!!
@@sbs3000 acknowledge even the smallest win. Celebrate it even. Its so easy to not "see" incremental progress, but its there, and valuable! Keep going, the fight is worth it!
As someone who gets anxiety from a lot of stuff this is something I needed to hear thank you Uncle Adam :) Have a safe flight to and from Denmark can't wait to hear about it :)
I felt that sigh at 8:15 all the way over in Chicago I just finished a mini diorama scene for a friends bday and I’d already told them it’d be after their birthday before they would get it. I finally called it good enough yesterday and gave it to them. In the end I was proud of what I did even though I knew I could keep it for longer and keep tweaking and painting details.
I'll admit that I prefer the videos where you arent walking around, but i also prefer this video to no video. It's a good message, and its both a good delivery of the message and a good execution if the principle. Thanksnfkr eberything you do.
I've not played Tabletop games since the original Necromunda in the early to mid 90's but thoroughly enjoy watching your videos and your sunny disposition. It's like a little trip down memory lane for me each week. Keep up the good work and all the best! Ash - Manchester UK
I’m so glad that you’ll give yourself some kindness and patience, and encourage it in others! There is almost nothing that we do in a hobby that can’t be done again, or fixed, or repaired, or improved. The experience is worthwhile, and you’re worth the time it takes to live that experience.
I used to be a commission painter and painted to what I consider a very high level. I took some time away from the hobby and on my return the burn out I'd experienced with painting really took it's toll on me and how I painted. After some time thinking about it and some introspection I've just been knocking stuff out without such a high level of detail, literally slapping on paint willy nilly. The satisfaction I now get from completing units and calling them "done" far outweighs my anxiety and stress of sitting on one mini for days. There's a level of diminishing returns in this hobby, I could spend weeks longer painting single units and they'll only end up being 10-20% "better" in my eyes. At the end of the day they get pushed around a table, "done" is good enough for all of us and better for your mental state. Safe journey to Denmark ✌🏻
The quality of this video is great, you may not have your fancy setup with the windows and lights, but I appreciate the candid/authentic, "hey lets have a one on one conversation" vibe to it.
"This facility has gone 0 days without rolling 1s - Good job" - i love that. I might steal it. And the video was great, even if a little different. It's cool to see behind behind the scenes sometimes and the message was the most important thing. Good Job 😆
Clearing out our hobby room has made me realise I flit from one thing to the other too often. I have a ton of stuff still boxed, built and not yet primed or painted, and a stack of stuff painted but not based. My wife has stuff half painted and sat there for months in a pile, a few models were around £100 as well, just waiting to be finished. If I was like this in the rest of my life it would be a nightmare! I’m getting better at building and painting my newer stuff right away, but now I’m on big resin Forgeworld kits that take me about 2 months to fully build and paint, and I have zero intention of having them sat unfinished. The biggest help for me was to just keep things simple, and stop trying to be too clever in my painting, coz I would have a really great looking model, and then I would still keep going and inevitably just mess something up and get really upset with myself. Learning when to quit whilst I’m ahead and put my brush down helped a lot.
Your sincerity and thoughtfulness is the best part about your videos and you as a member of our community. Everything else is secondary, so take some solace in that. As well...thank you for the message, I think I really needed to hear that today.
One of the best quotes I remember from an old White Dwarf article (something like 'Painting for the Regualr Joe') was the writer talking about not painting the pupils on his regiment of Dark Elf cosairs and he said something along the lines of 'they just need to look good from 3 feet away'. It's been a guiding philosophy for my Imperial Gaurd army.
This applies for many things in life, good enough most of the time is better then perfect. Get it done is always an achievement that will teach you something. Wise words!
My current anxiety is having too many projects on the go and they are all stacked round my painting station staring at me. Need a tidy up and just get one thing out and focus on it.
What's worse for me, is my expectations are higher, my knowledge is higher but my motor skills and eyesight are deteriorating. So every day of procrastination is another day I'm closer to getting a worse result. I'm now working to a mantra of "this day, this game, this scenario" and wanting the best I can do in that timeframe rather than constantly pushing the timeline out trying for perfection. I'm modelling for 5 Parsecs, 5 leagues and 7TV. I played more games in March than I did in H2 2023. And in April I might double it again, have 20 models needing varnishing and then a quick basing to get more 5 Parsecs and 7TV played. And the fun of playing makes the scourge of painting worthwhile. Great video and what sound quality issues? I can't hear any but also see above (failing faculties 🤣)
I just started painting this year. One of the things I learned is that I'll never achieve "perfection". At least not something that would be "perfect" enough to win an award of any kind. But what I also quickly learned, is to be happy with what I'm able to create and learn when a model is done. I've completed nearly 2 dozen models and I've always been happy to complete one. I can look at everyone one and see a flaw, or something I could do different/better, or something I could add. But being able to put it on the shelf and say it's complete was more satisfying than doing any of that. Great video.
For what it's worth, the camera and mic were great. I run into this anxiety every time I near "the end" of a project. I am never going to get to Golden Demon level; my eyesight won't allow it. BUT my brain still gets into a cycle of not being 100% satisfied with my work on a project. I always have to force myself to just take a step back, re-assess my progress, and see if I can be happy with the project in this moment. What is "done" I think differs from project to project. In the end, my work won't win awards, so it just has to look good on a table. Hopefully my work sparks appreciation in others, but ultimately it's for me. Thank you for the video! Good topic. I'm sure we all experience this on some level.
I’m a ‘quantity over quality’ painter. The most important thing for me is to get a painted army on to a table with great terrain and then play the game. Individually my figures are OK, but that’s not what I’m going for it’s when they’re placed within the scene of the game that I think they pop; that and being viewed from 3 feet away😂 As Stalin said; quantity has a quality all of its own. And as I said to myself last Sunday; 6 foote & 7 cavalry painted epic Pike & Shotte regiments is good enough for refighting Cheriton Down this week and it was. I’d like to think that I’ll go back and give the horses ‘Stars & Socks’ and add a dab of silver to the pike tops, but…..
This video does help, and I have been working to reframe my mental approach in multiple ways for a couple years now. I suffer from analysis paralysis and I can clearly see what I want to achieve in my head and far as paint jobs, and I think my biggest hang up is the thought that I won’t be able to achieve the quality paint job that I want. I just need to start painting, and accept it as it comes. Also, “The price of perfection is prohibitive” is going to be my new motto. I might even make a sign to hang over my hobby table. Love you videos and I think this format was great because it reminds people like me that even our hobby role models don’t have a perfect situation and lighting and you show it can still be done no matter what.
Understanding this, not just for mini painting but for art in general has been *such* a game changer! I feel like you learn so much more doing *more* of an art than you do trying to perfect each individual thing.
Yes, you are right, I will now try to get it done. I cared too much of how to paint my minis that I still (one year later) haven't finished my Astra Militarum army, although I have already everything at home. The video and audio quality was very good in this video, just to let you know ;) Thanks for your continuous effort!
This video was awesome. Frankly, the thing that has always drawn me to your channels is the reality of what you speak. That the background for the video mimics that reality is just wonderful. It makes it feel even more, homey. I've always felt like i was joining you in your painting room for a little chat while working on slaying the gray. I think that if you didn't decorate the studio and just let it have that "here we are" feel, it would be fine. Like you just mentioned about our painting experience, we are our own worst enemy to moving forward. Physician, heal thyself, LOL. We fans are here for you, not the quality of your video room. It's your sage advice from years of experience that keeps us coming back, flaws and all. Keep 'em coming Uncle Atom.
I have been looking at my Legion magnaguards sitting in my table for a week, unable to decide on how to tackle them, painting wise. This video pushed me to grab them and start slapping some contrasts on them. They will be finished in an hour. Thanks uncle!
Excellent topic! I was in the exact boat described: having a character model that was not coming out as I thought it was and timing to paint was out schedule causing stress. Eventually I had to let some details slide and letting even one stripe of paint be “good enough”. The model got done but took longer than I wanted, yet could have been worse if I pushed myself and would have been a negative experience.
This is absolutely true for me. I try to live by the “Good Enough” method. You worked on the miniature, and things look good enough. Let the miniature be done.
This was an excellent endcap to a week long project to paint and base an army to be ready for Saturday's tournament. I spent a ton of time building up a "pile of potential", something I really wanted to avoid, but was doing because I wanted every model to be perfectly highlighted and detailed, and as such was just not painting anything. However this week I finally made myself break that streak, I painted a few characters and units to my standard, and then I allowed the rest to just be battle ready. The amount of models I took from unassembled to painted has greatly decreased my painting stress and was actually a lot of fun to go through and paint. Videos like this make me feel better about those choices and understand that I'm not settling for less, I'm actually getting to enjoy my hobby instead. Keep up the good work man, always happy to see your vids!
I'm there with you. You will ALWAYS find something else to tweak, update, add, replace with your project whether writing, painting, minis, whatever. At some point you have to call it done, otherwise you never will be. Sometimes it's hard, especially when something doesn't quite turn out the way you wanted/hoped/expected - but learn from it and improve on the next projects. Cheers.
Thank you for taking time to do this video even though your schedule is so busy!!! 👍👍There are gorgeous figures in the attic I have not painted......just because I am concerned I will not do a good paint job on them and not do them justice. Also presenting our work on TH-cam opens up the possibility of others being critical, even though you have tried do a nice job of a model or figure. Thank you for this Atom, it is quite often because we care so much that blocks our progress, well done for pointing this out, it helps.👏👏👍👍😉
Most excellent video, not only do you make a good point specific to the topic, but this needs to be bookmarked under the "a little about me" category as well. It's like an updated intro to Tabletop Minions kind of thing. Loved it!
Honestly this is exactly what I needed to hear today. I just finished building and kitbashing my Sludge army and am about to start painting them tonight. I tend to get caught up in the details of minis so painting a larger army was starting to give me anxiety. I think I’m just gonna give them all a basecoat and enamel wash and then worry about highlights later so that I can get them on the table next week. Thanks as always for your candor and wisdom and for helping keep us motivated in the hobby. (The Video was great btw)
Actually, I gravitate to the less 'professional' videos on TH-cam, especially for hobby stuff. The really slick productions often come off as commercials, whereas the scrappy little channels where people are doing stuff out of pure joy appeal to me much more... they're more authentic. This channel is pretty slick, which often puts me off a bit. It's similar with mini-painting as well, because the really high end stuff will keep me from trying sometimes... so it's more encouraging to see the 'good enough' paint jobs that I feel I can actually get done.
Here for the wisdom over the presentation, though I've no complaints on the audio quality. And it's much-needed wisdom, thank you. I keep telling myself the same thing but spent 20+ minutes yesterday stressing about whether a conversion's outstretched hand needed straighter fingers... An external voice is sometimes exactly what's required. Hope you've had a blast among the Danes, looking forward to hearing about the trip.
Bravo for achieving your goal of getting a video out this week! Hope your trip is safe and awesome. I second the sentiment already said by others - I like the visual change of pace with you standing and walking around.
Great little video & thanks! Hopefully the studio is getting fixed up looking great soon. Agreed completely on this & how it's better to have stuff at a workable put it in a game carrying case over having stuff sitting eternally at a painting desk. It's way too easy to get caught up in the hobby & work on the same mini for weeks. I learned from a college art project on the stupidity of me trying to make it perfect when it was using up a lot of time making sure everything looked right & that the parts nobody was going to notice looked good. If you don't tell people about the small flaws in the paint job, they tend to just see (and hopefully tell you) about the awesome parts that caught their attention. Having that emotional joy of other people seeing your stuff (even if it's not perfect) is better than it sitting on the hobby desk plus you get to do something new now that the other thing is now done.
Honestly, I remember the "out of focus" video, but only because you mentioned it. I watch your videos for many reasons, but one of the biggest is your video editing and sound editing quality. One video is not going to detract from how much effort and love you clearly put into your craft. Hope your trip goes well!
Thank you for the pep talk. I certainly let perfection get in the way of getting done and, in some cases, even getting started. Hope you had a great trip!
OK, I recognize "filler" when I see it, BUT this was really good quality filler!!! I really needed to hear that message right now, as I struggle with a mini that's too dark AND the wrong color no matter how I tweak it. Have fun in Denmark and say "Hi!" to the Army Painter folks. (I'm keeping them in business with my paint purchases!)
I have a tendency to push and get things done despite quality. I don't get to paint much, but when I do I feel like I settle for the ole, "meh, good enough." I don't like following the wisdom of Mediocrites. With all that I do, I sometimes make myself go and paint or just sit in my hobby room. Teaching, coaching, a Saturday job and 3 kids keeps you busy. I am harder on myself than I should be. Naturally I am a perfectionist. I get in my head that this model should look this way, but I also know that why limited painting time that it won't look that way. What helps me is attempting and completing the model to the best of my ability. For example, I painted a Star Wars Legion mini ARF trooper to look like Commander Trauma. Are all his line perfect? No, but he is DONE to the best of my ability at the time I painted him.
This exactly. Just started painting my knighthaunt Black Coach after staring at it primed for the last 4 months. Its just paint, and I’m always getting better
Sir, you've helped me greatly. I play & paint ASOIAF. I own every faction & I enjoy painting my minis. You helped me immensely, just paint to the level im happy with. Some minis I put extra time in & some units just get speed paints & ready for the war on the table. Wanted to express my appreciation & gratitude for your videos & encouragement to just start & paint until im happy. I. Having A BLAST!!! THANK YOU SIR.
That was awesome going to The Army Painter oversea, it'll be interesting to see how it went there? Assembling, priming and basecoating the models is mostly getting it done for me. I then come back later to layer and wash some parts on the models. It's rare I paint the model entirely in less than two days and completely get it done, they are my best moments of the hobby. I didn't mind the camera quality, it was okay. Thank you and have a good week.
The quality of this video wasn’t terrible. 😂 the message was spot on! Been struggling with hobbying lately wanting to wait for my skills to be better but needing to practice and stuff done… the price of perfection is prohibitive is a powerful quote!
I really enjoyed this video. As someone who is still new to their own hobby, a local tournament I signed up for has been slowly building anxiety for myself as it's nearly doubled in size from the previous year. I'm both a newer player AND extremely new to painting, and the tournament format does give points for painting. So between questioning my unit choices, and my painting skills, and then second guessing again if I should change things... I've been struggling to just get something done and run with it. At the end of the day, it's supposed to be something I do for fun, and that's what I need to focus on and enjoy networking and learning from the experience, rather than building it up to be a monumental competition(mostly against myself). So this was a helpful reminder. Also the quality was just fine. The camera tracking was kind of amusing after you pointed it out.
I'm relatively new to painting - nearly 2 years in. Last winter, I discovered the Japanese philosophical concept, wabi-sabi. "The Japanese Art of Finding the Beauty in Imperfections. Rather than find faults in cracks, tears and other imperfections, the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi encourages us to appreciate that nothing is truly perfect or permanent." Since this discovery, I have watched my 2 painting friends veer from the hobby as they beat themselves up over imperfections and their inability to be perfect. No matter what I say, each passing day brings them further away from the hobby they enjoy because of their own inner demons. For me, getting the 'thing' done is a testament to my will power to overcome my harshest critic - myself. It means can enjoy the fruits of seeing my toy soldiers painted up and on display & can start the next project, which I am always excited about. Good video, as usual.
My favorite line on this topic comes from my friend Teri Litorco. Whilst running a painting class, a student asked her what her favorite color was. "Done" she said, "my favorite color is done!"
Wise words. When it comes to painting I focus on the bottom half of the model first, as its the closest part to the environment itself. The top half - so long as it's neat - can be left for another time.
100% Once I started embracing this ethos, my output not only went up, but my results got better. Rather than wringing my hands over every mistake and repainting the same greeble for the 8th time, Getting it done and moving on to another model increases exposure to different surfaces, color pallets, etc and really lets the painter develop. Good vid!
This is definitely something we all need to hear every so often. I definitely get analysis paralysis when it comes to the hobby and need kicks like this to just start moving.
For a while, I was working on a Keeper of Secrets model, and that thing ended up being a real pain for months. I ran into a whole bunch of setbacks (including gluing magnets backwards.... twice). It'd slap some paint on it, still feel like it wasn't too much, go paint something else (like an entire grey knights combat patrol that took me less time than that thing), come back, slap more paint on it, still feel like it wasn't any closer to done, and rinse and repeat. I did eventually just knock it out, and at the time I felt like it wasn't quite as good as it could have been. But a few months on, I look at it in the display case and go, "Y'know? That doesn't look half bad."
What really helped me is finding out what “done” means to me. Theoretically I could go on forever, always improving upon my work and making changes because I’m not satisfied with my ability. I had to ask myself, “Okay, what level of quality can I deem acceptable before I move onto another project?”
Sweet looking digs mate - and I appreciate the caution tape "....for caution". Thanks for all the videos. And couldn't agree more. I know it's all well and good for me to say and you want your videos to be the best they can be but honestly, being done is indeed better - don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good and all that.
Being done is better is great advice for life not just the hobby. I am big on getting it done instead of wasting time thinking the most efficient or effective way of doing a job.
being done is better is great advice in life as well as hobbies. hobbies are meant to be fun and when we squeeze the fun out of our hobbies it is time to a step back, take a deep breath and remember why you enjoy the hobby
I just recently bought the Army Painter skin tones paint set from the local game store. I haven't had a chance to start using it yet, but I read through the instruction booklet that comes with it, and there's some really interesting things in it. I'm starting to repaint some old metal minis from the late 1980s that I stripped the paint off of and primered. It's so hard to get good skin tone paints from the model paints that are widely available, like Testors or Tamiya, they're just not quite right, so I'm looking forward to trying the new paint set when I get to that stage in the repainting of these figures. I also have some 1/35 scale figures that could use some proper flesh tone paint.
This walk and talk , live action , standing up style of video was totally different to your other vids. It reminded me of an Estate Agent walking someone round a house trying to sell the property, you succeeded. I’ve been watching your channel for over 4 years and I’ve learnt a lot about you in the last 10 minutes.All good.
100% agree. I don’t do war gaming but I have Boardgames with tons of figures to paint, slow and steady also gets things done. Don’t need to paint an army in one day. If it’s a figure you like or game whatever it’s okay to spend extra time on that. Hope you had a blast in Denmark!
I needed to hear this. I've spent my whole life getting stuck in the "perfect or nothing" spiral, and it has been hitting me so hard lately that I'll sit at my hobby desk and stare at everything and do nothing at all.
Ok, this is just the video I needed today. I am going to sit down and work at my bench for the first time in over a year today! No more stressing about perfection.
I can't explain how much I needed to hear this. I have clinical anxiety and ADHD, and had started doing my own sorta weekly video projects for a game I enjoy, and was facing some overwhelm at the end of last month trying to balance all my various responsibilities, and decided to take a break to reevaluate things. This was about a week ago, and hearing your perspective on this is so helpful to reframing how to manage my own expectations when I eventually come back❤ You're a huge help both in and out of the hobby
What a funny time for a video w/ this theme to pop up. For the last 3 months I've been painting my 300+ Shadows of Brimstone models. I told myself "this is about finishing, not painting to the best of my abilities". My new saying is "My favorite color is DONE" It's all about getting the models painted to a competent level, and played with and enjoyed. My friends will not give a shit if I paint the different pouches on every belt a different shade of brown. They will not care if every buckle or button isn't individually painted. So! At this point I'm down to ~20 models, and I'm really close to getting the game to the table. I won't play a game unless everything is painted, so the sheer fact that I keep getting more and more Shadows of Brimstone over time, means I get farther and farther away from playing it. Well, no more! I'm not buying any more for it, and I'm focused on just "finishing it." I'm so close, and I totally get this mentality.
The quality of the video was still great, and the message itself was as important as any you've delivered before. As always, thank you for helping to get my Friday off to a fantastic start, Uncle Atom!
0 days since facility rolled a 1! Nice! As far as you being my uncle, you are the best one I got! If there is a way to not have the camera to have slower reaction time to movement. You would have stayed in frame with out the movement of the camera, but the feeling that someone was filming had been met even though you stated no one was. I enjoyed change. And agree with finishing and being OK that it is not the best work, but it's done. As most of my videos are one take and I got what I got at end of filming. But I also have scrapped it and did not put out because it was not good. So I agree to fail also.
One of my favourite hobby TH-camrs. Realistic and imparting wisdom to us fellow miniature scholars! Recently feel I have backtracked from the hobby but going to get back into it soon. Love from the UK
Video worked well, got the point across and you didn't need "higher production value" to nail the core concept. Good audio really helps, and I often think far more crucial than good visuals
Don't be so hard on yourself and enjoy the ride , I would imagine becoming a part of the AP team is a positive that came from the hard work you've done .........so count to 10 , take a breathe , enjoy the moment ..........and any words of wisdom from Uncle Atom are appreciated .........thank you sir
"Finished, not perfect." Funnily enough, the change of scenery in the thumbnail is actually what made me click on the video. It was a nice visual change of pace, honestly.
It honestly was to me, too, it caught me off guard and brought back personal memories with that sort of lighting
I started using this philosophy at the start of the UK's first Covid lockdown.
1.) I painted more in 1 year than I had my entire hobby journey in 20 years.
2.) My painting has improved so much faster - simply through quantity of painting - because I was actually getting things done.
3.) It's completely removed my painting anxiety about models not looking good, because I know that even a speed painted model still teaches brush control and all that.
whoaa. I needed to hear this as well. Thank you, seriously.
Perfect is the enemy of good
Also the enemy of done.
This has been one of my favorite quotes since i heard it.
Good is the enemy of "eh, it'll do"
My daughter has this saying as a tattoo
Enemy is the good of perfect
"Done is the best colour."
3:17 I previously was a MH/BH clinician and this was something I always told clients. "A little bit of anxiety means that this matters to you - that's good!"
The thing about miniatures is that "done" isn't necessarily the end. I make a thing out of, after having played a game, to pick a unit that was involved in something spectacular to bring them back under the brush. Maybe they've shown they're worthy of a highlight. Maybe they were blown away? That's an excuse for adding some battle damage. Having the assurance that a model might get more attention later is a psychological trick that allows me to say: "Done enough! Get on the table."
The "done is better than perfect" mentality has honestly been one of the most freeing life philosophies I have adopted in the last couple of years. I honestly think I do better work now than when I was overly obsessed with doing/being my best and stressing over any (potential) minor mistake.
Another really important caveat in all this to me was that no one says you can't come back and change it later, if you want to. Glad that was mentioned in the video.
Getting “reps” in (painting repetition, like workout repetition) in miniature painting helps you more than stopping because it’s not “good enough” - no way to get good enough without reps. Thanks for watching!
Beyond anything else "Its good enough" has been a mental battle for me for all my life. I was raised to deliver "Perfect or dont bother" which always got in the way of me doing anything, caused total "Fear of failure" paralysis.
Now in my 50s, I'm better, but not there yet.
Last year I set myself a challenging painting goal, 1 human size model a day average. I could only achieve that by accepting "Done is enough" and speed painting everything. TBH, some of the models are not great, but most of them are, and they all have paint on which is better then sitting un used in a box.
I still fight with my mental demons, but accepting that my best in the time I have is good enough has been a game changer in my road to recovery.
I read this and a similar age. i have some perfect not good enough projects and they take ages to get done. However, I've begun setting play goals, I am using this unit on the table on this day. I am now playing games rather than procrastinating over models and not playing games. My mental health has improved. It's great!!
@@argy8141 Excellent! Sounds like your having fun, which afterall IS THE DAMN POINT!
Fighting that same fight myself. It's a tough journey but it's also good to know I'm not walking the roads alone. Stay strong.
@@sbs3000 acknowledge even the smallest win. Celebrate it even. Its so easy to not "see" incremental progress, but its there, and valuable!
Keep going, the fight is worth it!
@@jamesaskins9547 Thanks much.
As someone who gets anxiety from a lot of stuff this is something I needed to hear thank you Uncle Adam :)
Have a safe flight to and from Denmark can't wait to hear about it :)
Finished, not perfect. Once I started following this simple rule, I finally started getting sh*t done
agree, don't strife for perfection, it doesn't exist anyway
Yes! Since I use that rule my pile of shame is a lot smaller now haha.
I felt that sigh at 8:15 all the way over in Chicago
I just finished a mini diorama scene for a friends bday and I’d already told them it’d be after their birthday before they would get it. I finally called it good enough yesterday and gave it to them. In the end I was proud of what I did even though I knew I could keep it for longer and keep tweaking and painting details.
I'll admit that I prefer the videos where you arent walking around, but i also prefer this video to no video.
It's a good message, and its both a good delivery of the message and a good execution if the principle.
Thanksnfkr eberything you do.
You're my hobby Uncle mate, and like a lot of people here I needed to hear this. Thankyou!
I've not played Tabletop games since the original Necromunda in the early to mid 90's but thoroughly enjoy watching your videos and your sunny disposition. It's like a little trip down memory lane for me each week. Keep up the good work and all the best! Ash - Manchester UK
Sound was good. Your classic look is, of course, classic. But liked it overall as visual, and great content as always.
I’m so glad that you’ll give yourself some kindness and patience, and encourage it in others!
There is almost nothing that we do in a hobby that can’t be done again, or fixed, or repaired, or improved. The experience is worthwhile, and you’re worth the time it takes to live that experience.
I used to be a commission painter and painted to what I consider a very high level. I took some time away from the hobby and on my return the burn out I'd experienced with painting really took it's toll on me and how I painted.
After some time thinking about it and some introspection I've just been knocking stuff out without such a high level of detail, literally slapping on paint willy nilly. The satisfaction I now get from completing units and calling them "done" far outweighs my anxiety and stress of sitting on one mini for days. There's a level of diminishing returns in this hobby, I could spend weeks longer painting single units and they'll only end up being 10-20% "better" in my eyes. At the end of the day they get pushed around a table, "done" is good enough for all of us and better for your mental state.
Safe journey to Denmark ✌🏻
The quality of this video is great, you may not have your fancy setup with the windows and lights, but I appreciate the candid/authentic, "hey lets have a one on one conversation" vibe to it.
"This facility has gone 0 days without rolling 1s - Good job" - i love that. I might steal it.
And the video was great, even if a little different. It's cool to see behind behind the scenes sometimes and the message was the most important thing. Good Job 😆
Clearing out our hobby room has made me realise I flit from one thing to the other too often. I have a ton of stuff still boxed, built and not yet primed or painted, and a stack of stuff painted but not based. My wife has stuff half painted and sat there for months in a pile, a few models were around £100 as well, just waiting to be finished. If I was like this in the rest of my life it would be a nightmare! I’m getting better at building and painting my newer stuff right away, but now I’m on big resin Forgeworld kits that take me about 2 months to fully build and paint, and I have zero intention of having them sat unfinished.
The biggest help for me was to just keep things simple, and stop trying to be too clever in my painting, coz I would have a really great looking model, and then I would still keep going and inevitably just mess something up and get really upset with myself. Learning when to quit whilst I’m ahead and put my brush down helped a lot.
Your sincerity and thoughtfulness is the best part about your videos and you as a member of our community. Everything else is secondary, so take some solace in that. As well...thank you for the message, I think I really needed to hear that today.
Nailed it
One of the best quotes I remember from an old White Dwarf article (something like 'Painting for the Regualr Joe') was the writer talking about not painting the pupils on his regiment of Dark Elf cosairs and he said something along the lines of 'they just need to look good from 3 feet away'. It's been a guiding philosophy for my Imperial Gaurd army.
This applies for many things in life, good enough most of the time is better then perfect. Get it done is always an achievement that will teach you something.
Wise words!
My current anxiety is having too many projects on the go and they are all stacked round my painting station staring at me. Need a tidy up and just get one thing out and focus on it.
What's worse for me, is my expectations are higher, my knowledge is higher but my motor skills and eyesight are deteriorating. So every day of procrastination is another day I'm closer to getting a worse result. I'm now working to a mantra of "this day, this game, this scenario" and wanting the best I can do in that timeframe rather than constantly pushing the timeline out trying for perfection.
I'm modelling for 5 Parsecs, 5 leagues and 7TV. I played more games in March than I did in H2 2023. And in April I might double it again, have 20 models needing varnishing and then a quick basing to get more 5 Parsecs and 7TV played. And the fun of playing makes the scourge of painting worthwhile.
Great video and what sound quality issues? I can't hear any but also see above (failing faculties 🤣)
y'know, i really love the gymbal camera and the different shots, it made the video a lot more dynamic. blessing in disguise maybe?
I find it unsettling, disgusting and unnatural, eerie
I just started painting this year. One of the things I learned is that I'll never achieve "perfection". At least not something that would be "perfect" enough to win an award of any kind. But what I also quickly learned, is to be happy with what I'm able to create and learn when a model is done. I've completed nearly 2 dozen models and I've always been happy to complete one. I can look at everyone one and see a flaw, or something I could do different/better, or something I could add. But being able to put it on the shelf and say it's complete was more satisfying than doing any of that. Great video.
Great advice! I sometimes don't even start painting my toys because I don't feel I can get them to what I see in my head.
For what it's worth, the camera and mic were great.
I run into this anxiety every time I near "the end" of a project. I am never going to get to Golden Demon level; my eyesight won't allow it. BUT my brain still gets into a cycle of not being 100% satisfied with my work on a project. I always have to force myself to just take a step back, re-assess my progress, and see if I can be happy with the project in this moment. What is "done" I think differs from project to project. In the end, my work won't win awards, so it just has to look good on a table. Hopefully my work sparks appreciation in others, but ultimately it's for me.
Thank you for the video! Good topic. I'm sure we all experience this on some level.
I’m a ‘quantity over quality’ painter. The most important thing for me is to get a painted army on to a table with great terrain and then play the game. Individually my figures are OK, but that’s not what I’m going for it’s when they’re placed within the scene of the game that I think they pop; that and being viewed from 3 feet away😂
As Stalin said; quantity has a quality all of its own. And as I said to myself last Sunday; 6 foote & 7 cavalry painted epic Pike & Shotte regiments is good enough for refighting Cheriton Down this week and it was. I’d like to think that I’ll go back and give the horses ‘Stars & Socks’ and add a dab of silver to the pike tops, but…..
This video does help, and I have been working to reframe my mental approach in multiple ways for a couple years now. I suffer from analysis paralysis and I can clearly see what I want to achieve in my head and far as paint jobs, and I think my biggest hang up is the thought that I won’t be able to achieve the quality paint job that I want. I just need to start painting, and accept it as it comes. Also, “The price of perfection is prohibitive” is going to be my new motto. I might even make a sign to hang over my hobby table. Love you videos and I think this format was great because it reminds people like me that even our hobby role models don’t have a perfect situation and lighting and you show it can still be done no matter what.
Understanding this, not just for mini painting but for art in general has been *such* a game changer! I feel like you learn so much more doing *more* of an art than you do trying to perfect each individual thing.
Yes, you are right, I will now try to get it done. I cared too much of how to paint my minis that I still (one year later) haven't finished my Astra Militarum army, although I have already everything at home. The video and audio quality was very good in this video, just to let you know ;) Thanks for your continuous effort!
This video was awesome. Frankly, the thing that has always drawn me to your channels is the reality of what you speak. That the background for the video mimics that reality is just wonderful. It makes it feel even more, homey. I've always felt like i was joining you in your painting room for a little chat while working on slaying the gray. I think that if you didn't decorate the studio and just let it have that "here we are" feel, it would be fine. Like you just mentioned about our painting experience, we are our own worst enemy to moving forward. Physician, heal thyself, LOL. We fans are here for you, not the quality of your video room. It's your sage advice from years of experience that keeps us coming back, flaws and all. Keep 'em coming Uncle Atom.
Honestly, this does help. Hearing someone say "you have permission to just be done with a thing" helps a lot.
Quality as always! I hope you had a great trip.
I have been looking at my Legion magnaguards sitting in my table for a week, unable to decide on how to tackle them, painting wise. This video pushed me to grab them and start slapping some contrasts on them. They will be finished in an hour. Thanks uncle!
I listened to this video while making breakfast. Couldn’t have known that the studio was in pieces unless you’d told us! Great advice, as always.
Excellent topic! I was in the exact boat described: having a character model that was not coming out as I thought it was and timing to paint was out schedule causing stress. Eventually I had to let some details slide and letting even one stripe of paint be “good enough”. The model got done but took longer than I wanted, yet could have been worse if I pushed myself and would have been a negative experience.
This is absolutely true for me. I try to live by the “Good Enough” method. You worked on the miniature, and things look good enough. Let the miniature be done.
This was an excellent endcap to a week long project to paint and base an army to be ready for Saturday's tournament. I spent a ton of time building up a "pile of potential", something I really wanted to avoid, but was doing because I wanted every model to be perfectly highlighted and detailed, and as such was just not painting anything. However this week I finally made myself break that streak, I painted a few characters and units to my standard, and then I allowed the rest to just be battle ready.
The amount of models I took from unassembled to painted has greatly decreased my painting stress and was actually a lot of fun to go through and paint. Videos like this make me feel better about those choices and understand that I'm not settling for less, I'm actually getting to enjoy my hobby instead. Keep up the good work man, always happy to see your vids!
I'm there with you. You will ALWAYS find something else to tweak, update, add, replace with your project whether writing, painting, minis, whatever. At some point you have to call it done, otherwise you never will be. Sometimes it's hard, especially when something doesn't quite turn out the way you wanted/hoped/expected - but learn from it and improve on the next projects.
Cheers.
I needed this video, thank you. I've been really struggling to get painting done.
Thank you for taking time to do this video even though your schedule is so busy!!! 👍👍There are gorgeous figures in the attic I have not painted......just because I am concerned I will not do a good paint job on them and not do them justice. Also presenting our work on TH-cam opens up the possibility of others being critical, even though you have tried do a nice job of a model or figure. Thank you for this Atom, it is quite often because we care so much that blocks our progress, well done for pointing this out, it helps.👏👏👍👍😉
Most excellent video, not only do you make a good point specific to the topic, but this needs to be bookmarked under the "a little about me" category as well. It's like an updated intro to Tabletop Minions kind of thing. Loved it!
Honestly this is exactly what I needed to hear today. I just finished building and kitbashing my Sludge army and am about to start painting them tonight. I tend to get caught up in the details of minis so painting a larger army was starting to give me anxiety. I think I’m just gonna give them all a basecoat and enamel wash and then worry about highlights later so that I can get them on the table next week. Thanks as always for your candor and wisdom and for helping keep us motivated in the hobby. (The Video was great btw)
Actually, I gravitate to the less 'professional' videos on TH-cam, especially for hobby stuff. The really slick productions often come off as commercials, whereas the scrappy little channels where people are doing stuff out of pure joy appeal to me much more... they're more authentic.
This channel is pretty slick, which often puts me off a bit.
It's similar with mini-painting as well, because the really high end stuff will keep me from trying sometimes... so it's more encouraging to see the 'good enough' paint jobs that I feel I can actually get done.
Interesting, when I compare my videos to other, bigger channels I never think of my videos as “slick” for the most part. Thanks for watching!
Here for the wisdom over the presentation, though I've no complaints on the audio quality.
And it's much-needed wisdom, thank you. I keep telling myself the same thing but spent 20+ minutes yesterday stressing about whether a conversion's outstretched hand needed straighter fingers... An external voice is sometimes exactly what's required.
Hope you've had a blast among the Danes, looking forward to hearing about the trip.
Bravo for achieving your goal of getting a video out this week! Hope your trip is safe and awesome. I second the sentiment already said by others - I like the visual change of pace with you standing and walking around.
Ngl, anxiety in this hobby is not a concept I'm familiar with. It's such a relaxing process.
Great little video & thanks!
Hopefully the studio is getting fixed up looking great soon. Agreed completely on this & how it's better to have stuff at a workable put it in a game carrying case over having stuff sitting eternally at a painting desk. It's way too easy to get caught up in the hobby & work on the same mini for weeks.
I learned from a college art project on the stupidity of me trying to make it perfect when it was using up a lot of time making sure everything looked right & that the parts nobody was going to notice looked good.
If you don't tell people about the small flaws in the paint job, they tend to just see (and hopefully tell you) about the awesome parts that caught their attention. Having that emotional joy of other people seeing your stuff (even if it's not perfect) is better than it sitting on the hobby desk plus you get to do something new now that the other thing is now done.
Honestly, I remember the "out of focus" video, but only because you mentioned it. I watch your videos for many reasons, but one of the biggest is your video editing and sound editing quality. One video is not going to detract from how much effort and love you clearly put into your craft. Hope your trip goes well!
Thank you for the pep talk. I certainly let perfection get in the way of getting done and, in some cases, even getting started. Hope you had a great trip!
OK, I recognize "filler" when I see it, BUT this was really good quality filler!!! I really needed to hear that message right now, as I struggle with a mini that's too dark AND the wrong color no matter how I tweak it. Have fun in Denmark and say "Hi!" to the Army Painter folks. (I'm keeping them in business with my paint purchases!)
I have a tendency to push and get things done despite quality. I don't get to paint much, but when I do I feel like I settle for the ole, "meh, good enough." I don't like following the wisdom of Mediocrites. With all that I do, I sometimes make myself go and paint or just sit in my hobby room. Teaching, coaching, a Saturday job and 3 kids keeps you busy.
I am harder on myself than I should be. Naturally I am a perfectionist. I get in my head that this model should look this way, but I also know that why limited painting time that it won't look that way. What helps me is attempting and completing the model to the best of my ability. For example, I painted a Star Wars Legion mini ARF trooper to look like Commander Trauma. Are all his line perfect? No, but he is DONE to the best of my ability at the time I painted him.
Really like this video format
Audio Quality was good, and thanks voor the weekly reminders that life is more than obsessing over details and things that might happen.
I don't know if anyone else needed to see and hear this video, but I sure did. Thanks for the inspiration!
I hope you enjoyed your trip.
This exactly. Just started painting my knighthaunt Black Coach after staring at it primed for the last 4 months. Its just paint, and I’m always getting better
Sir, you've helped me greatly.
I play & paint ASOIAF. I own every faction & I enjoy painting my minis.
You helped me immensely, just paint to the level im happy with. Some minis I put extra time in & some units just get speed paints & ready for the war on the table.
Wanted to express my appreciation & gratitude for your videos & encouragement to just start & paint until im happy. I. Having A BLAST!!!
THANK YOU SIR.
That was awesome going to The Army Painter oversea, it'll be interesting to see how it went there?
Assembling, priming and basecoating the models is mostly getting it done for me. I then come back later to layer and wash some parts on the models. It's rare I paint the model entirely in less than two days and completely get it done, they are my best moments of the hobby.
I didn't mind the camera quality, it was okay.
Thank you and have a good week.
The quality of this video wasn’t terrible. 😂 the message was spot on! Been struggling with hobbying lately wanting to wait for my skills to be better but needing to practice and stuff done… the price of perfection is prohibitive is a powerful quote!
Hope you all had a cool trip. Looking to hear about the trip. Also super video 👍👌
I really enjoyed this video. As someone who is still new to their own hobby, a local tournament I signed up for has been slowly building anxiety for myself as it's nearly doubled in size from the previous year. I'm both a newer player AND extremely new to painting, and the tournament format does give points for painting. So between questioning my unit choices, and my painting skills, and then second guessing again if I should change things... I've been struggling to just get something done and run with it. At the end of the day, it's supposed to be something I do for fun, and that's what I need to focus on and enjoy networking and learning from the experience, rather than building it up to be a monumental competition(mostly against myself).
So this was a helpful reminder. Also the quality was just fine. The camera tracking was kind of amusing after you pointed it out.
"Keep moving forward" - regardless of the hurdles, audio and visual were excellent quality wise 👍
I'm relatively new to painting - nearly 2 years in. Last winter, I discovered the Japanese philosophical concept, wabi-sabi.
"The Japanese Art of Finding the Beauty in Imperfections. Rather than find faults in cracks, tears and other imperfections, the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi encourages us to appreciate that nothing is truly perfect or permanent."
Since this discovery, I have watched my 2 painting friends veer from the hobby as they beat themselves up over imperfections and their inability to be perfect. No matter what I say, each passing day brings them further away from the hobby they enjoy because of their own inner demons.
For me, getting the 'thing' done is a testament to my will power to overcome my harshest critic - myself. It means can enjoy the fruits of seeing my toy soldiers painted up and on display & can start the next project, which I am always excited about.
Good video, as usual.
My favorite line on this topic comes from my friend Teri Litorco. Whilst running a painting class, a student asked her what her favorite color was. "Done" she said, "my favorite color is done!"
Near my desk I keep a reminder - "Better not to begin. Once you begin, better to finish it."
Wise words. When it comes to painting I focus on the bottom half of the model first, as its the closest part to the environment itself. The top half - so long as it's neat - can be left for another time.
100% Once I started embracing this ethos, my output not only went up, but my results got better. Rather than wringing my hands over every mistake and repainting the same greeble for the 8th time, Getting it done and moving on to another model increases exposure to different surfaces, color pallets, etc and really lets the painter develop. Good vid!
I know a lot of people who could benefit from wisdom like this. Great vid!
This is definitely something we all need to hear every so often. I definitely get analysis paralysis when it comes to the hobby and need kicks like this to just start moving.
For a while, I was working on a Keeper of Secrets model, and that thing ended up being a real pain for months. I ran into a whole bunch of setbacks (including gluing magnets backwards.... twice). It'd slap some paint on it, still feel like it wasn't too much, go paint something else (like an entire grey knights combat patrol that took me less time than that thing), come back, slap more paint on it, still feel like it wasn't any closer to done, and rinse and repeat.
I did eventually just knock it out, and at the time I felt like it wasn't quite as good as it could have been. But a few months on, I look at it in the display case and go, "Y'know? That doesn't look half bad."
the irony that you have an imperfect setup yet it still serves its purpose making it a more effective example of exactly what you're talking about
What really helped me is finding out what “done” means to me. Theoretically I could go on forever, always improving upon my work and making changes because I’m not satisfied with my ability. I had to ask myself, “Okay, what level of quality can I deem acceptable before I move onto another project?”
Sweet looking digs mate - and I appreciate the caution tape "....for caution". Thanks for all the videos. And couldn't agree more. I know it's all well and good for me to say and you want your videos to be the best they can be but honestly, being done is indeed better - don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good and all that.
Being done is better is great advice for life not just the hobby. I am big on getting it done instead of wasting time thinking the most efficient or effective way of doing a job.
Love the video. Loved the dynamic walking around while filming. Loved the message of the video. Have a great time in Denmark.
being done is better is great advice in life as well as hobbies. hobbies are meant to be fun and when we squeeze the fun out of our hobbies it is time to a step back, take a deep breath and remember why you enjoy the hobby
I just recently bought the Army Painter skin tones paint set from the local game store. I haven't had a chance to start using it yet, but I read through the instruction booklet that comes with it, and there's some really interesting things in it. I'm starting to repaint some old metal minis from the late 1980s that I stripped the paint off of and primered. It's so hard to get good skin tone paints from the model paints that are widely available, like Testors or Tamiya, they're just not quite right, so I'm looking forward to trying the new paint set when I get to that stage in the repainting of these figures. I also have some 1/35 scale figures that could use some proper flesh tone paint.
This walk and talk , live action , standing up style of video was totally different to your other vids.
It reminded me of an Estate Agent walking someone round a house trying to sell the property, you succeeded.
I’ve been watching your channel for over 4 years and I’ve learnt a lot about you in the last 10 minutes.All good.
That camera gimble is really cool. I wonder if it has a deadzone so small shifts of weight don't cause it to pan back and forth constantly.
100% agree. I don’t do war gaming but I have Boardgames with tons of figures to paint, slow and steady also gets things done. Don’t need to paint an army in one day. If it’s a figure you like or game whatever it’s okay to spend extra time on that. Hope you had a blast in Denmark!
I would watch your videos even if it was an animated stick figure. Listening to you keeps me motivated for my hobby.
A Natural Philosopher of Wargaming …
You're like a cool uncle to all of us here and we're happy to have you
I needed to hear this. I've spent my whole life getting stuck in the "perfect or nothing" spiral, and it has been hitting me so hard lately that I'll sit at my hobby desk and stare at everything and do nothing at all.
Off the cuff is nice, it reminds me that we're all human and just doing the best we can in the time we're given.
I get this way with miniatures painting and game prep (D&D).
Ok, this is just the video I needed today. I am going to sit down and work at my bench for the first time in over a year today! No more stressing about perfection.
0 days without rolling one? Oh heck yah!! That Nurgle Greenery All Up In Our Scenery!!
I can't explain how much I needed to hear this. I have clinical anxiety and ADHD, and had started doing my own sorta weekly video projects for a game I enjoy, and was facing some overwhelm at the end of last month trying to balance all my various responsibilities, and decided to take a break to reevaluate things.
This was about a week ago, and hearing your perspective on this is so helpful to reframing how to manage my own expectations when I eventually come back❤
You're a huge help both in and out of the hobby
What a funny time for a video w/ this theme to pop up. For the last 3 months I've been painting my 300+ Shadows of Brimstone models. I told myself "this is about finishing, not painting to the best of my abilities". My new saying is "My favorite color is DONE" It's all about getting the models painted to a competent level, and played with and enjoyed. My friends will not give a shit if I paint the different pouches on every belt a different shade of brown. They will not care if every buckle or button isn't individually painted.
So! At this point I'm down to ~20 models, and I'm really close to getting the game to the table. I won't play a game unless everything is painted, so the sheer fact that I keep getting more and more Shadows of Brimstone over time, means I get farther and farther away from playing it. Well, no more! I'm not buying any more for it, and I'm focused on just "finishing it."
I'm so close, and I totally get this mentality.
The quality of the video was still great, and the message itself was as important as any you've delivered before. As always, thank you for helping to get my Friday off to a fantastic start, Uncle Atom!
Done is a beautiful word. Thanks for the reminder.
Great advice, I get anxiety at not having everything perfectly set up to begin in the first place.
0 days since facility rolled a 1! Nice! As far as you being my uncle, you are the best one I got! If there is a way to not have the camera to have slower reaction time to movement. You would have stayed in frame with out the movement of the camera, but the feeling that someone was filming had been met even though you stated no one was. I enjoyed change. And agree with finishing and being OK that it is not the best work, but it's done. As most of my videos are one take and I got what I got at end of filming. But I also have scrapped it and did not put out because it was not good. So I agree to fail also.
One of my favourite hobby TH-camrs.
Realistic and imparting wisdom to us fellow miniature scholars!
Recently feel I have backtracked from the hobby but going to get back into it soon.
Love from the UK
Video worked well, got the point across and you didn't need "higher production value" to nail the core concept.
Good audio really helps, and I often think far more crucial than good visuals
Don't be so hard on yourself and enjoy the ride , I would imagine becoming a part of the AP team is a positive that came from the hard work you've done .........so count to 10 , take a breathe , enjoy the moment ..........and any words of wisdom from Uncle Atom are appreciated .........thank you sir