I allow myself 4 "slots" on my shelf for unpainted models. I'm allowed to choose any one, and chop and change, but it has to be one of those 4. The reward of opening up a slot for something new is pretty nice.
This is great. I do the same really, but never so intentionally. I put my unfinished models on the same shelf as my display models, which means I can only have so many on there before I feel it ruins the look of the display, which gives me motivation to only ever have a couple on the go.
I think a lot of people are guilty of this, including myself. I’ve been trying to push myself to finish projects more lately. I’m tired of having half finished armies on the table. I try to keep unrelated minis off my radar and stored away to focus on the one thing. Of course having a lot of friends with different games to play can make it difficult to focus as well.
This video hit me at a weird time. I DO have ADHD and I do live my hobby life very much like this. My hobby desk is full of started projects pushed in to a corner out of the way and sprues of new projects that I am going to be extremely excited about for a couple of weeks. But I've been on meds now for a few months for my ADHD and for some strange reason, today I picked up one of those projects in the corner and put a little bit of paint on them. So let's see where my motivation points me tomorrow.
I have a lot of ADHD tendencies, but I find that extremely in my face things help to ground me enough to get things done, at least in this hobby they do. So I set up a spreadsheet and made a habit of opening it each time I work on stuff. Seeing the list of models, how many I own, have built, painted, etc. It really helps me focus on what I need to do and how much there really is, plus it has the benefit of telling me to stop buying when I have too much left to do, at least it did until deathwing got an update... 282 models, probably 25-30 boxes, 80 models 100% built with 2 painted to 75% completion and 2 at 50%. It's rough getting things completed at a decent rate, especially since around 10 of them are vehicles and other large models that also had magnetization work (with another 10 still to go), but it's a lot of fun which is why I have barely painted anything, plus I'm not building to play so I'm in no hurry to paint, I just want to look at cool models even if they are grey plastic. The spreadsheet is set up to keep track of everything, as more models of a type are built the color goes from red to yellow then green, same for painting, once everything is done they go blue. I can see when I build, print and paint things, how far into them I get, how many active projects I have at any given time. This has helped a ton in getting things done before I start more. The reason I feel this works so well is because both 90% and 100% built models look almost the same on the table, same with painted, so it gets quite difficult to justify finishing them when I can have a lot of fun doing more work elsewhere, but an uncompleted entry on my spreadsheet will always be red no matter how close to completion it is, and the active projects list will bother me more and more as things get added. This pushes me to complete something, I'm not looking at 10 assault intercessors without heads and arms on my table, I'm looking at a red line that says I have 0 assault intercessors built. It sometimes makes building feel more like a job, at that point I just take a break until I want to come back and make something, this has kept me from burnout and from half completing things, but the rest of the time it feels like I'm making progress instead of just having random things going on. I was going to say that another thing I have learnt was to do the things I dislike the most first so that I can reward myself with the fun parts after, but termagants... I have only built 12 of 40 of them and I think I would rather step on a lego than try and finish those spiky bastards... They are the one project I am happy to leave unfinished.
I use a spreadsheet template which I found online, absolute life saver. It also track the points total of everything in their various stages - built, primed, painted, based, varnished and complete. Seeing that points total number go up feels just as good as the satisfaction of completing a model does. If just one model in a 10 man squad has its base incomplete, then the whole ten man squad is considered unfinished. Having that incomplete entry in the spreadsheet helps me stay accountable and actually finish units off.. eventually. Between my two current armies, Guard and Thousand Sons, I have 14 units in various stages of completion - looking at this whenever I have the urge to take on a new project or buy a shiny new kit keeps me grounded, as I'm reminded how long these things actually take to complete. I also have a Tyranids army on the backburner - I've found a scheme that is 90% contrast paint so I can quickly bash those termagants out.
2024 for me has been the most successful hobby year so far of my life. Ive suffered from this my whole life, my new approach has been to paint 1 model per day and I've got an automated spreadsheet to track my process. I play a lot and I have vowed to not field an unpainted model in games. If you don't want to paint so many models try a model every week or one every 10 days and keep a diary or something similar. Seeing the pile of painted models growing steadily makes it all worth it once you've gotten over the initial hurdle
I think I have this too. Can absolutely hyper focus on things and quite comfortable doing repetitive tasks... But the minute some new flavour of the week enters my brain, game over lol
I always finish a model when I start it, the problem is I spend WAYYY to long on each model until I am satisfied with it. A model I expected to spend 2-4 hours on turns into an entire day or two. Worse yet I won’t allow myself to start on the models I’m actually excited and anxious to start until I finish the ones I’m less interested in.
I have ADHD and have recently dabbled in painting miniatures. I’d recommend just having the model out with your supplies if possible. Just having everything you need easily available to you so you do t have to go through the extra steps of set up it takes to properly use your work area has helped me finish models. That way, if you’re feeling that urge to finish the model, you simply can.
I was like this not too long ago. Recently starting hitting the gym more consistently, and I find when I have productive hobbies I have more fun painting Warhammer as well. It might just be me, I don't think I have ADHD. Also, another thing is having nothing else to do. Get home from work, workout, paint warhammer, rest for the other 2 hours or so before I go to bed. Having no games to play or anything like that helps, especially since my social life either happens on weekends or straight after work.
Mate, your paint jobs are awesome. I wish my ADHD would paint at all. I'm medicated, and that helps with consistency. Problem is I'm usually so busy with work and chore work I never find the time. It's not about willpower. If you have ADHD, your brain is stingy with Dopamine. So, new projects are exciting and give that release and motivation. You will hyperfocus on the new project until the Dopamine supply gets cut off. Roughly from the waist up for you :). My Death Company dreadnaught has been an active project since 2018.
I've had semi-finished minis waiting on my desk for months, some of them for years by now. I manage to finish some here and there whenever I have a burst of motivation. But for some reason it is so much harder to finish a model that's already 2/3 of the way there than it is to start painting one from the beginning. And those often get finished in one sitting, provided the motivation is sufficient. Oh, since it might be important: I do have ADHD^^
I have same issue with ADHD and many projects very close to completion but abandoned at an honestly inexplicably close point to "battle ready". I have found entering tournaments is the best motivation to finish a project off fwiw.
I seem to have some sort of painting ADHD, I'll paint 1-3 guys in a squad, and then I can't bring myself to finish the rest. Then I'll move on to something else. I collect salamanders, blood angels, black legion, 40k Emperors children, and battle sisters. All unfinished... 🙃
My wife and I are both diagnosed ADHD recently in our 30s. People think ADHD means you can’t sit down and do anything, as you said if you want and are interested, you can sit down for hours, but as soon as you lose steam though, it really is all over with. My problem with painting is that towards the end of the model I really lose patience in the high lighting and all that, but I am trying to challenge myself in taking things to get finished.
I've done the same many times. I find playing the games and being around other painters motivates me through the "lull" period of painting a model. If I don't want to finish a model I put on a painting podcast and that really helps. You create media about this hobby, so I dunno if any of that would help.
Seriously though, I have the same issues with painting, I'm autistic and waiting for adhd diagnosis, but definitely combo adhd. I'm finding when I get bored on a model, I'll just grab something from a different army, build it and prime it. It helps give you that little dopamine hit. So now I have 1k points of finished DAs, 5 mostly painted Nids, a random Ork, then a lot of primed minis for when the mood takes me. 😆
ADHD is defined by a lack of executive function. That is an inability to plan steps to complete a task. Typical test is "tell me how to make a cup of tea in 5 steps". If you struggle to make it fit, or come up with too many steps, you have some form of executive dysfunction. I find it impacts getting started on something a lot. Another effect of it is as discussed in the video, the graveyard of 90% complete projects. I think that when your brain is (finally, after much delay) planning how to do something, you can work on it. When you've worked out how do it, when you finally have the plan, it just goes in the bin and you stop working.
This hits hard, as not only do I have ADHD but two of the main models I need to finish on my painting desk are that Terminator Captain and a squad of MK VI marines. In Blood Angels no less! Oh and that Blood Angels contemptor as well! Another thing with ADHD and Warhammer is not sticking to one faction or system or whatever - so it's like I don't just have Blood Angels, I have 30K blood angels, I have Necrons, I have Leagues of Votann, Grey Knights, Imperial knights, loads of Imperial Agents stuff, then Necromunda stuff a load of terrain and even some Sylvaneth I intended on running as Daemons of the Ruinstorm.. very little is painted.. although in fairness I do have a toddler right now so painting time is very limited. I keep hoping I get more time once he gets a little older.
I finish some models - but never units! Iv'e not completed a single unit from any faction ever. I have a concentration span typically found in less that 5% of the general population according to an educational psychologist and severe dyslexia. I do have some strong ADHT traits - but no diagnoses as such. Tedious repetitive tasks bore the hell out of me. painting a dreadnaught, character or vehicle is a totally different experience than a squad. Like you say - the over buying can be a terrible problem. I really do enjoy building models - so a nice new kit can amuse me for quite a while just assembling it to my liking. Its worth the money for the building dopamine hit alone sometimes.....snipping the plastic from sprews is oddly satisfying in itself. Then they all get undercoated and in some extreme situations only one or 2 get painted. They do get painted to a reasonably good standard but then I just cant be bothered to do any more.
Perhaps you need a model to work on thats very different to what you like - give your brain and brushes a break from power armour and paint lizardmen, or zombies, or a farseer, or go full Bob Ross! Try to break the mould, and hopefully that will not only bring you novelty, but when you return to projects, see them in a new light. It's important to remember that you might also just not like what you're working on and you don't know it until you're invested - the sunk cost fallacy at its finest.
I don't move on. That's my issue. I just sit on a batch or mini or whatever it is, slowly making less and less progress in more and more time. It took me six months to do a 10 man kill team. Now i'm painting a singular marine and its taking me 4 days already. I'm starting to panic, hoping that the boredom doesn't kick in. All i have left to do is just the shoulders, base, head and gun. Also I'm not super confident on things like blending colours. So the thought of putting a week of work into a mini, only to fu*k it up is very stressful. I've been painting for around a year and a half now, and it still has not clicked in my head. Very frustrating.
Thank you, it helps to know it happens to other people, too 👍 I try to counter it by having made a deal with myself and not getting any new stuff this year, except for birthday / Christmas. Will see if it works out ….
Thank you for posting this video. I’m exactly the same way. I’ll get bored with a model or models and start something new or go back to models I’ve shelved at 50-90% done and work on those. I find that I’ll have a new interest in the models when I pick them back up. I’ve got ADHD also.
The Models shown in this video are to Standard. Your good to go if you play some games with this. You don't have to play every game with a fully completed model. You are quite fine to play with the army half painted, and in the process.
Me too. I have a lot finished and I usually get projects done. Sometimes you just gotta sit down and start. Y'know? Like just do highlighting on those guys on the table. Just do ALL the same type at the same time, same steps. But also, it's ok to have unfinished stuff. Chill! I have a box I petered out on after I didn't want to paint stuff. What it really was is just I didn't want to paint it and be unhappy. I took a break did some other stuff and I'm back to it with fresh ideas and all those perfect "that's what I want" ideas. No point finishing if it would always feel like you never painted it right.
I'm a bit like this, I noticed the pandemic really exacerbated my lack of attention span now I can barely read books - swapped to audio books predominantly
something that might help as well is from everything you showed of, it is all 40k all power armour and what not, have you tried painting something completley different. Maybe pick up one AOS character and paint it in your spare time to clear your mind. this has helped me before.
So I basecoat to a table top standard every model than I put it up until it hits me again to finish it up another level or diorama level. I suffer too from adhd
Do you ever paint in subassembly? I find that makes me take a lot longer with painting and even if the end result is better I often lose motivation halfway as it’s difficult to visualise the end result with the model painted in parts.
I have watched 2 videos now and I totally understand and relate to you views. The only models l have finished have been when they are for someone else (son) . You are painting to a very high standard mate
Got kind of the same problem i think. cause i'm having this in the background while painting. Smaller goals, is what i did, so i went inquisition and necromunda, painting and converting a model at the time, almost never batch paint couse i get bored. vehicles sucks so bad though, don't know what to do when it comes to them. working on it from time to time, but when i started i almost burned out.
Im not quite as bad, but this does happen to me. I am ADD/ADHD, which comes with Hyperfocus. But it also comes with a motivation off switch as soon as you convince yourself something is important you procrastinate. Start by Finishing a squad, let the feeling of accomplishment wash over you. I dont stop myself from buying things, but I only allow myself to work on one box at a time.
Try being Bipolar and Schizophrenic, it's so tough fir me to start and finish something. I'm trying to get into the zone of working start to finish. I change my mind on colours, poses, way too many details that won't ever matter. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's like it's tough to finish it bc when it's done, that means it's ready to be judged.
I started the hobby again 6 months ago and I've yet to finish a single model other than the push fit starter kit I did for practice. They each got a spray prime, 3 or 4 layers of their basecoats and a wash. I've spent 5 of the last 6 months extensively building a highly modified Haarken worldclaimer for my homebrew night lords warband and 10 raptors. I've done: Green stuff in layers, brass pinning, jewellers chains, custom bases, kitbashed 3rd party parts, etching, scratch built parts, blue stuff casting, the works. I've almost finished my sub-assemblies. My problem is clearly feature creep. It could be my ADHD, but context here, I've got a 14 month old baby, and have to make the most of the 45 mins every other day I get to work on stuff. To be quite honest, the slow progress has been satisfying, I'm happy with it. I feel like I'm doing things properly, where in the past I would settle for something that looked good enough. And importantly for me, it's consistent, not-instant gratification that I'm getting better at. I care more about the process, the finished product is a bonus.
Id advise you to literally finish... anything. Dosent matter how big or small. It will remove a massive mental block if your anything like me. Gradually try to get into thet habit of finishing somthing regularlly. evene if its like one little clanrat or a guardsman it dosent matter.. getting back on the horse in the hardest part from recovering from an extreme case of hobby butterfly.
To be honest this doesn't really sound like ADHD, this just sounds like a lack of discipline. There's no indication of hyperactivity or restlessness, just a lack of both self-control and fiscal responsibility. Which is a shame, because you obviously have quite a lot of skill. "Being bored" is not ADHD. "Forcing yourself to finish" is exactly what you should be doing. If you keep starting new projects you should discipline yourself to not buy new kits.
I have diagnosed ADHD and the main thing people would accuse me of is lack of discipline, or laziness. You're associating ADHD with hyperactivity which is only one type of ADHD - often people are inattentive-type which isn't outwardly hyperactive (this is the type I have, and why it took so long to get diagnosed). ADHD is actually characterized by a lack of impulse control - starting multiple projects or hobbies then never finishing them before moving onto something more interesting is VERY ADHD.
@@Vin_Venture896 to be fair mind even a lot of educators and medical professionals until recent years were woefully ignorant of ADHD, unless they specialised in it. For a long time I was told it was basically "little boys with ants in their pants" until I went to an actual psychiatrist who specialised in it - who basically said "you're ADHD as fuck".
Stop giving your brain distractions (other models), put them away, out of sight. Only have the thing you need to complete out. Start painting everyday, with the aim to do 20-30 mins. You find you do more. Forget about the results of when, how you complete it.
I have a similar problem i want my model to look good, but i want to finish it in a day, yet i also lack the attention span to continue painting longer than 2 to 3 hours. I'd say maybe alternate through models with different armor and colors, it might be able to make it feel like less of painting the same thing.
One of the great pieces of advice I heard recently is don’t commit yourself to ideas, commit yourself to the end result. It may seem good or fun to have something but if you think of what it would take to get there, then truly consider that before committing to action!
Finishing artwork when you’re a perfectionist can be hard. A finished piece is an objective reminder of how imperfect your art is. It’s a nail in the ground that says ‘THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT SKILL LEVEL YOU ARE’ and that can cause feelings of shame. If you never finish the piece, there’s always plausible deniability. It’s like the student who’s so worried about failing their exam that they just don’t turn up. They can say ‘Well, I COULD have aced it if I turned up, but I just didn’t!’ Dealing with that is about working to finish something, and then learning to accept the sense of shame that comes afterwards. Eventually you’ll work through it and that’s when the issue goes away.
Instead of painting: legs, torso, head Try: red, silver, gold Also, you can pick 6 projects and roll a dice to decide the next 6 projects you'll work on. I do that and sometimes I find myself wanting to paint model number 4 in place of number 2 because I feel like it. Maybe because all of these are space marines you may find it not enjoyable as much, they are all the same colours or close shapes, same rules of light and shadow, same ways to do highlights. That could be a reason aswell You could and should try new techniques and ways of painting. You could do a sword with NMM, or gold bits in NMM, maybe OSL on a character, Maybe one of them has NMM armour or use a sponge to make it dirty and used. Do something that isn't your usual way to paint
it's been a little over a year now, I bought my first models in November of 2022, 3 T'au crisis suits + drones, at my relatively local Warhammer shop to finally break into this hobby. I bought paints, brushes and primer aswell and when the store manager was cashing the models he asked me something along the lines of how long I'd think it would take me. I told him that well my plans are to assemble them today (it was 7pm) and paint them the next and he gave me a perplexed look before slowly nodding in approval and saying "alright, enjoy!". I was confused, why WOULDN'T I be able to finish those 3 models or at least one of them in a little under 2 days? How hard could that be! it's a new thing, I was hyped and ready to dig in. Today I am close to finishing one of those suits, it still needs edge highlights and a few fixes in some recess areas but otherwise the mini is basically done the way I like it but I keep thinking back to the day I bought these models and how I, not even with any attitude but just casually announced that I, as total novice, would plow through a process that, I later learned, takes others sometimes weeks, months, years to complete to full satisfaction. I'm no less motivated than I was back then but I am however humbled in my approach. Haven't bought another model yet btw because I promised myself I wouldn't until those suits and drones are ready to go.
I started in October 2021, and have so far managed to finish a squad of Boyz from the Combat Patrol. I've been wondering if I have ADHD, since I keep wanting to start other things, but the guilt of having not finished my Orks prevents me starting my Thousand Sons or Sisters, so I'm in a state of being unable to start anything. I don't know what to do. It's just building up stress now, and I'm wondering if I'd be better off just quitting now. I've stopped buying stuff at least, but I find it hard to ignore limited time minis like the the upcoming Black Library Warboss.
Every GW player has this character build. I'll tell you what you need to do- PUT IT ALL AWAY, except the army you want to paint and assemble. If not, pay someone else to get it to table standards, then later on you can take it from there. cleaned prepped, assembled, primed, based, and three or four color standard is tabletop. You don't have to carry the load alone, if you are having problems finishing the squad or unit. Put your list together, and either buy all the models, and have someone else do it for you, or That's it. YOU do it, and that alone. Don't even look at anything else. Your problem is everyone's problem, on this one, because GW sells their stuff with a Gotta catch them all approach, instead of just giving you the focus and added info to slow down and enjoy the process. Secondly, it is the propaganda of GW to make you THINK you can do alone. They Are Lying To You, and Everyone Else. You put together your project, plan it, fund it, and execute. Because, in the end, if you aren't careful, your army will never be complete.
When you get the urge to leave the model you're working on and start on something new, that's a 'craving', just like craving a snack. The thing about cravings is that they only last a bit, and if you ignore them for a bit, they'll pass. For me, I promise myself that if I work on it for 10 minutes and I'm still hating it, I'll stop and switch gears. Normally, after those first 10 minutes I'm having plenty of fun and can paint for hours. As an experiment, pick the guy closest to done. Find a single part you could paint in 10 minutes. If you just do that part, you can stop, and the model is 10 minutes closer to being complete. If you do that part and don't hate it, pick another 10 minute part.
I don't think there's a definitive 'answer' that can be given towards something like this, but I suppose you could look at other peoples situations and come up with your own solutions. 😁 From my brief outsiders perspective what looks to be the case is you have too many options waiting for a finish line. I would lock away most of it and keep no more than 5 models at your workstation at any given time. I'm still relatively new to the hobby and started it for the purposes of collecting and painting, not so much playing. But I chose the Dark Angels partially because of the variety of paint schemes. Bored of doing green men? turn to ravenwing. Brush fatigued doing fine details? move to the bigger termies of deathwing. There's nothing better for me after a crazy day of work than chucking a podcast on and losing myself in building and painting some mini's 😄
Dude I started close to 270 models last year, and only finished 11. I have probably a good hundred at a 80% completion, and the rest varies from there to not even primed. In my case this is absolutely ADHD, but not only that... Circumstances like your environment and stress and the rest of your mental health are a huge factor. I got to a stage where guilt and shame had become motivators to finish projects, but while they do work, they also take their toll on the mental health. I'm starting now to make my peace that some projects are going to be left behind, and that's okay. And for the rest I'll try and find some motivation that doesn't make feel bad... An upcoming tournament or a bet with a friend or whatever, instead of forcing myself to finish just to prove that I can.
As someone who got diagnosed with ADHD at an early age I don't have any good tips other then setting a gaming deadline so you will have to play with unpainted models if you fail. Or painting something non GW that doesn't have tons of details out the ass. For me that was Marvel Crisis Protocol as Superhero tends to have a more simplistic look that can easily be redrawn from page to page. Plus you only need like 10+ dudes to play. Also Terrain if I remember that Uncle Adam video right.
You're not mad, I suffer from PTSD and have a similar problem with my concentration. I am now trying a method of not spending more than 30 minutes on one project or until my concentration goes. I then take a a short break, spend 30 minutes on a different project and so on. Take things in small steps and eventually you will finish each project. Pick 3 to 4 projects and alternate between them, when one is finished bring a new one into the 4 and so on
Your stuff looks amazing, wish I had half your talent! "Forcing" yourself to do things is the worst approach you can have - we push back when someone tries to make us do things so it often has the opposite effect. One possible answer is t find the "Pay Value" for finishing a mini; most people go to work because they get paid to do so, you need to find what that is for you in regards to painting figures. It could be I really want to play games with this mini and I don't like to play with unpainted figures so I will finish it, or I will not buy any new minis until I finish what I have got. This is a personal thing for you so only you can decide what it is. Hope that helps and keep up the incredible painting 👍
This is your/our hobby, right? I don’t think it matters how you hobby. If you are fussed about your progress you can choose to make more progress. I have a set amount of “project boxes” going at any one moment. This way I can pickup a project at a stage I am interested in from moment to moment. I guess the point for me isn’t just the final result. It’s about the journey and process
at least finish 1:50 that is sick, also do like 10 minutes a day that helped me, just showing up every day eventually one day you will go to 1 hour, so sit down for 10 minutes maybe just look at your models for 10 min a day every day for 4 weeks straight then suddenly you figure it out and it comes in your head again. I watch the dawn of war trailer, with blood ravens putting up a last man flag, or read helsreach memes
I think as someone else eluded to it's probably getting more difficult to finish one because in the back of your mind it's not one to finish you have a lot to finish. Being in the habit of not finishing is the one to break and could be difficult to turn into the habit of always finishing. Try to think of the double reward of being able to see the finished model and allowing yourself to start a new one? Finish one half completed model and then start the shiny new one (and finish it) then repeat until you're caught up. Good luck! As long as it's fun and not a pressure maybe doesn't matter. 😊
You don't have to finish a mini - until you're ready! That's the beauty of the hobby - your models are fine the way they are - no matter what stage you are at. You decide when you want to go back when it pops up, you have a lot to show for us with progress. It took 200 years to bulld the ulm cathedral with generations of workers.
I am the same, but also worse. I tend to rotate hobbies, not just figures! I have to go with whatever my mojo is with at the time whether it is wargaming, video gaming, model railway, whatever. Luckily, it is the getting going that is the hardest. If I force myself to get my paints out and start, I begin enjoying it so carry on.
My 2c: Do a livestream with folks looking at you or get a paint buddy to be accountable to. You can look into trick ADHD use to determine stuff done like reducing the time between effort and reward.
I find it difficult to keep up with the pace of exciting releases. I want to make a dent in my Deathguard but the ever mounting series of exciting releases is both distracting and disheartening. I want to paint other things, but at the same time, if I can't finish these then I will just end up with more models than I could ever finish!
Tbh I will just keep speed painting 5 warbands at once, and accept lower quality paint jobs. In the end I care that I have this warband, that I wanted, not how perfect it is
I can relate to having a hard time finishing miniatures. What I usually do to help me finish models is painting them in pairs but each model with be different like one space marine and one guardsman and I’ll alternate between painting different parts of each model kinda like when I start getting tired of one I’ll switch to the other and so on to keep it refreshing.
I get your problem but at the scale of armies; I paint whole models and squads, but always fall short of having a "complete" force around the 1000 to 1500 points mark. I just get new ideas and begin a new project, leading to abandonment. Just in 2023 I cycled from 40k Thousand Sons (for the 2nd or 3rd time), to Custodes (repainting an already nearly finished army), to City States from the Conquest game, to a 40k terrain building and painting spree, to Sororitas (aborted projet early) to AoS Seraphons, to 40k Imperial Fists, to 30k Ultramarines, to ASOIAF Baratheons, to 40k Emperor's Children, to 30k Thousand Sons (repainting an existing army), to 40k Space Wolves (ended that project early but had ordered tons of bits), to 30k Sons of Horus (ditto as the Space Wolves), to World Eaters that are now close to completion... unless I start a new thing.
These look amazing. This never being ‘finished’ issue is also very common. Da Vinci never finished anything either. He would always want to go further. He would also get bored and get caught up doing something else. It’s the nature of being creative for some people. That’s what they enjoy. This is a hobby after all and we should all do what’s fun. Don’t fight it just have a minimum finish level that’s very easy to achieve. You can always come back to things. If you have more than 3 colours on it, and it’s playable as a model then it’s technically ’finished’. The finish line is where you personally put it.
I almost fell into a bit of a trap recently with making boarding patrol lists. Been playing a lot of Boarding Actions in 10th edition since it's the only size game I can play at home, and me and my friends enjoy it. So for variety, I thought, "Oh, I'll just start a new boarding patrol." I used the smaller size armies to justify buying models - but it was more fun making lists than the idea of building and painting a bunch of new stuff. I made a Deathwatch list, since I already have painted DW models, I just have to add Terminators. Then I made a Sisters list. Then an Imperial Guard one. Then I said, "I already have the World Eaters combat patrol; just add a Kharn and some Eightbound, I basically have a boarding actions list!" But I don't have a list - I have, like you said, grey sprues. Meanwhile my main Necrons that HAVE been built are being neglected in the to-paint box. I've removed the Kharn and the Eightbound from my cart since. I hope things get easier on the finishing side. Just wanted to share my recent struggle too, your videos are very comforting.
I have similar issues, and my advice would be to stop painting for a little bit and store all of your minis away in a box whilst you tidy your painting area fully - clean your brushes, organise your paints etc and clear your mind. Then get just one mini out from your storage, not two or three - hide the rest away out of sight. Then look at that one mini and write down a list of what needs doing to finish that one mini eg metal edging, sword, base etc. put some music on and focus on the first item on your list - pick out just the base paints you need for that bit and put some on the palette and start on just that bit. For me, once I do this and start, I keep going and ‘get into’ painting that mini again. Maybe have reference art for that one mini to hand but nothing else / no other minis. Sometimes you need to put blinkers on a work horse to help them zone in on only the path ahead with no distractions! Good luck and have fun admiring your handy work, you have some excellent minis there just crying out to be ‘done’ and once you finish one, the others will seem more tempting!
I have the same issue. I decided to just accept it because it has the unintended advantage of letting you start clearing your pile of shame. As long as they get finished eventually, I don't sweat the time it takes. Think the most I ever left a model for was a year.
I honestly loved seeing the finished legs on each model and the "bad" top halves because it just shows you can't judge your work when only the base costs are down and it's a WIP, it'll still come out great in the end
Honestly I can somewhat relate to this. On day one I will select a model to paint and if I can’t finish it on the first day my brain moves on to another model the next day even though I know I have to finish the first one
I also find the legs and lower halves of models to be easier to paint, so I start with the hard parts and do the legs last. It helps me to know it’s only going to get easier as I go, rather than harder.
I meant to say tendencies/symptoms to some degree. This is well known. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350878#:~:text=Almost%20everyone%20has%20some%20symptoms,one%20area%20of%20your%20life.
@@podger_minisyeah but it's damaging because it makes people characterise actual ADHD symptoms as moral failings and trivialise people's genuine problems. A good analogy I find is that everyone feels down sometimes, but not everyone has depression. We all make spelling mistakes but we don't say "everyone is a bit dyslexic".
I allow myself 4 "slots" on my shelf for unpainted models. I'm allowed to choose any one, and chop and change, but it has to be one of those 4. The reward of opening up a slot for something new is pretty nice.
This is great. I do the same really, but never so intentionally. I put my unfinished models on the same shelf as my display models, which means I can only have so many on there before I feel it ruins the look of the display, which gives me motivation to only ever have a couple on the go.
One of the main reasons for this is a phenomenon called choice overload.
But if I didn't have option to build, convert and paint, anything that I can think of, then I wouldn't even bother in this hobby
Everyone WANTS the “thing,” but no one wants to DO the “thing”
I love the honesty brotha’! I’m right there w/ you 🤙
I think a lot of people are guilty of this, including myself. I’ve been trying to push myself to finish projects more lately. I’m tired of having half finished armies on the table. I try to keep unrelated minis off my radar and stored away to focus on the one thing. Of course having a lot of friends with different games to play can make it difficult to focus as well.
This video hit me at a weird time. I DO have ADHD and I do live my hobby life very much like this. My hobby desk is full of started projects pushed in to a corner out of the way and sprues of new projects that I am going to be extremely excited about for a couple of weeks. But I've been on meds now for a few months for my ADHD and for some strange reason, today I picked up one of those projects in the corner and put a little bit of paint on them. So let's see where my motivation points me tomorrow.
Sounds like there is a fear to finish because if it’s finished it’ll then be subject to judgement rather than creative energy
I have a lot of ADHD tendencies, but I find that extremely in my face things help to ground me enough to get things done, at least in this hobby they do.
So I set up a spreadsheet and made a habit of opening it each time I work on stuff. Seeing the list of models, how many I own, have built, painted, etc. It really helps me focus on what I need to do and how much there really is, plus it has the benefit of telling me to stop buying when I have too much left to do, at least it did until deathwing got an update...
282 models, probably 25-30 boxes, 80 models 100% built with 2 painted to 75% completion and 2 at 50%. It's rough getting things completed at a decent rate, especially since around 10 of them are vehicles and other large models that also had magnetization work (with another 10 still to go), but it's a lot of fun which is why I have barely painted anything, plus I'm not building to play so I'm in no hurry to paint, I just want to look at cool models even if they are grey plastic.
The spreadsheet is set up to keep track of everything, as more models of a type are built the color goes from red to yellow then green, same for painting, once everything is done they go blue. I can see when I build, print and paint things, how far into them I get, how many active projects I have at any given time. This has helped a ton in getting things done before I start more.
The reason I feel this works so well is because both 90% and 100% built models look almost the same on the table, same with painted, so it gets quite difficult to justify finishing them when I can have a lot of fun doing more work elsewhere, but an uncompleted entry on my spreadsheet will always be red no matter how close to completion it is, and the active projects list will bother me more and more as things get added. This pushes me to complete something, I'm not looking at 10 assault intercessors without heads and arms on my table, I'm looking at a red line that says I have 0 assault intercessors built. It sometimes makes building feel more like a job, at that point I just take a break until I want to come back and make something, this has kept me from burnout and from half completing things, but the rest of the time it feels like I'm making progress instead of just having random things going on.
I was going to say that another thing I have learnt was to do the things I dislike the most first so that I can reward myself with the fun parts after, but termagants... I have only built 12 of 40 of them and I think I would rather step on a lego than try and finish those spiky bastards... They are the one project I am happy to leave unfinished.
I use a spreadsheet template which I found online, absolute life saver. It also track the points total of everything in their various stages - built, primed, painted, based, varnished and complete. Seeing that points total number go up feels just as good as the satisfaction of completing a model does. If just one model in a 10 man squad has its base incomplete, then the whole ten man squad is considered unfinished. Having that incomplete entry in the spreadsheet helps me stay accountable and actually finish units off.. eventually. Between my two current armies, Guard and Thousand Sons, I have 14 units in various stages of completion - looking at this whenever I have the urge to take on a new project or buy a shiny new kit keeps me grounded, as I'm reminded how long these things actually take to complete.
I also have a Tyranids army on the backburner - I've found a scheme that is 90% contrast paint so I can quickly bash those termagants out.
2024 for me has been the most successful hobby year so far of my life. Ive suffered from this my whole life, my new approach has been to paint 1 model per day and I've got an automated spreadsheet to track my process. I play a lot and I have vowed to not field an unpainted model in games. If you don't want to paint so many models try a model every week or one every 10 days and keep a diary or something similar. Seeing the pile of painted models growing steadily makes it all worth it once you've gotten over the initial hurdle
I think I have this too. Can absolutely hyper focus on things and quite comfortable doing repetitive tasks... But the minute some new flavour of the week enters my brain, game over lol
I always finish a model when I start it, the problem is I spend WAYYY to long on each model until I am satisfied with it. A model I expected to spend 2-4 hours on turns into an entire day or two. Worse yet I won’t allow myself to start on the models I’m actually excited and anxious to start until I finish the ones I’m less interested in.
I have ADHD and have recently dabbled in painting miniatures. I’d recommend just having the model out with your supplies if possible. Just having everything you need easily available to you so you do t have to go through the extra steps of set up it takes to properly use your work area has helped me finish models. That way, if you’re feeling that urge to finish the model, you simply can.
I was like this not too long ago. Recently starting hitting the gym more consistently, and I find when I have productive hobbies I have more fun painting Warhammer as well. It might just be me, I don't think I have ADHD. Also, another thing is having nothing else to do. Get home from work, workout, paint warhammer, rest for the other 2 hours or so before I go to bed. Having no games to play or anything like that helps, especially since my social life either happens on weekends or straight after work.
Mate, your paint jobs are awesome. I wish my ADHD would paint at all. I'm medicated, and that helps with consistency. Problem is I'm usually so busy with work and chore work I never find the time. It's not about willpower. If you have ADHD, your brain is stingy with Dopamine. So, new projects are exciting and give that release and motivation. You will hyperfocus on the new project until the Dopamine supply gets cut off. Roughly from the waist up for you :). My Death Company dreadnaught has been an active project since 2018.
Definitely a “choice overload” situation - we’re all guilty of it mate!
I've had semi-finished minis waiting on my desk for months, some of them for years by now. I manage to finish some here and there whenever I have a burst of motivation. But for some reason it is so much harder to finish a model that's already 2/3 of the way there than it is to start painting one from the beginning. And those often get finished in one sitting, provided the motivation is sufficient.
Oh, since it might be important: I do have ADHD^^
I have same issue with ADHD and many projects very close to completion but abandoned at an honestly inexplicably close point to "battle ready". I have found entering tournaments is the best motivation to finish a project off fwiw.
I seem to have some sort of painting ADHD, I'll paint 1-3 guys in a squad, and then I can't bring myself to finish the rest. Then I'll move on to something else.
I collect salamanders, blood angels, black legion, 40k Emperors children, and battle sisters. All unfinished... 🙃
I know this exact feeling. So much shit I have to finish and want to finish, but I just cannot be fucked.
list build like an escalation league and base your painting goals around smaller bitesize schedules instead of getting overwhelmed.
My wife and I are both diagnosed ADHD recently in our 30s. People think ADHD means you can’t sit down and do anything, as you said if you want and are interested, you can sit down for hours, but as soon as you lose steam though, it really is all over with. My problem with painting is that towards the end of the model I really lose patience in the high lighting and all that, but I am trying to challenge myself in taking things to get finished.
I've done the same many times. I find playing the games and being around other painters motivates me through the "lull" period of painting a model. If I don't want to finish a model I put on a painting podcast and that really helps. You create media about this hobby, so I dunno if any of that would help.
*watches 10 seconds of video*
"that's adhd right there."
Welcome brother.
Seriously though, I have the same issues with painting, I'm autistic and waiting for adhd diagnosis, but definitely combo adhd.
I'm finding when I get bored on a model, I'll just grab something from a different army, build it and prime it. It helps give you that little dopamine hit. So now I have 1k points of finished DAs, 5 mostly painted Nids, a random Ork, then a lot of primed minis for when the mood takes me. 😆
ADHD is defined by a lack of executive function. That is an inability to plan steps to complete a task. Typical test is "tell me how to make a cup of tea in 5 steps". If you struggle to make it fit, or come up with too many steps, you have some form of executive dysfunction. I find it impacts getting started on something a lot. Another effect of it is as discussed in the video, the graveyard of 90% complete projects. I think that when your brain is (finally, after much delay) planning how to do something, you can work on it. When you've worked out how do it, when you finally have the plan, it just goes in the bin and you stop working.
This hits hard, as not only do I have ADHD but two of the main models I need to finish on my painting desk are that Terminator Captain and a squad of MK VI marines. In Blood Angels no less! Oh and that Blood Angels contemptor as well!
Another thing with ADHD and Warhammer is not sticking to one faction or system or whatever - so it's like I don't just have Blood Angels, I have 30K blood angels, I have Necrons, I have Leagues of Votann, Grey Knights, Imperial knights, loads of Imperial Agents stuff, then Necromunda stuff a load of terrain and even some Sylvaneth I intended on running as Daemons of the Ruinstorm.. very little is painted.. although in fairness I do have a toddler right now so painting time is very limited. I keep hoping I get more time once he gets a little older.
100% relatable! I love painting but lose the energy easily. I also want to create good looking models and don’t want to speed paint.
I finish some models - but never units! Iv'e not completed a single unit from any faction ever. I have a concentration span typically found in less that 5% of the general population according to an educational psychologist and severe dyslexia. I do have some strong ADHT traits - but no diagnoses as such. Tedious repetitive tasks bore the hell out of me. painting a dreadnaught, character or vehicle is a totally different experience than a squad.
Like you say - the over buying can be a terrible problem. I really do enjoy building models - so a nice new kit can amuse me for quite a while just assembling it to my liking. Its worth the money for the building dopamine hit alone sometimes.....snipping the plastic from sprews is oddly satisfying in itself. Then they all get undercoated and in some extreme situations only one or 2 get painted. They do get painted to a reasonably good standard but then I just cant be bothered to do any more.
Perhaps you need a model to work on thats very different to what you like - give your brain and brushes a break from power armour and paint lizardmen, or zombies, or a farseer, or go full Bob Ross! Try to break the mould, and hopefully that will not only bring you novelty, but when you return to projects, see them in a new light.
It's important to remember that you might also just not like what you're working on and you don't know it until you're invested - the sunk cost fallacy at its finest.
I don't move on. That's my issue. I just sit on a batch or mini or whatever it is, slowly making less and less progress in more and more time.
It took me six months to do a 10 man kill team. Now i'm painting a singular marine and its taking me 4 days already. I'm starting to panic, hoping that the boredom doesn't kick in. All i have left to do is just the shoulders, base, head and gun.
Also I'm not super confident on things like blending colours. So the thought of putting a week of work into a mini, only to fu*k it up is very stressful. I've been painting for around a year and a half now, and it still has not clicked in my head. Very frustrating.
Thank you, it helps to know it happens to other people, too 👍 I try to counter it by having made a deal with myself and not getting any new stuff this year, except for birthday / Christmas. Will see if it works out ….
i am envy of your layering and shade work....
Thank you for posting this video. I’m exactly the same way.
I’ll get bored with a model or models and start something new or go back to models I’ve shelved at 50-90% done and work on those. I find that I’ll have a new interest in the models when I pick them back up.
I’ve got ADHD also.
I have the same issue with video games. If I stop playing a game for more than, like, 2 days, I won't pick them up again for over a year.
The Models shown in this video are to Standard. Your good to go if you play some games with this. You don't have to play every game with a fully completed model. You are quite fine to play with the army half painted, and in the process.
Me too. I have a lot finished and I usually get projects done. Sometimes you just gotta sit down and start. Y'know? Like just do highlighting on those guys on the table. Just do ALL the same type at the same time, same steps. But also, it's ok to have unfinished stuff. Chill! I have a box I petered out on after I didn't want to paint stuff. What it really was is just I didn't want to paint it and be unhappy. I took a break did some other stuff and I'm back to it with fresh ideas and all those perfect "that's what I want" ideas. No point finishing if it would always feel like you never painted it right.
I'm a bit like this, I noticed the pandemic really exacerbated my lack of attention span now I can barely read books - swapped to audio books predominantly
i play ba and recently got the mkvi tactical squad and this is pretty relatable
something that might help as well is from everything you showed of, it is all 40k all power armour and what not, have you tried painting something completley different. Maybe pick up one AOS character and paint it in your spare time to clear your mind. this has helped me before.
No model is ever finished NEVER!
So I basecoat to a table top standard every model than I put it up until it hits me again to finish it up another level or diorama level.
I suffer too from adhd
Seems more like an obsessive compulsion to want something new to do and against completing projects. If something isn’t finished it can’t be judged.
Do you ever paint in subassembly? I find that makes me take a lot longer with painting and even if the end result is better I often lose motivation halfway as it’s difficult to visualise the end result with the model painted in parts.
I have watched 2 videos now and I totally understand and relate to you views. The only models l have finished have been when they are for someone else (son) . You are painting to a very high standard mate
Got kind of the same problem i think. cause i'm having this in the background while painting. Smaller goals, is what i did, so i went inquisition and necromunda, painting and converting a model at the time, almost never batch paint couse i get bored. vehicles sucks so bad though, don't know what to do when it comes to them. working on it from time to time, but when i started i almost burned out.
Im not quite as bad, but this does happen to me. I am ADD/ADHD, which comes with Hyperfocus. But it also comes with a motivation off switch as soon as you convince yourself something is important you procrastinate.
Start by Finishing a squad, let the feeling of accomplishment wash over you. I dont stop myself from buying things, but I only allow myself to work on one box at a time.
It would be a shame to rush finishing a model you took your sweet time on.
How are the Cruor Blades coming along?
he's lirrly me, fr fr
haven't touched my models in 2 months T_T
I'm too worried about money to enjoy the time at the desk where i can dwell on it
Caffeine.
Try being Bipolar and Schizophrenic, it's so tough fir me to start and finish something. I'm trying to get into the zone of working start to finish. I change my mind on colours, poses, way too many details that won't ever matter.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's like it's tough to finish it bc when it's done, that means it's ready to be judged.
I started the hobby again 6 months ago and I've yet to finish a single model other than the push fit starter kit I did for practice. They each got a spray prime, 3 or 4 layers of their basecoats and a wash. I've spent 5 of the last 6 months extensively building a highly modified Haarken worldclaimer for my homebrew night lords warband and 10 raptors. I've done: Green stuff in layers, brass pinning, jewellers chains, custom bases, kitbashed 3rd party parts, etching, scratch built parts, blue stuff casting, the works. I've almost finished my sub-assemblies. My problem is clearly feature creep.
It could be my ADHD, but context here, I've got a 14 month old baby, and have to make the most of the 45 mins every other day I get to work on stuff.
To be quite honest, the slow progress has been satisfying, I'm happy with it. I feel like I'm doing things properly, where in the past I would settle for something that looked good enough. And importantly for me, it's consistent, not-instant gratification that I'm getting better at. I care more about the process, the finished product is a bonus.
This is me
Id advise you to literally finish... anything. Dosent matter how big or small. It will remove a massive mental block if your anything like me. Gradually try to get into thet habit of finishing somthing regularlly. evene if its like one little clanrat or a guardsman it dosent matter.. getting back on the horse in the hardest part from recovering from an extreme case of hobby butterfly.
All the time although for me a lot of it is being scared to go over something I did well
To be honest this doesn't really sound like ADHD, this just sounds like a lack of discipline. There's no indication of hyperactivity or restlessness, just a lack of both self-control and fiscal responsibility. Which is a shame, because you obviously have quite a lot of skill. "Being bored" is not ADHD. "Forcing yourself to finish" is exactly what you should be doing. If you keep starting new projects you should discipline yourself to not buy new kits.
I have diagnosed ADHD and the main thing people would accuse me of is lack of discipline, or laziness. You're associating ADHD with hyperactivity which is only one type of ADHD - often people are inattentive-type which isn't outwardly hyperactive (this is the type I have, and why it took so long to get diagnosed). ADHD is actually characterized by a lack of impulse control - starting multiple projects or hobbies then never finishing them before moving onto something more interesting is VERY ADHD.
Bro really said ‘These well known and studied symptoms of ADHD are not ADHD’ 💀
@@Vin_Venture896 to be fair mind even a lot of educators and medical professionals until recent years were woefully ignorant of ADHD, unless they specialised in it. For a long time I was told it was basically "little boys with ants in their pants" until I went to an actual psychiatrist who specialised in it - who basically said "you're ADHD as fuck".
Stop giving your brain distractions (other models), put them away, out of sight. Only have the thing you need to complete out. Start painting everyday, with the aim to do 20-30 mins. You find you do more. Forget about the results of when, how you complete it.
I have a similar problem i want my model to look good, but i want to finish it in a day, yet i also lack the attention span to continue painting longer than 2 to 3 hours. I'd say maybe alternate through models with different armor and colors, it might be able to make it feel like less of painting the same thing.
One of the great pieces of advice I heard recently is don’t commit yourself to ideas, commit yourself to the end result. It may seem good or fun to have something but if you think of what it would take to get there, then truly consider that before committing to action!
Finishing artwork when you’re a perfectionist can be hard. A finished piece is an objective reminder of how imperfect your art is. It’s a nail in the ground that says ‘THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT SKILL LEVEL YOU ARE’ and that can cause feelings of shame. If you never finish the piece, there’s always plausible deniability. It’s like the student who’s so worried about failing their exam that they just don’t turn up. They can say ‘Well, I COULD have aced it if I turned up, but I just didn’t!’
Dealing with that is about working to finish something, and then learning to accept the sense of shame that comes afterwards. Eventually you’ll work through it and that’s when the issue goes away.
Great post
I am exactly the same as this. I have literally probably 40+ half painted models to a very high standard.
Instead of painting: legs, torso, head
Try: red, silver, gold
Also, you can pick 6 projects and roll a dice to decide the next 6 projects you'll work on. I do that and sometimes I find myself wanting to paint model number 4 in place of number 2 because I feel like it. Maybe because all of these are space marines you may find it not enjoyable as much, they are all the same colours or close shapes, same rules of light and shadow, same ways to do highlights. That could be a reason aswell
You could and should try new techniques and ways of painting. You could do a sword with NMM, or gold bits in NMM, maybe OSL on a character, Maybe one of them has NMM armour or use a sponge to make it dirty and used. Do something that isn't your usual way to paint
it's been a little over a year now, I bought my first models in November of 2022, 3 T'au crisis suits + drones, at my relatively local Warhammer shop to finally break into this hobby.
I bought paints, brushes and primer aswell and when the store manager was cashing the models he asked me something along the lines of how long I'd think it would take me. I told him that well my plans are to assemble them today (it was 7pm) and paint them the next and he gave me a perplexed look before slowly nodding in approval and saying "alright, enjoy!".
I was confused, why WOULDN'T I be able to finish those 3 models or at least one of them in a little under 2 days? How hard could that be! it's a new thing, I was hyped and ready to dig in.
Today I am close to finishing one of those suits, it still needs edge highlights and a few fixes in some recess areas but otherwise the mini is basically done the way I like it but I keep thinking back to the day I bought these models and how I, not even with any attitude but just casually announced that I, as total novice, would plow through a process that, I later learned, takes others sometimes weeks, months, years to complete to full satisfaction.
I'm no less motivated than I was back then but I am however humbled in my approach.
Haven't bought another model yet btw because I promised myself I wouldn't until those suits and drones are ready to go.
I started in October 2021, and have so far managed to finish a squad of Boyz from the Combat Patrol. I've been wondering if I have ADHD, since I keep wanting to start other things, but the guilt of having not finished my Orks prevents me starting my Thousand Sons or Sisters, so I'm in a state of being unable to start anything. I don't know what to do. It's just building up stress now, and I'm wondering if I'd be better off just quitting now.
I've stopped buying stuff at least, but I find it hard to ignore limited time minis like the the upcoming Black Library Warboss.
Every GW player has this character build.
I'll tell you what you need to do- PUT IT ALL AWAY, except the army you want to paint and assemble.
If not, pay someone else to get it to table standards, then later on you can take it from there.
cleaned prepped, assembled, primed, based, and three or four color standard is tabletop.
You don't have to carry the load alone, if you are having problems finishing the squad or unit. Put your list together, and either buy all the models, and have someone else do it for you, or That's it. YOU do it, and that alone.
Don't even look at anything else. Your problem is everyone's problem, on this one, because GW sells their stuff with a Gotta catch them all approach, instead of just giving you the focus and added info to slow down and enjoy the process.
Secondly, it is the propaganda of GW to make you THINK you can do alone. They Are Lying To You, and Everyone Else.
You put together your project, plan it, fund it, and execute. Because, in the end, if you aren't careful, your army will never be complete.
When you get the urge to leave the model you're working on and start on something new, that's a 'craving', just like craving a snack. The thing about cravings is that they only last a bit, and if you ignore them for a bit, they'll pass. For me, I promise myself that if I work on it for 10 minutes and I'm still hating it, I'll stop and switch gears. Normally, after those first 10 minutes I'm having plenty of fun and can paint for hours.
As an experiment, pick the guy closest to done. Find a single part you could paint in 10 minutes. If you just do that part, you can stop, and the model is 10 minutes closer to being complete. If you do that part and don't hate it, pick another 10 minute part.
I don't think there's a definitive 'answer' that can be given towards something like this, but I suppose you could look at other peoples situations and come up with your own solutions. 😁 From my brief outsiders perspective what looks to be the case is you have too many options waiting for a finish line. I would lock away most of it and keep no more than 5 models at your workstation at any given time.
I'm still relatively new to the hobby and started it for the purposes of collecting and painting, not so much playing. But I chose the Dark Angels partially because of the variety of paint schemes. Bored of doing green men? turn to ravenwing. Brush fatigued doing fine details? move to the bigger termies of deathwing. There's nothing better for me after a crazy day of work than chucking a podcast on and losing myself in building and painting some mini's 😄
Dude I started close to 270 models last year, and only finished 11. I have probably a good hundred at a 80% completion, and the rest varies from there to not even primed. In my case this is absolutely ADHD, but not only that... Circumstances like your environment and stress and the rest of your mental health are a huge factor.
I got to a stage where guilt and shame had become motivators to finish projects, but while they do work, they also take their toll on the mental health. I'm starting now to make my peace that some projects are going to be left behind, and that's okay. And for the rest I'll try and find some motivation that doesn't make feel bad... An upcoming tournament or a bet with a friend or whatever, instead of forcing myself to finish just to prove that I can.
As someone who got diagnosed with ADHD at an early age I don't have any good tips other then setting a gaming deadline so you will have to play with unpainted models if you fail. Or painting something non GW that doesn't have tons of details out the ass. For me that was Marvel Crisis Protocol as Superhero tends to have a more simplistic look that can easily be redrawn from page to page. Plus you only need like 10+ dudes to play. Also Terrain if I remember that Uncle Adam video right.
You're not mad, I suffer from PTSD and have a similar problem with my concentration. I am now trying a method of not spending more than 30 minutes on one project or until my concentration goes. I then take a a short break, spend 30 minutes on a different project and so on. Take things in small steps and eventually you will finish each project. Pick 3 to 4 projects and alternate between them, when one is finished bring a new one into the 4 and so on
Your stuff looks amazing, wish I had half your talent! "Forcing" yourself to do things is the worst approach you can have - we push back when someone tries to make us do things so it often has the opposite effect. One possible answer is t find the "Pay Value" for finishing a mini; most people go to work because they get paid to do so, you need to find what that is for you in regards to painting figures. It could be I really want to play games with this mini and I don't like to play with unpainted figures so I will finish it, or I will not buy any new minis until I finish what I have got. This is a personal thing for you so only you can decide what it is. Hope that helps and keep up the incredible painting
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This is your/our hobby, right? I don’t think it matters how you hobby. If you are fussed about your progress you can choose to make more progress. I have a set amount of “project boxes” going at any one moment. This way I can pickup a project at a stage I am interested in from moment to moment. I guess the point for me isn’t just the final result. It’s about the journey and process
Uncle Atom (Tabletop Minions) made a video called gamer ADD, not sure if it's really what you're looking for, but might give some insight?
at least finish 1:50 that is sick, also do like 10 minutes a day that helped me, just showing up every day eventually one day you will go to 1 hour, so sit down for 10 minutes maybe just look at your models for 10 min a day every day for 4 weeks straight then suddenly you figure it out and it comes in your head again. I watch the dawn of war trailer, with blood ravens putting up a last man flag, or read helsreach memes
I think as someone else eluded to it's probably getting more difficult to finish one because in the back of your mind it's not one to finish you have a lot to finish.
Being in the habit of not finishing is the one to break and could be difficult to turn into the habit of always finishing.
Try to think of the double reward of being able to see the finished model and allowing yourself to start a new one?
Finish one half completed model and then start the shiny new one (and finish it) then repeat until you're caught up.
Good luck! As long as it's fun and not a pressure maybe doesn't matter. 😊
You don't have to finish a mini - until you're ready! That's the beauty of the hobby - your models are fine the way they are - no matter what stage you are at. You decide when you want to go back when it pops up, you have a lot to show for us with progress. It took 200 years to bulld the ulm cathedral with generations of workers.
I am the same, but also worse. I tend to rotate hobbies, not just figures! I have to go with whatever my mojo is with at the time whether it is wargaming, video gaming, model railway, whatever. Luckily, it is the getting going that is the hardest. If I force myself to get my paints out and start, I begin enjoying it so carry on.
My 2c: Do a livestream with folks looking at you or get a paint buddy to be accountable to. You can look into trick ADHD use to determine stuff done like reducing the time between effort and reward.
I find it difficult to keep up with the pace of exciting releases. I want to make a dent in my Deathguard but the ever mounting series of exciting releases is both distracting and disheartening. I want to paint other things, but at the same time, if I can't finish these then I will just end up with more models than I could ever finish!
Without a speck of hyperbole, I've finished less than 1% of models that I've put paint on.
Tbh I will just keep speed painting 5 warbands at once, and accept lower quality paint jobs. In the end I care that I have this warband, that I wanted, not how perfect it is
Oh so TH-cam just decided to personally attack me in the recommendation section I guess 😂
I can relate to having a hard time finishing miniatures. What I usually do to help me finish models is painting them in pairs but each model with be different like one space marine and one guardsman and I’ll alternate between painting different parts of each model kinda like when I start getting tired of one I’ll switch to the other and so on to keep it refreshing.
I don't have any answers for you. I suffer from exactly the same issues in the hobby. I just wanted to say that you're not alone in this.
I am right there in the same boat with you man. Keep strong. I build so much and never get enough paint on models. We will get it finished one day.
I have ADHD and all i want to do it paint my minis. The only bad part is that i have hyper focus.
Man, your unfinished models look better then my finished ones! 😮
I mean that terminator captain looks great.
I get your problem but at the scale of armies; I paint whole models and squads, but always fall short of having a "complete" force around the 1000 to 1500 points mark. I just get new ideas and begin a new project, leading to abandonment. Just in 2023 I cycled from 40k Thousand Sons (for the 2nd or 3rd time), to Custodes (repainting an already nearly finished army), to City States from the Conquest game, to a 40k terrain building and painting spree, to Sororitas (aborted projet early) to AoS Seraphons, to 40k Imperial Fists, to 30k Ultramarines, to ASOIAF Baratheons, to 40k Emperor's Children, to 30k Thousand Sons (repainting an existing army), to 40k Space Wolves (ended that project early but had ordered tons of bits), to 30k Sons of Horus (ditto as the Space Wolves), to World Eaters that are now close to completion... unless I start a new thing.
These look amazing. This never being ‘finished’ issue is also very common. Da Vinci never finished anything either. He would always want to go further. He would also get bored and get caught up doing something else. It’s the nature of being creative for some people. That’s what they enjoy. This is a hobby after all and we should all do what’s fun. Don’t fight it just have a minimum finish level that’s very easy to achieve. You can always come back to things. If you have more than 3 colours on it, and it’s playable as a model then it’s technically ’finished’. The finish line is where you personally put it.
I almost fell into a bit of a trap recently with making boarding patrol lists. Been playing a lot of Boarding Actions in 10th edition since it's the only size game I can play at home, and me and my friends enjoy it. So for variety, I thought, "Oh, I'll just start a new boarding patrol."
I used the smaller size armies to justify buying models - but it was more fun making lists than the idea of building and painting a bunch of new stuff. I made a Deathwatch list, since I already have painted DW models, I just have to add Terminators. Then I made a Sisters list. Then an Imperial Guard one. Then I said, "I already have the World Eaters combat patrol; just add a Kharn and some Eightbound, I basically have a boarding actions list!"
But I don't have a list - I have, like you said, grey sprues. Meanwhile my main Necrons that HAVE been built are being neglected in the to-paint box. I've removed the Kharn and the Eightbound from my cart since.
I hope things get easier on the finishing side. Just wanted to share my recent struggle too, your videos are very comforting.
I have similar issues, and my advice would be to stop painting for a little bit and store all of your minis away in a box whilst you tidy your painting area fully - clean your brushes, organise your paints etc and clear your mind. Then get just one mini out from your storage, not two or three - hide the rest away out of sight. Then look at that one mini and write down a list of what needs doing to finish that one mini eg metal edging, sword, base etc. put some music on and focus on the first item on your list - pick out just the base paints you need for that bit and put some on the palette and start on just that bit. For me, once I do this and start, I keep going and ‘get into’ painting that mini again. Maybe have reference art for that one mini to hand but nothing else / no other minis. Sometimes you need to put blinkers on a work horse to help them zone in on only the path ahead with no distractions! Good luck and have fun admiring your handy work, you have some excellent minis there just crying out to be ‘done’ and once you finish one, the others will seem more tempting!
I have the same issue. I decided to just accept it because it has the unintended advantage of letting you start clearing your pile of shame. As long as they get finished eventually, I don't sweat the time it takes. Think the most I ever left a model for was a year.
I honestly loved seeing the finished legs on each model and the "bad" top halves because it just shows you can't judge your work when only the base costs are down and it's a WIP, it'll still come out great in the end
Honestly I can somewhat relate to this. On day one I will select a model to paint and if I can’t finish it on the first day my brain moves on to another model the next day even though I know I have to finish the first one
I also find the legs and lower halves of models to be easier to paint, so I start with the hard parts and do the legs last. It helps me to know it’s only going to get easier as I go, rather than harder.
I find tournaments are a great motivator to get things done. Or maybe a painting competition?
Big disclaimer for you my man, don't go saying everybody has adhd to a lesser extent cause that's objetivly not true, and you should do your research.
I meant to say tendencies/symptoms to some degree. This is well known. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350878#:~:text=Almost%20everyone%20has%20some%20symptoms,one%20area%20of%20your%20life.
@@podger_minisyeah but it's damaging because it makes people characterise actual ADHD symptoms as moral failings and trivialise people's genuine problems.
A good analogy I find is that everyone feels down sometimes, but not everyone has depression. We all make spelling mistakes but we don't say "everyone is a bit dyslexic".
Context and semantics. People can tell the difference. I don’t believe I have said anything damaging