- gaming - it helps me a lot when I know that a mini will be used in a battle and not only because painted minis play better, but also because it makes more fun a has much more atmosphere. I started my Escher Necromunda tale with a campaign start at a local club. The minis that performed best were the first in a queue to be painted
That is also the reason why I started playing more skirmish games. You just need 15-20 miniatures and you're ready to play. The feeling of having achieved something comes much faster
Painting armies is more difficult and takes more. I think that having a defined army list with 1500 - 2250 pts helps to stay on the track. - real miniature contests - you can't play with all the miniatures, some will get a display base For a contest you try to give your best and there is a deadline which also motivates (at least in my case). After every competition I come back from, I am full with painting energy and I want to grab my brushes as soon as possible. So there contests are a real kick to paint more.
- buying vs painting - buying a miniature is much easier then painting it. Last year I tried not to buy a single miniature. After 7 months I have failed. But today I can't remember what miniatures I wanted to buy and I am still alive, so they weren't needed that much It also helped me to paint more miniatures than to buy! This is a big achievement in my case.
This year I am also trying to be as restrictive as I can (only 3 minis bought so far !) and I don't buy miniatures as soon as they are released. I give my 'need to have/buy' a bit of time to mature. If I haven't forgot about it after 2-3 weeks then it is worth to buy. - unpainted miniatures - call it whatever you want: hall of shame, pile of lead or in my case cellar of boxes I can't remember when was the last time when I bought a miniature and started to paint it right away. That is really not only sad but also dramatic. Sometimes I amaze myself about what minis hide there. It doesn't happen very often but still ...
To change it I made myself a todo list. It is just an ordered list of miniatures/units I want to paint in the future. Such small and silly piece of paper has helped me a lot to keep my focus on getting rid of the unpainted lead. - painting corner - my kingdom. Before I didn't have a possibility to have an own place, now after moving to Munich at the very beginning my wife made me to buy a desk where I can paint and keep my thing there and leave the table tidy for meals. I don't have to clean it after every painting evening and I can paint whenever I have time to. I know it myself that it isn't always possible, but I find it a big factor and now I just couldn't paint without it.
- painting sessions - plan your time! For me it is Tuesday On the radio there is my favorite program and I keep this time to myself. Whatever happens and how few time for painting I have, I know there is Tuesday and a 2 hours painting fun. My wife knows about it, doesn't invite any guests, goes for fitness and she even buys me beer and chips on this occasion - every week!
- commissions - I did it only once and I can already say, never ever again !!! I can't motivate myself to paint anything for someone. I just can't. I am still keeping this miniature after 4 months, painted a little bit, but the guy seems to be very easy with it Lucky me I know that some like it or that some need it (well the money), but for me it is a big demotivation factor. So it was important to realize and say to myself never ever again !!!.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
What takes the joy of painting away from you?