Lately, real life has really taken a toll on my hobby. As I wandered the morning blog posts feeling rather sorry for myself, I thought this might make a slightly odd but possibly interesting post.
I've been so snowed under with work of late that I haven't gotten to lift a brush in a couple of weeks. I have been gaming, just, but for me hobby is my relaxation, it's like nerd yoga. If I don't get to paint for a few days, I start to twitch. After a couple of weeks, I'm ready to stab someone. I wonder, am I just particularly irritable, or does the gaming world in general suffer from gaming/hobby withdraw of one form or another if denied the use of dice or brush for protracted periods of time?
Tell.
Tell Dr. Saturday... It'll be just between you, me and the internets.
I have to game once a week, minimum. If you imagine a bear, a bear who is not a morning bear, and it's the morning. He has had no coffee and has a very sore head. That is what I'm like if I don't game. I can go slightly longer without painting, maybe a fortnight.
ReplyDeleteI don't get to game often. I have a once a month group but between work and family life it is hard to squeeze anything regular in. The brush is more easily reached (and the xbox) so they take care of me pretty well :)
ReplyDeleteLike Adeptgamer I have little time to actually game...and scheduling something with my gaming recruits is always difficult. Painting on the other hand is a very Zen thing for me...and therefore relaxing. If I don't get a bit of time in each day I feel bad...go a couple of days and I certainly get very anxious about it. "Nerd Yoga" is a great way to put it...or "Nerd Meditation" in my case.
ReplyDeleteHey, it's great to hear that others share gaming/painting withdrawal too! I find if I don't game at least one miniature game a week I feel irritable. And as for painting, the habit of putting a record on, painting to the end of side one, stretching and flipping the record, and then painting for side two is such a necessary daily ritual that if I don't do it I can't sleep that night. Crazy wonderful stuff. I wonder if we should all form an internet support group?
ReplyDeleteI hobby so much that I get life withdrawals...
ReplyDeleteI think I resent not having the time to do something with the hobby as much as missing the activity itself. I might go a couple of weeks without painting or something, but so long as I'm not itching to work on something in particular, I'm not too bothered. If it's because I haven't had a moment to myself for 2 weeks, I will get very irritable.
ReplyDeleteAs for gaming, I get down to the games club most weeks, but I don't always play. It's as much a social thing as anything. And that's what I start to miss if I can't get to the club for weeks on end.
I know exactly how you feel, Mr Saturday! And I love the description of nerd yoga! I also like the feeling of painting, modelling or terrain building and getting things done.... Sort of painting-therapy, but with a tangible result!
ReplyDeleteAh, it's nice to know hobby withdrawal is more commonplace than I'd imagined. In particular the meditative benefits of painting and modelling should not be underestimated, especially for those of us who don't game as much as we'd like.
ReplyDelete