Dealing with pile of shame

 NOTE: this post has been originally published as form topic on TGA community. 

I wanted to discuss this topic because I think it's something that a lot of hobbyists are struggling with and in the same time I wanted to share my experience as well. I play miniature games for almost 15 years (and some other games as well) - and during that time, I've painted a decent number of miniatures, but I have almost never managed to fully paint a single army. I always got carried away with the "next project", or painted models from different armies in the same time or I bought models much faster than I could paint them. I also was not consistent when it comes to approach to painting. When I started collecting Age of Sigmar in 2016, I changed my approach to painting and collecting - so I finally managed to fully paint my Sylvaneth army (and I am very proud of that). However, as the time passed by, somewhere along the way I ended up - again - with several armies (for both AoS and WH40K) and a lot of models that waited to be built (at least for me it was a lot). However, this time situation was different because my career progressed and my job became more demanding and I also became a father - so when I had some free time, I prioritized something else, not painting. However, all these unpainted and unassembled models really bothered me - because I really like this hobby and I wanted to carry on with it for years to come, but in the same time, all these unfinished models felt like some kind of "mental burden". Sure, over the years I played a lot of games with unpainted models (and that's fine), but I really hated the fact that I was unable to finish what I started. It was also during this period that I realized that I probably have a lot more stuff than I really need.

And so, during the last year, I decided to do something about it, because it was really affecting my enjoyment in this hobby.

First, I reduced the number of models/armies that I have by selling or giving away some of them. Since I usually play once or twice a month (if I'm lucky) now, there was simply no sense in keeping some of my models. Instead, I focused on armies that I really enjoyed playing and that look cool (and that are also fun to paint). It was not an easy decision to choose armies and models to part with, but in the end I feel much better because of that (and it feels great to have less stuff around).

When it comes to assembling models. during 2022 I have managed to accomplish quite a lot working in small batches. I have assembled over 180 models - from small ones like Tzaangors, to large ones like Chaos Knights, Be'Lakor and Kairos Fateweaver. At this point, I have no models left to build - for the first time in a few years. My "pile of shame/potential" (however you want to call it) ceased to exist. I can use these models in my games now. Sometimes, I spent only 15-20 minutes per day assembling the miniatures (for example, a couple of Tzaangors or Bloodletters), and sometimes I had more. But, I was consistent doing this and after a few months, there was no more models to build!

I am also very satisfied with my progress when it comes to painting. I have managed to paint full 1000-point Stormcast Eternals army (with some extra models on top of it, totaling over 1500 points of painted Stormcast models). Besides that, I have managed to paint Be'lakor, Lord of Change, C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon and Illuminor Szeras as well. All of this has been accomplished by doing the work in small batches - 30 minutes here, an hour there. I painted usually early in the morning (before work), during my lunch breaks or in the evening, when my child is asleep. During the week, I was able to get 3 - 5 of these small painting sessions (sometimes more, sometimes less). Occasionally, I was able to paint for a few hours, but that was more exception than a rule. And, same as with building models, things just kept going and I was happy because I was able to see the progress. Also, painting miniatures this way forced me to look for different painting techniques (because I wanted to be as effective as possible in a short time interval), so my painting skills also improved!

Also, I have greatly reduced the amount of money that I spend on miniatures, by simply delaying the purchases. A lot of purchases that I made in previous years were impulsive; the usual motivation was either hype (after an interesting game or after seeing a preview) or stress. Turns out that after a couple of weeks, buying some model or unit did not seem that much interesting. After six months of delaying any new purchases, my wish list was reduced from 10 items to two - and those were the only ones I bought (because after six months, I still felt like those models would be a great addition to my armies). Also, I chose not to expand most of my armies until I actually play some games with the stuff I already have.

So, why did I write this? Because I remember reading about people struggling to keep up with their hobby on various websites and forums. Ultimately, this may lead to people just being unhappy about the hobby in general, or deciding to sell/trade/give away everything and do something else. I did not want to do any of these. I know that a lot of hobbyists have families, jobs and other interests - and that is also why I think it was important to share my experience. A lot can be accomplished by being consistent and doing work in small batches. I know this might not work for everyone, but it may help someone who feels the same.