How do we get past the total lack of desire to build and a lack of enthusiasm regarding new releases?

It's a good question, and I think it's different for each person.What works for me probaly won't work for you. Myself I'll go work on something a 180 degrees from modeling. Usally I'll rebuild a computer, or work some on the house. The most effective way to get in the mood is to spend a nigth with my wife watching a check fick. After 30 min I'll do anything to get away. Good luck and everyone burnsout at sometime.

I can't speak for others, but when I feel the burn coming on I try something out of my normal genre. For example when I was starting to feel a coming burn out on historical miniatures, I bought a couple of Gamesworkshop figures from the the local GW store and tried my hand at that. That helped me get back to painting as well as sparked a new interest in something I'd previously ignored.
:)

I rarely lack the desire to build, just the time to do it. Even after returning from Iraq, I find I have very little time. I certainly didn't while in the sandbox. However, I DO get bored with a project from time to time, especially if it's one I've done a dozen of, usually for someone else. In those cases I like to do a quick scratchbuild, or pull out one from several years ago that I never finished. Often it was a result of that one missing angle there was no photo of at the time, which of course has changed now with all of the resources on the web.

As for lack of enthusiasm for new kits, I personally find there are enough new subjects out there to keep me busy, especially given my slow pace.

Sometimes I do like to build other things having nothing to do with models - AR15's for friends, and my Chopper (technically a ProStreet, but who's keeping track?) for example.

I don't model much at all when the wife or kids are home. I find that time to be better spent with them. It is the most fleeting.

Just to give you all an example, for years I wanted to build French vehicles in the Indo-China War, specifically LVT's. Now that they're available, as is the AFV Bofers gun I no longer care. I also have a real hard feeling towards Tamiya for releasing all the 1/48 scale kits in the past few years. I spoke to a representative from Tamiya-USA in the mid-80's about doing a few soft skins in 1/48 as I am model railroader as well but I was told by the salesman 'There's no way will we ever do anything but 1/35 scale military kits.' Now we have 1/48 items we've never even seen in 1/35 scale!

how i got round it, i sold all my stash and moved onto RC models

Join the Armorama staff, then you wont have time to get burnt out.

Mark, I'm in the same boat. I had Trumps LAV-R on the desk for months waiting to be painted. I painted it then it sat a few more weeks. Finally put it away and started on Tasca's Firefly. Got bored with that and bought a couple of Sci-Fi models. Once I got them I lost interest immediately. Yesterday I took out DML's 234/1 which I had started a while back. It's such a great kit it's been hard to walk away from it. Maybe my slump is over? Only time will tell.

I see burnout as coming in two forms, project burnout and hobby burnout. Both occur because humans crave new things, and prolonged contact with a subject matter eventually exhausts novelty. A secondary cause is the dread onerous task (i.e., cleaning up 200+ individual tracks links).

Avoiding project burnout:
1) Avoiding overly complicated projects. Realistically judge your attention span and do not make a project too big. It's okay not to super detail everything.
2) If you hit the dread onerous task put on a movie or some music and FORCE yourself to start working on it. Starting is often the hardest part and the distraction will help you punch through.
3) Try the two for one approach--work on a second project but keep the first handy. Keep working on it during downtime with the second build. Avoid doing this with too many projects at once because you will start to feel like everything is stalled.
4) Recognize progress. I often find that I grind to a halt when a project is very far along but fail to recognize the fact. Make a list of everything you need to do to finish. Cross off each task as you go.
5) Pick a project that stresses the things you like to do and minimizes the ones you hate. If you hate indy track links, use band tracks or build a wheeled vehicle. If you hate etch, don't use it. If you love painting, pick something you can build quickly. If you hate painting, pick something without intricate camo.
6) Take a night off from the uber model and paint a figure or gaming miniature. Getting something done always gives me a temporary boost.

Avoiding hobby burnout:
1) Do not make the hobby a constant string of things you hate to do--the onerous task gauntlet.
2) Pick projects you CAN get through. If you grind to a halt every time you get to individual tracks, or etch parts, or intricate camo, don't use them.
3) Do not build to someone else's expectations, perceived or otherwise. Do what you WANT to do, not what you are SUPPOSED to do.
4) Get stuff done. Do not keep starting and shelving projects because they will eat at you, stealing your drive. Force or trick yourself over the humps in each project.
5) Diversify and seek novelty. If you build German panzers all the time, try a Sherman, or a plane, or whatever.
6) Build something for a friend and do not agonize over every little thing. The friend will appreciate it even without the indy links and brass.
6) Do something else for a while. It's okay to have a couple hobbies.
7) Get out in the sun and get some exercise! You need both. Really.

The final point is an admonishment to myself, but it actually does work. I find it easier to sit and model after I've run around for a while.

-Doug

Cleaning up the mess that is commonly called my 'workroom' usually works for me. It is so satisfying to start a new MESS.
capnjock

Actually a friend told me this some years ago ... and it works. If you´re in a rut, a messy work area will not attract you back again. Take 20 or 30 minutes every day and tidy up and re-organise your work area ... tidy up your paints, tools, etc. When you work area is clean and tidy .. sit there looking at your kits ... open a box or two ... and the initial love for the hobby will flow back .... and you wont have to sift through a table of rubbish to hinder you!

You just get writers block instead .
Andy

Doug's post makes a lot of sense! I either shelve a project when I face a burnout or build a real easy, quick satisfying project to feel a sense of accomplishment. If the build becomes too much of a drag, get rid of it and move on to another! (Really!) It'll only get worse if you cannot find an easy fix and try to fight it.

Of course, don't throw out an expensive kit!

For me, its having "indoor" and "outdoor" hobbies to balance each other. Modeling is my primary indoor hobby and racing bicycles is my outdoor hobby.

There's some very good methods of avoiding burnout here. Thanks guys....as several of them have worked for me.

I had a major burnout "meltdown" some time ago....just about sold everything I had...and a couple I kick my a$$ for having gotten rid of.

I think the main thing that brought me back was "focus," you know, picking a modeling "flavor" first....i.e. Armor, Auto, et cetera. Then within the chosen flavor, I focused on a couple of specific topics (in my case the two major topics were Tigers [Tiger I, JT, KT, Berge, Sturm and the like] and Artillery [M107, M108, M109, M110, M52, et al]). Sure, I have some Sci-Fi, autos, and planes in there...but if I get burned on one of my major's, I'll shift to one of the minors for a "one-off." That usually get's one going again.

Mike

I just force myself to sit down and do something productive.

Scott

I've not had burn-out as such since I got back into the hobby as a mature practioner, but then I only spend maybe 4 hours a week at it...

But I do get tired of the same subject and will do a complete switch of genre. My normal preference is 1/35 modern armour, but I'll do 1/32 jets, 1/72 WWII torpedo boats and even sci-fi from time to time, just for a change.

Hi Mark -

Been building models for decades and I usually get the urge to build something related to a book I just read. Pacific War - F6F; Eastern Front - Il-2 Stormovik; Golden age - DC-2 and Vultee V1-A etc. Unfortunately, I read a lot faster than I build - that's why my stash is so big.

I do a lot of the things already mentioned.
1) Move to a different build in a different area
2) Clean up my desk and remove the clutter
3) Get outside and do some work or play with the kids
4) Read a book
5) Sit down and do some research on the build and whatever it is that is holding me up
6) If worst come to worst, box it up and put it away.

I found myself at a complete dead end a few years back,... I was modelling non-stop for about 15 years, building armor and aircraft with the odd ship and car thrown in. My builds back then where simple but enjoyable, mainly OOB, had lots of fun and enjoyed taking the completed builds to the shows. Then I got hooked on the aftermarket accessories, the resin, the photo-etch, the research, and before too long, I found that my rate of completion had whittled down to almost nothing. It stopped being enjoyable... My solution was to take a full year off the hobby, didn't touch a kit, enjoyed my other hobbies and sure enough at the end of the year, the hobby pulled me back in. When I started again, I choose ship building, and now I am enjoying the hobby all over again. I'll still build armour and aircraft, and the odd car and sci-fi piece, but ships are my new passion.

Frank

OHB - Other Hobbies Beckon.

Burn out can be a problem for any person. Since I am back in the hobby after a 16 year absence I have not hit that road block yet. Plus there is so much that is new I want to try so many new things. I slowly have been working new things into each build and so far have learned a great deal.

I think one way to avoid burn out is to change up things. Some people can sit down build the same type of kit every time and never get bored. Others need to mix it up some. I started out with armor then switched to ships. I still have a few armor kits in my stash and I still work on those.

lots of great tips here! the clean up the work area tip is so true! i learned that one from wrenching motorcycles in my garage. when it starts taking over an hour to find a 1/2" wrench and a Philips Screwdriver is not to be found, it gets frustrating and aggravating which can lead to mistakes. that's when it's time for me to stop, cool off, and clean everything up and find and put away every single tool in its proper location. a clean work area does wonders for the attitude! another thing i have found that causes me to burn out is expending effort with no real sense that anything is being accomplished. this is especially true with assembling tracks on armor models. some folks hate road wheels; i hate assembling individual link tracks! the effort is worth it when the model is done because they look so much better. some rubber band type tracks can be pretty woefully detailed and getting the fold out can be maddening. to combat this sense of inertia i keep several kits going at once. as long as i can see something is being created i stay enthused. for example, i currently have a Hotchkiss converted to a German Observation vehicle in process. it was done except for the tracks. it sat for weeks as i kept putting the track asssembly off. i forced myself to forge on and i ended up with a sloppy job. i bought a set of Fruilmodel tracks to set thing right. while i am piecing the tracks together i started an M5 Stuart. seeing a turret and hull go together satisfied my urge to see something materialize from my efforts while i do bits and pieces of the Hotchkiss track. the Stuart is almost done except for the clear/decals/clear and weathering. i have almost one complete track done for it, opting to use the AFV Club individual link track instead of the rubber bands. i decided to add welds to the turret seams since i liked how it came together and wanted to add some more detail. while working on those two i built a Russian SU 122 which is mostly complete. i HATED the vinyl tracks that came with it and just got a set of Fruilmodel tracks for it. i have three sets of tracks i am working on. to offset the tedium from those i started a pair of Quad Gun tractors because it was a switch from tracks to wheels and a chance to try my Life Color paint. one tractor is WWII N Africa. i had to do a lot of hunting to find painting info for it. the second will be the ETO version with OD green and Mickey Mouse camo. i just started an Panzer I as well so i could try out some more Life Color paints. next up is a 1/32 scale Hasegawa German Storch Observation plane in DAK colors. a Chevrolet Chaparral 2D coupe in 1/24 is waiting in the wings as well to add variety. when all else fails and i can't get into building at all, i read or watch documentary films. i really WWII as a subject so there will always be something that will either get me interested again or i will learn something that helps with the hobby. the trick is to i don't force myself to do something my heart isn't into. by careful compromise and treating myself to the things i enjoy about modelling and doing the tedious stuff in small doses i keep my interest piqued.

I generally have two hobbies: a hobby for when its warm outside (car collection), and a hobby (scale models) for when its cold. when all else fails I spend time with the spouse till she drives me crazy.
rick

I watch a movie. Or read a book. I sometimes get ideas for bases from either.

I got burned-out, I guess, on tracks after having so much trouble with my Pz IV J, so I picked up an M20, M8, Protze, and Schwimmwagen. I've finished the M20 and I'm almost done with the M8.