Too Much vs Not Enough

 

 

If I didn't include the vast amount of "things Japanese" that I am interested in, I would have to say that building things (plastic models, nanoblocks, etc) is my hobby.  I built cars, motorcycles, trucks, military vehicles, planes, ships and even buildings.  I think model kits and the like are just fantastic.

I am wondering, though, what exactly is "enough".  I have watched some great TV programs (plamo tsukuro--a Japanese model program that you should be able to find on YouTube if they don't delete it, which is truly fantastic) and been to some shows to see the expert work of some people.  In the show I mentioned they labour for a long time over small details.  They spend vast sums of money on detail parts.  It is truly incredible.  As stated before, I have never completed a model I was truly satisfied with.  I have had one or two really good paint jobs, one or two good ideas, maybe even one or two of my decals has actually gone in the right place..... but never anything approaching expert level.

Is it because I am not enough of a perfectionist?  As already demonstrated, I get bored easily, and quickly change to other hobbies and interests.  I don't really want to do the same thing for too long a period of time.  I have had a couple of models on my workbench, and I am thinking that I would rather just chuck them out, than complete them (though that won't happen, they may have to go back in the box for a while).

One of my friends is a perfectionist.  He will spend a lot of time on one model.  He has been working on one warhammer figure for a long time now. (I won't tell you how long, because in all fairness, I have no idea)  Needless to say, when he gets done, it will be fantastic--show worthy.  When I get done, I am not sure if it is even personal showcase worthy.  Sometimes, I just chalk them up to a "personal experiment."  Which is probably a euphemism for mistake.

Spending a lot of time and money on a hobby isn't really bad.  When you figure the dollar value versus the time you spent, there are certainly other interests that cost more.  An hour or two at the pub costs more than a model and paint.  Which one takes more time....well for me, the model will last months.

The question remains.  How far should you take it, and what are you willing to settle for?