Is this the "modeler's block"?

I've been known to put together a cool car model, just for fun.

Don't fight it. Get another hobby. DO something completely different. Wait for the feeling and desire to come back, or you'll wind up rushing through a build half-heartedly and making some sub-par junky build and you'll hate yourself for it. When this happens to me, I ether totally switch genres or just step away from it.

You probably have something else on your mind right now as a priority and it's drawing your energy away from hobby time. That's what usually precipitates it in me.

One thing I treid was building model cars. Not just any car, but ones I have owned in the past. I built my first[1965 Chevy Impala], second [1965 Ford Galaxy] and maybe my 5th [1972 GMC Sprint]. Not sure where that one is in my list. I've found a couple others that I owned, but I haven't bought them yet.

I really wish I still had that GMC Sprint . There were only a couple thousand of them built. They are really an El Camino with GMC markings

It even happens in the Land of Oz! I am in a big slump right now! I have built car and bike models for about 38 years now and this is my second " I couldn't be bothered" modeling slump. About 15 years ago I had been building kits like crazy for quite a while and I suddenly had 2 bike kit paint jobs go south on me one after another. Immediately after the second one, (the paint was still wet), I went into my model room, packed everything model related, paints, tools, etc, etc, into boxes, and put it in the shed.

For the next 3 years I never gave modeling a second thought. I quit my model club, and never even went into a hobby store. Not even once!! And it never bothered me a bit. Then one day i was passing buy my former favorite hobby store and went in for a look. I came out with a Tamiya Kenny Roberts RGVT 500 Grand Prix bike kit. I then had to replace almost every jar and tin of paint because it had dried out!

With that bike kit it all started again. I went back to modeling as I had been before, joined my club again and all was well in Model Land! Then about 12 months ago I slowed down again. I have only finished 2 kits in the last year! Nothing interested me enough to peak my interest. In April I heard about a Ducati Panigale kit that Tamiya were going to release and that got me excited! I finally got it a few months back and started it the next day. (Hey Rommelkiste, you know the one I mean). I did the engine, frame, wheels, exhaust, and all the paint on the body work, and came to a standstill. I haven't even looked at it for a month now! Apart from the formerly mentioned 3 year hiatus, i have been in my club for 19 years and I have only been to one of the last six monthly club meetings and I have found that I don't miss it at all. To be honest, I don't think I will ever go back again.

I will finish the Ducati in time and see what happens then. I have a couple of half finished cars too that may or not get done at some stage. Anyway, long story short, it happens to a lot of us so I wouldn't be too concerned, so just enjoy whatever else grabs you and see what happens .

Cheers

I'm the same way with painting (if we are talking about airbrushing), but I've gone back to using rattle cans and this has made it more enjoyable for me.  Airbrushing to me is too much of a hassle (cleaning, getting the thinning ratio correct, etc)

Rob Gronovius

I often get caught up in fixing all the errors in a modern armor kit. It bogs down the build and I get to a point where I lose interest in it. Then I'l grab a quick kit, like a 1/48 scale Tamiya tank kit, and knock it out (less paint), in a weekend. I am probably the world's worst procrastinator at painting. I hate to drag out the stuff and paint. I have so many nearly complete kits awaiting just a paint job and some finishing detail parts. To me, painting is my modeler's block.

I remember the days when modelers didn't paint kits that were molded in the color of the real vehicle!

me too. i don't paint all that badly and have a separate station with all the stuff but it really takes an effort to start. once i get started it goes well, except for white sometimes, but if i don't do a little painting every day i lose the momentum. 

I kinda fade between ships, armor, aircraft, cars, sci fi/space.. Right now I'm entering into my ship phase and it's becoming a struggle to complete the aircraft I've started. If I wait 3 to 4 months I'll be back into AC.....after the armor, car, sci fi/space phases that is, no particular order.

Oh yes.  I hit that every once in a while.  Usually mine end up half through a build.  I just wait and if I don't get feelin' it, I will just grab something else to build or do.  

Something that can inspire is to watch something that interests you.  I watch the history channel and have lots of ideas go through my head by seeing different scenes (Original footage).  I watched Nazi Mega Weapons and looked up a model of the Dora railgun to buy......  then I saw the prices. :(

Got the builder block  syndrome to. I kind of poke at a couple models, glue a piece on this one, sand a little on this one. Got two that are ready to start painting but can't bring myself to break out the compressor and paint..

Doing what a few of you are doing, checking out the scale model forums, E-Bay and other sight's .

I went through my supply's and cleaned out some paints that I got for a one time use.

  Maybe this builder block thing has something to do with the change in the weather.

I often get caught up in fixing all the errors in a modern armor kit. It bogs down the build and I get to a point where I lose interest in it. Then I'l grab a quick kit, like a 1/48 scale Tamiya tank kit, and knock it out (less paint), in a weekend. I am probably the world's worst procrastinator at painting. I hate to drag out the stuff and paint. I have so many nearly complete kits awaiting just a paint job and some finishing detail parts. To me, painting is my modeler's block.

I remember the days when modelers didn't paint kits that were molded in the color of the real vehicle!

I go in and out of interest all the time, drives my wife NUTS! When that happens, I work on wooden ships, scratch build RC planes, play my guitar, or even change subjects within the plastic scale hobby such as ships to planes to armor to sci-fi etc.

For me, attention to the hobby has always been attributed to an interest in military history.  For sure, though, I have picked up a few kits because they were different - outside the box, and pun intended.  As others have mentioned, going to a museum, reading a book, watching a movie, or even a wargame, be it video or of the board type, can spark an enthusiasm  into a specific subject.  

I can appreciate, though, if one builds with the  interest held solely by the box contents, that it can be harder to be motivated to build all the time.

regards,

Jack

I am in that state now.  Like everyone says, relax, watch some movies and do what ever trips your trigger.  I have glooed and played with this stuff for 50 years and this has happened many times.  At some point you will see or read something and the light goes on for that next project.  It will slap you in the face like a pissed off Woman.  Then, you will be back at it.  

I understand completely as it happens to me quite often.

I'm mostly an armor guy, and I love building aircrafts from time to time.

But sometimes I don't want to build a tank or a jet, so I get out of my confort zone.

I started building ships (totally new beast here), or muscle cars (assembly is okay, it's the painting that is a real killer here) or even sci-fi (go see the recent Gundam thread in the science-fiction section).

I even go the weird route : total kitbashing of 2 or 3 kits (a 1/35 scale Revell Stug III with the turret of a Tamiya M2 Bradley ... ? Just for the fun of it)

Like many others have said, it's a hobby and the goal is to have fun.

Maybe you just need a little break, so stop browsing the Web for kits, do something else for a while. I'm sure you'll come back like a lion, with lots of cool ideas.

Happens to us all... & the size of the stash doesn't matter!

Buuut... It's only a hobby 

Tidy the stash... organise the bench, toolbox, paint trays, etc..

Go through your books & mags, tidy up & read some...

Nothing?, then relax,  It's only a hobby 

Do some research, there are some good (and some baad movies) around.

You could take your SO/SWIMBO to the movies, that FURY! film has got some pretty boy actor in it, & you can look at the tanks.

Have a look around to see what is of interest around you, Historical Fort? Museum? Ship? This could be a bonding exercise with your SO/Swimbo as something you could do together. 

I have taken my partner to RAF Cosford for a Hobby Show, & she wins me models on the tombola, 

& if all that fails do something else

I can relate.  I don't know how many times this has happened to me over the last 30 years.  The difference is I have a stash of more than 400 kits staring at me and I still get the block.  What I usually do is rummage around in the stockpile and a distant hazy memory of a plan that I had concocted  way back when I bought a particular kit surfaces and rekindles something.  If that doesn't work, a movie or sifting through old FSM's or  photos posted on forums such as this one may trigger something.  Especially threads showing pictures of model shows usually does it.  Seeing other modelers great work can give me inspiration to dive head and shoulders into a project rather quickly