Not Wanting to Paint is a Great Motivation

Specifically, not wanting to paint one particular kind of figure because you're eager to paint something else is a great way to get some painting done.

Sometimes I will start to paint a group of figures and then halfway through lose my desire and set them aside and move on to something else.  I think this is a terrible habit for several reasons, not least of which is my basement gets more and more unorganized with half-painted miniatures setting around.

Lately I hadn't been very motivated to paint anything.  Between work and domestic commitments my concentration levels were just shot.  Also, I think I needed a new project to work on.  After listening to the audio book Rebellion by Peter Ackroyd I plunged back into my English Civil War obsession, wanting to flesh out my 28mm figure collection.  Specifically, I want to build up my forces to the point that I can field the armies that fought at First Newbury (see my last post).

But, on my painting table were 22 soccer players, half of which were painted in Liverpool's colors, the others with only their flesh colors complete.  Also, there were five gladiators that I had cleaned but hadn't undercoated that I wanted to add to my Spartacus board game.

At first I was really only motivated to paint the gladiators.  There were only five of them and once complete I could take them up to the local game store and get some use out of them since everyone I play board games with is generally up for a game of Spartacus.

So a couple of nights ago I went downstairs at around 11pm, with my only intention to paint the armored parts of the gladiators.  The soccer players were sitting there on their craft sticks, staring at me accusingly.  I had abandoned them.  I wasn't all that into painting the gladiators; the soccer players, who I doubt I will use anytime in the near future if at all, were on the verge of being trundled into a bin, where they might have remained forever, or until I needed room in the bin and threw them away.

Realizing how ridiculous I was being, not to mention wasteful, I decided there and then that the other players were going to be Everton.  Before I knew it, all 22 players were completely painted.  Granted, it was a real rush job, very unlike the session I had tonight painting ECW dragoons.  But they don't look that bad, and more importantly, they're done.  And now that they're done, I'm actually motivated to use them in a game.

Whether that's a soccer minis game or a hooligan skirmish game remains to be seen...