Introduction

In 2022 when the Casual and the Damned team started this project, we were riding high. The new edition had come out, new plastic miniatures were rife, and we all had time on our hands to start new things and grow our forces. And we as a team threw ourselves into both making articles and miniatures both.

Both a full year of non-stop hobby is gruelling if not well managed, and when combined with that awful thing life it can really go south. Burnout is, and was, inevitable.

So as a return to some form of regular publishing, here’s a quick chat about burnout and how you can deal with it.

So what is Burnout?

I’m not going to go too deeply into this, but in essence Burnout is the term of phrase used to when you lose some or all of your motivation towards a project, typically whilst you’re still doing it. When you get fed up after painting your 30th skeleton, so just cannot motivate yourself to complete any more of the army, and instead just sit staring at it until one of you blinks… That kind of mood.

It affects everyone, and not just in a hobby sense. Too much of anything too often will burn you out, be it a job, a hobby, or even a person. It’s a normal response to pushing yourself too hard, too far, or just more than your mind is able to deal with at that moment.

Now bearing this in mind…

How do I deal with Burnout?

Firstly, don’t be ashamed to take a step back. If your hobby is no longer fun then it is no longer a hobby. Take a break. Be that for a week, a month, or even a year or more. Stay away from the table as long as is needed until you feel ready and comfortable to come back. If its just one project, then shelve that project and find some singles to do. If the painting makes you happy but the gaming doesn’t, then just don’t have games.

Don’t be afraid to put your mental health before the hobby and any expectations you have of yourself. Because if you break your brain, or try to push through the burnout, then you may not come back at all from it, and ruin the hobby love forever.

This is certainly what I did last year. After a series of events where I felt increasingly despondent at the game, and my ability to play heresy, I stopped. I shelved all ongoing heresy projects, and avoided any events or games from September all the way until November, instead choosing to focus on a series of one-off models and painting ideas that I really enjoyed.

Spring Cleaning

On top of just stepping back, these moments can be great for re-assessing your collection too, and your hobby space. When working on a long project it can be easy to let things pile up, and not realise that you’ve slowly walled yourself into a small area of your table, crowding the edges with half finished pieces and miniatures, or stacks of paints and brushes. Whilst you’re not working on something, take the time to clear this space. A good deep clean, putting pots back in their place, cleaning off the brushes, putting any half made/painted miniatures back into storage (I use little individual containers from hobbycraft to store my ongoing works). Really make sure it is thoroughly all cleared away, ready for when you do feel comfortable returning to the desk!

Further to this, it’s a great time to check your equipment too. Not just the painting specific stuff, but your desk itself. Is it well lit? Is your chair right for you? Is the lighting right (both natural and artificial)? Is the room actually well ventilated, or are you just too used to huffing paint cleaner fumes you stopped noticing? These things are all massively important, as they can not only affect our mental wellbeing in the hobby, then can also lead to physical issues later on.

Again, for example I have caught myself hunching over to try and get the right lighting when I’m painting in the evening, which is really not good for my back. So, I’m currently sorting a much nicer overhead lighting rig, and a new chair that will put me at the right height for my lights and desk.

Use your burnout positively, to refocus your attention on you. You’re worth far more than the models!

Stepping back into the hobby

Coming back to the hobby desk can definitely be a daunting experience. Its not necessarily easy, and absolutely should be treated carefully. Again, here there are a few things that are worth bearing in mind:

1. Don’t just start back where you left off. Ultimately there is a reason you burnt out, and just throwing yourself back into the deep end is the most likely way of immediately re-extinguishing the flame of hobby before its even taken on. Start small, maybe with one or two pieces, or a special one-off project.
2. Set a reasonable goal. Much like the first point, take stock of what you’d like to do, and be sensible about the end goal. Painting a squad or two in a few months may be a viable task, whereas painting 3,000 points in the same timeframe may not. In the same vein don’t jump in and immediately book yourself into an event with a brand-new army you haven’t done yet, as that is very likely to make way too much pressure on yourself.
3. Don’t be afraid to pause again. You’re taking baby steps back in, not all of them have to be forwards. If you’re feeling a lack of joy, or its starting to feel like work – stop again. Remember it’s your health. Its not an easy process, or quick, and you really do need to keep that in mind as you slowly come back into the thing you love. But it is much, much better doing it this way then going back to things at the deep end, and burning the last bit of joy you had for the hobby.

Conclusions

I’m following my own advice, and keeping this article concise, and small. But to make a quick concluding point. Please don’t neglect your mental health, and don’t slip into the mindset that this wonderful hobby is a job. Its not. It’s a passion, and something you are doing to get away from the nightmares and stressors of the real world. So, treat that passion gently, care for it, nurture it, and in doing so you’ll help to look after yourself.

See you out on the battlefield!