“You aren’t curing cancer”
When I started this blog, I wanted it to be a more positive place than Facebook can sometimes be. What I envisaged was a place where I can wax philosophical on modelling, and indulge my adjacent hobby of thinking about the hobby. Regrettably this seems to have upset some people, who seem to think people should not be thinking this deeply about making models. I would argue is not that deep at all, but they seem to think its “too deep”. Some people say “its not world changing or curing cancer!” Of course it isn’t but between just building a model and not even thinking about it, and thinking it is “world-changing”, there is a massive gulf of room for various levels of discussion, and there is plenty of room for people to discuss modelling any way they want, without thinking it is earth shattering.
You don’t need to dump on people for enjoying the hobby differently to how you enjoy the hobby. Some people like to just build a model. That is correct. Some people like to build a model and think a bit more about how or why they do it. That is correct. and some people (like me) like to think a LOT about how and why they build models. That is correct.
It’s all correct. No one of those approaches is superior to, or negates another. So how about live and let live?
Plurality is Healthy
Something else that has happened, is that people disagree with things in this blog, or with responses to it on reposts on social media. One such thread of conversation is Matt McDougall’s recent, extremely well written and argued blog HERE which is not a response to this blog, but touches on it, and other discussions currently in the modelling milieu. It’s a great blog and you should read it.
Another is Marc Schwegler’s reply to Robbert Blokker’s recent guest blog, which you can read HERE
Marc argues for things I cannot agree with. But he argues very well, and from an honest and good faith position. and I love it.
There are lots of times I disagree with responses and comments, and just accept them as different points of view. Just because I don’t agree, it doesn’t make them “wrong”.
I want this blog to be a place where ideas are exchanged, and discussed, and disagreement is OK. This is not a vanity project or Patreon Paywall of Solitude echo chamber
Over the coming weeks I will invite more people to guest blog on here, and I will not always agree with what they say. But I am sure they will have something interesting to say, that may or may not spark interesting conversations and responses.
All I hope, is that it is interesting to read.
This blog and the SCU podcast have taught me more about modeling and its parallels (and its fringes) than my 40+ years of modeling before.
They have given me more insights in how others see the hobby, and that is good, and affirmation of my own visions of how I see my own hobby.
To everyone their own hobby and how they want to live it.
Cheers!
no pressure then lol
Everyone reading this blog and related social media has likely invested thousands of hours and thousands dollars in building and discussing scale model building and countless activities adjacent the hobby. Anyone asserting that’s an unimportant, insignificant self-indulgent pursuit hasn’t thought about their true motivations deeply enough. Perhaps they’re not using the most apt metric. I started out as one of those people five years ago. Now I understand my motivations are far more complex, interesting, and not unimportant.
some people are introspective about their hobby, some are not. It’s all good
As someone relatively new to scale modeling in the ‘Golden Age’, these recent discussions have been both interesting and illuminating. Particularly with my personal interest in dioramas, the conversations regarding storytelling are particularly fascinating.
They have given me much food for thought, and it has been great to hear other people’s viewpoints. As someone new on the scene, I noticed some of the stagnation referred to, but didn’t feel I was able to say anything about it. I didn’t want to come across as some upstart who should be keeping their uninformed opinions to themselves.
I believe that these discussions, the debates about judging styles, IPMS favoritism in judging, as contentious as they may be, can only be good for scale modeling in the long run…although much tea may be spilled on the journey. This is just turbulence, it will be over eventually and the flight will continue…until the next pocket of rough air.
My seatbelt is fastened and I’m along for the whole ride!
All I said was that, playing devil’s advocate, did you not think there was a danger some might think the philosophising was all a bit much? I used a comparison about my own past art-school ‘abilities’ to create thoughts on creativity which were often twaddle. You chose to take that personally because you didn’t read my disclaimer properly. The problem was you didn’t like someone ‘taking the michael’ a bit.
I have no problem at all with people doing or thinking whatsoever they want within the hobby. However, I was probably somewhat flippant in the way I expressed myself, and I do apologise for that: but if you put yourself out there as a ‘Plastic Plato’ you should expect some comeback, because to some people it might appear as being a bit, well … to be blunt, pompous.
I’m not putting myself up as anything, what you were saying was fine, being dismissive and personal is not. like that underhand ‘your gatekeeper grenade’ jab. Its also not the first time you have had a shot at me for how I like to think about the hobby. Considering I always say no-one else has to think like this, or see the hobby the way I do, I don’t know why you feel the need to take these shots. Its as if it is personally an affront to you that people do not see the hobby the way you do Jon.
Calling people pompous and sneering at them is frankly a rather superior attitude.
What’s wrong with ‘live and let live’?
If you can be civil, and respectful, and not insult or take the piss out of people for doing the hobby in their own way, then everything is great. if you can’t, I don’t need to indulge it on my posts or content.
I have approved your comment, because I also believe in free speech, but if you try to turn this comment section into a running argument, I will delete the comments.
Take this as a disagreement, and let it go