What does the result mind?
By Mario Covalski
After a two months break without sitting down at my workbench as I was exceedingly busy writing a couple of articles, I turned my hand to my models, as I’ve been doing just without interruptions for the last 44 years.
This sounds somewhat ridiculous, how can anybody build models during 44 years
without stopping?, Where does he find the time for his hobby? Didn’t he have any other…I mean a job along that time?. Yes, I suppose so, and surely those who have poured out so many hours into this activity, have run many stages, from scratchbuilding their own toys up to building a winning model for a contest.
Now, after the “dead time” I told you at the beginning, I’m building two kits, with excitement and pleasure, all the while keeping in mind that scale modeling is a pastime, not a race, and this strong reminder always encourages me in my hobby.
A couple of months ago, a friend of mine told me that he was overwhelmed by the scope of the models he was building, the pressure of doing things better, the intention of getting high quality pieces, made him feel, displeased at times. He also let me know that the reason why he had set to modeling years ago, was to run away from his daily problems, and now he felt he had lost the main goal, although his finished models were nearly perfect.
These two months of absence, got me thinking about my friend’s remarks, asking myself, which was the real reason why we spend so much time modeling.
Actually, I don’t think there exists a sole response, on the contrary, there are as many answers as modelers, and one of the best things about modeling is that it’s an activity where each of us makes up the rules, and will find pleasure by carrying out one’s personal aim, whichever it were, but not taking distance from it.
Furthermore, I think that the quality of the models we build, is a secondary matter, and I consider the final result as an accident. The most important is the real fun, I mean the pleasure we feel at the moment of modeling. For every completed model I see, I know there are hundreds of happy evenings spent modeling. Enjoyment is what a hobby’s for, and fun, is what we receive throughout the construction, isn’t it? so… What does the result mind?
Yes, I know…a magnificent model is always a valuable thing in our showcase, then it sleeps turning in an ornament, and ornaments might be bought, but never built by our own hands.
As editor of Modeler Site, I spend many hours a day dealing with models, articles and all kind of information with regard to modeling, and I always try not to forget that fun should be our main target…even if this activity meant the way of earning our living… and as editor of a modeling magazine, It’s a must for me to remember this.
Perfection sounds hard, so since modeling is not an exact science, next time, when something doesn’t look as you expect, remember this editorial, and my opinion with respect to this…What does the result mind?
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