Doll Slump

I really like my dolls. I've got two heads and one body and that works well for me. I used to change the outfit/head/wig every week on Friday or Saturday as a little treat but lately I haven't. My doll has been sitting on my desk in the same combo for almost three weeks now. Every time I think about doing it, even though I want to, it just seems tiresome to me somehow.

I still like my girls (I think), but I'm not sure how to spark myself back into doing what I enjoy. I don't want to buy more clothes or buy a second body. I feel like I've got plenty to mess around with as it is and I'm super grateful for it. Just going through a slump I guess.

Anyone else gone through this? Advice?

I find I hit doll slumps to, and I personally recommend not stressing over it. It's natural to have an ebb and flow of the hobby. For example- for sometime I used to change my AZ02 position.... EVERYDAY. Everyday!! And my dolls were getting changed about every two weeks. But I think it can be really nice to just...enjoy the way a doll looks for awhile.Sometimes just shifting their position but keeping the same outfit is a joy in and of itself. 

I know on the forum it can feel like a lot of pressure to change them up or buy new things all the time, but that isn't necessarily feasible or how the doll hobby has to be enjoyed. 

Things I like to do even in a doll slump:

Look around at websites for outfit/doll ideas. I also like to "phantom shop"( I.e drop a bunch of stuff in a cart and then never check out)

Read about doll news and new releases, just to see.

Tame doll manes/wigs.

Organize the clothing/Collection/supplies

Buy the "boring" items.( wig mist, stands, body stockings, storage etc)

Move them around the house/ change their positioning.

Work on small crafts/make notes on doll ideas.

Take photos, even if I don't post them.

I keep meaning to do this, but the once a month "theme" around a doll display or outfit is so fun

Consider also that it is totally ok to be "done" with a particular sculpt or face up, and want to sell to perhaps get something new.

Maybe you could even use a real break, and store your doll for a little while.

You may want to consider what is impacting you( it is a stressful time in the world) to make you not want to play with your doll.Is there no space to change them? Is the area cluttered/boxes unorganized? Are you simply tired after a long day, have you been busy enjoying other things? Are you feeling down about other hobbies and it's translating to doll disinterest as well? 

Those are just some ideas of course, but don't feel like you have to force yourself over it.Enjoy the hobby at your own pace! It isn't going anywhere.

I'm new to BJDs but I've experience slumps in my biggest hobbies over the years. 

What I've done in the past is make plans for future seasonal events. One example is I made little hats and scarves for some of my figures and when winter came I dressed them to fit the holidays. 

Crafts can be fun too, if you approach them from a casual method. Don't feel pressured to finish a project in a day or a weekend; take the time you need and enjoy the process. I'm planning 2-3 accessories for my SmD, one being a coffee table and another being a leather-bound book. While I don't own her yet, these crafts help me feel connected to her and give me a creative outlet to help with my anxiety.

Are you writer? I've noticed a lot of people create backgrounds or scenarios for their dolls.

I hope this helps, and chin up (´∀｀)♡ we're here for you.

I would agree with this point!  Just because you’re not doing something with your dolls every day doesn’t mean you don’t love them and it doesn’t mean you don’t like the hobby any more.  I tend to transfer orbits around my various hobbies.  I can’t do anything much in the fashion space right now, being confined to house, so I thought “why don’t I play with my dolls?” 

And I’m glad you don’t feel compelled to buy buy buy.  You should only buy when it’s something you want, not chasing those elusive retail therapy dopamines lol.

I’m a type II bipolar depressive, so I’m really accustomed to mood cycles.  It’s okay to not be hyper into something all of the time.  It doesn’t mean you don’t like it.  Sometimes we just need rest periods, even from the things we love.

I often find that I go for periods without doing much with them except giving them a pat on the head to say they haven’t been forgotten, but even when I’m not being active with them it still cheers me up seeing them there. In a way at times they become like works of art I enjoy having in my environment even if I’m not doing things with them. 

I think putting something down for awhile is a good thing, otherwise it becomes like work or a chore and you burn out. 

There are other craft things you can do with the hobby too. Like @finnleo does woodworking and other craft stuff to make props, so it’s a second separate hobby that makes useful stuff for the doll hobby. Learning something totally new, but related might help to get back into the groove.

Dolls help me pursue my photography hobby, which is its own separate thing. 

With the whole COVID thing we have going on right now, depression & anxiety are really commonplace. It’s worth thinking about why you don’t feel like doing the things you normally enjoy just so as to be sure that there isn’t something bigger going on. It’s really easy to get depressed and not realize you’re depressed. Not saying that’s what’s going on for you, just pointing out it’s something to be mindful of living in the pandemic. 

This isn't too unusual, I've had this happen with a lot of hobbies over the years.  Like @BeyondTime said, a fun way to keep interest in dolls going is to expand your own skills and hobby sets including the dolls.  Since I've had my dolls, I've started making other miniatures, I'm learning to sew and crochet, and even started learning about LEDs and wiring (my latest monthly pic has a lantern in it that was originally a pencil sharpener.  I added the light myself).  Those things, more than the clothes and posing them (which I still absolutely LOVE) has been what's kept my interest in the doll hobby piqued. 

Another thing is that I make myself wait and only change them twice a month max. It helps keep that anticipation and satisfaction up when I finally do change them and their accessories. 

It's fine to take a break too, your girls are patient, and they'll wait till you're ready. 

Edited October 5, 2020 by DesertPhantom51

Taking a peek into your post history, if you've only just started in the hobby this year, its roughly going to be the point where the beginners high wears out... and this does apply to any hobby, and not just this one.

as people have mentioned here, and also in other threads that have discussed the hobby fatigue, its not a bad idea to take a step back, do something else for a bit, this hobby will still be waiting when you come back.

I might be a bit more cautious with adding more hobbies into the mix solely because of the dolls, especially if there's monetary investment involved, since if that for whatever reason also folds, it can compound the fatigue felt.

As a personal example, awhile back I was working on a oriental styled chair out of wood, and during the project a plastic version of it came to market, and gutted my inspiration to complete that, and also affected how much I wanted to do stuff with me dolls too. Took me about a year before I came back to that project, but I did get it done eventually.

But, rational calm thoughts.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by finnleo

Hi there! I actually just got over my slump. I had gotten into collecting dolls last year and just as finnleo mentioned, I think my beginner’s high started to wear off. I stopped playing with my dolls and didn’t buy anything for them for quite a while. I was worried that I jumped headlong into an expensive hobby without any thought and regretted it. Thankfully, lurking around the forums and learning about new dolls and sculpts reignited that initial passion. I think this hobby is an ebb and flow kind of hobby. If you don’t have a passion project going on or a new doll on the way, you can possibly lose interest. But I think just chatting with other collectors and seeing new owner pictures of dolls and staying connected to the hobby will help reinvigorate you when the time is right!

1 hour ago, finnleo said:

awhile back I was working on a oriental styled chair out of wood, and during the project a plastic version of it came to market, and gutted my inspiration to complete that, and also affected how much I wanted to do stuff with me dolls too.

Off topic, but I bet your wooden version looks at least 10x better than a plastic one.

30 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

Off topic, but I bet your wooden version looks at least 10x better than a plastic one.

Its like night and day, imo. Wood is lovely and warm (not to discredit plastic.) There have been studies that have shown that using wood and natural elements help mental health, the study was done in a hospital iirc.

I don't know if I consider mine a "slump" but I don't regularly interact with my dolls. They're often in display as I glance at them from time to time, and I feel content immediately. I had to move their locations randomly so as to not completely ignore them, or dust them off. I'm just never tired of my dolls at this point probably because i'm still relatively new in the hobby (this year being my third) but also probably because I wasn't so preoccupied during these times that I just feel so into them.

I also sometimes challenge myself to think of a way to interact with them, and best I could do is by silly photo stories or just random pics like.. taking a pic of your doll with a cup of coffee or something... Nothing fancy, just plain silly. And i'm hyped for my dolls again in that way. Maybe thinking of something fun like that sort will help you gain that drive again ^^

I recently went something like . . . 5 months where I focused on just two out of my nine dolls. Just could not find the energy to do much with the others. Some of it was physical--allergies that turned into a sinus infection--but a lot was mental. I'm prone to depression and anxiety at the best of times, and this year has definitely not been the best of times for anyone. Only these past couple weeks did I do much else, because I was finally motivated to start putting the plastic midgets in their Halloween costumes.

This isnt the first time I've slowed down on doll stuff, either. In 2016 I moved to an apartment with a persistent mold smell management refused to address, so for the 6 months or so I lived there I didn't even unpack a couple of my dolls--Abby was out and about because i'd gotten her body, Homura was out of her box for like 3 months because I had to fix her broken ankle joint, and Nanoha was out for like a month and a half because I had Fate on layaway and needed her to model potential eye designs. But Agatha and Miku stayed boxed thw whole time, and honestly beyond those couple things I didnt do a lot of doll stuff because I was too busy trying to get out of that damn place and to take care of myself to cope with the allergies and odor I had there. 

Sometimes, life takes priority. Sometimes, you just need to enjoy the dolls as they are. Sometimes, you need to prioritize one part of the hobby over others. But at all these times, it's all okay; the beauty of loving dolls is that dolls don't judge and they're gonna be ready whenever you are. Take care of yourself first.

11 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

Off topic, but I bet your wooden version looks at least 10x better than a plastic one.

sort of off topic, sort of on topic...

to quote one of our nations legendary ski jumpers, its a bit of a fifty-sixty thing.

as a single item by itself, even with my creators critique, and minor impostor syndrome, if put side by side by with the plastic edition, Id think (since I dont actually have the plastic one, for reasons) mine should hold up quite well even if I say so myself.

The thing is though, when used as intended, as a prop for photos, the plastic one gives off about 80% of the effect, with a fraction of the hastle... as in just throwing your wallet at it, also the ease of adding to the effect by just buying multiples of the plastic chairs if you want at will.

Then to mention my little coffin build which I sort of forgot about, and recently re-surfaced, which suffered a similar limbo fate because of maybe over-achieving -- While moving to the upholstery stage, I saw photo's done with a smaller, and simpler coffin ... at point thus, the project moved aside I did.

The thing is still gorgeus to look at even now, and I think I was insane to even try the diamond shape, and to actually pull it off as I did ... but I thought it was worth mentioning the possible feelings involved too.

Wanted to give a small update.

I read y'alls advice and it was extremely helpful, and I will be keeping my girls. What I've done is:

Not make myself change clothes on a schedule anymore. I don't have a huge amount of outfits, but the ones I do have I really like. So it makes sense not to rotate them so much. I keep stain protection wear under the clothes in case the outfit is going to stay on for an extended period of time. If the outfit's cute and I like it, no reason to pressure myself to change it.

Not pressure myself to take pictures. I keep my doll on my desk beside my monitor and that's how I get the most enjoyment out of her. I like taking photos of my doll, but truthfully just looking at her is really nice (and I'm not a terribly good photographer, once I snap the pics I always see loose hairs or threads and whatnot). If I feel like taking pictures, cool. But most times it's a huge hassle, so there's no reason to do it if I don't feel like it.

Buy the right stuff the first time. For myself anyway, I had a habit of buying stuff used to try to get a discount. For some stuff, like clothes, shoes, option parts, that's fine. Not so much for wigs and eyes in my experience. So, I shelled out the cash for the wig that was pristine and correct, and I love it. It's beautiful and it brings out the quality of the face-up. It's a little troublesome to work with since it's so long and straight but it looks fantastic once it's arranged. I'm not spending that time shopping for doll stuff anymore. I'm just enjoying it.

Storage in a way that's accessible. It really sucked seeing my doll's wig tangled. For some reason that irks me to the point of distraction, so I've rearranged things in the space so that it's easier to get to the stuff for doll (and my) maintenance. Hairbrushes, lights, cotton gloves. It also prompted me to clean my desk a little more often, and honestly just kind of made me improve the set up of my living space.

Enjoying the little things, a lot. My doll is not terribly fancy or flashy, but she's exactly the character I had in mind. It's really, really cool to see your own character sitting on your desk everyday. It took a while to get together, but I think the enjoyment I get out of seeing her was well worth it.

Fundamentally, everyone is going to enjoy their dolls differently. I get the most of out my doll in a way that's extremely laid back, so that's what I'll keep doing.

Thanks again for all of your advice, it's honestly helped me with a lot more than just the doll stuff.

58 minutes ago, sunlightandtea said:

If the outfit's cute and I like it, no reason to pressure myself to change it.

Yeah, it's perfectly ok to dress them up and pose them and leave them like that for awhile. I don't think there is any right or wrong way to play with them.

 

1 hour ago, sunlightandtea said:

once I snap the pics I always see loose hairs or threads and whatnot). If I feel like taking pictures, cool.

Microcomposition is one of the harder parts of photography for me. I get so caught up in the subject that I miss the small details. It doesn't help that I am a very hyper-focused person either. I shoot dolls with the camera tethered to the computer, and look at the images on the computer before moving on to the next image. This is much harder with street photography and landscapes, because you can miss the moment as a result of not looking at the microcomposition before pressing the shutter.

22 hours ago, sunlightandtea said:

Not pressure myself to take pictures. I keep my doll on my desk beside my monitor and that's how I get the most enjoyment out of her. I like taking photos of my doll, but truthfully just looking at her is really nice (and I'm not a terribly good photographer, once I snap the pics I always see loose hairs or threads and whatnot). If I feel like taking pictures, cool. But most times it's a huge hassle, so there's no reason to do it if I don't feel like it.

I totally get this one! And the pressure not to just take pictures, but edit and especially post them. For some reason that last step is always where I get hung up? Now, to be fair, I don't sweat little stuff like flyaway hair very much because I'm good enough at Photoshop I can take care of them, usually--but I really only bother if the flyaways are egregious, like right across the face or full fledged accidental ahoge, because I mean, it's hair. Flyaways is just kind of what hair does, so most of the time it goes under the radar and can sometimes even give a sense of motion. No, where I get all hung up is realizing there's random crap in the background and once I see it, I can't un-see it. 

One thing that helped me a lot with the photography pressure was to differentiate between casual/impulse photography, and good/art photography. Casual, I do on my phone, and don't worry much about it beyond focus and maybe a bit of white balance. Art photography is when I break out the DSLR, get fancy with composition, and edit the snot out of them. They serve different purposes, and different moods I'm in, and this has helped me a ton with the pressure because I have given myself permission to choose how much effort I want to put into any given photo. Some I'll spend two hours taking shots, choosing one or two to spend a couple hours editing hard core, and others I'll just take a quick snap on my phone, send it to some friends, and call it a day. 

And yikes do I feel you on the storage part. My current storage system, I set up four years ago, and my collection has grown in all aspects since then--number of dolls, clothes, shoes, props, accessories--so it is really REALLY not sufficient anymore. I've got to take some time after my roommate moves out to figure out a new solution because egads, this setup I have now SUCKS. 

Glad to read an update from you (＾ω＾) looks like you gave it the thought it needed!

I'm about at the point where initial phase of the hobby is coming to an end. All the major issues and breakages have been resolved, and Mai's got just about everything she needs in her wardrobe for now. There's always something enticing out there, but it's not too sustainable to keep on buying new items. Instead, I've been focusing on my other hobbies.

That all said, Mai still comes out every night to my desk, and although she won't be getting new stuff for a while, I'm really happy to have a physical form of my webcomic's OC and enjoyed the process of building her out. I had to backpedal on a bunch of my decisions, but I'm almost fully satisfied with where she is now.

(That last bit of doubt comes down to her not fitting into a couple outfits I really love.)

I only have 1 more unicorn doll to get and I feel like I'd have all the character dolls I'd like. The big three (in my mind at least. Yuki Morikawa, Sasara and Beatrice). Whenever I consider buying any outfits, I'm always aiming to match it to Alsty, my first custom doll

 

For me my dolls are both decorations and models for my photos. Alsty is a cutie and I'm only disappointed when I can't find good  places to shoot. 

I'm in a slump with some of my other hobbies because I feel I've pretty much max out everything I've felt like I wanted to accomplish with them. For my dollfies, I feel like I can infinitely think of other tasks I want to complete. Photos are number one but fashion would be two. Anyhow involvement I feel is key. 

Edited May 23, 2022 by mayaiincho

I know how you feel, I get doll slumps pretty often!

I like to make pinterest boards for my girls, as like an aesthetic/outfit inspiration board. Since I sew most of their clothes, this is really useful for inspiration. I also make youtube playlists that match their vibes, so I can listen to those songs while I sew lol. If I don't have the time/energy to devote to making them new clothes, I'll sometimes try to just make smaller accessories for them instead.

I also think that there's nothing wrong with just letting dolls chill and look pretty, y'know? Sometimes I just like to look at them lol. Trying to always feel productive or super involved with hobbies can lead to burnout, so I recommend just taking it easy and trying to enjoy it as you like💛