Do you feel that ABJD's compensate for something you don't have IRL?

I can't believe I didn't find this thread before now.

Yes, in a way. BJDs fill in something that I feel I don't have. I can't draw - so photographing them (when they arrive) will be my form of visual artistic expression. I've also always been attracted to beautiful clothing - not to wear, but to admire.

In that sense, I guess BJDs fulfill that part of me that longs to be tall, graceful and beautiful. And they can also be changed according to my moods. They'll give tangibility to some of my childhood stories and characters. I'm currently moulding my first into the perfect man. In my doll world, everything is all beauty and honour, and human ugliness and cruelty is unheard of (so I'm an escapist - you've got me). So, in a way, BJDs for me are the perfect human beings that can never exist.

 

I like them for 3 reasons:they are beautiful, art and a way to have my characters in hand . Yaoi will problaby be a reason in the future too
Anyway,all my character are diferent from me and usualy not human.But I didn't want to be like them, I just like to be able to interact with them.
I don't lack beauty or style (love lolita/alternative clothes and use them.) and I didn't want to my character to lack them too, and I don't see any problem that they use some kind of clothe that I like because every character that you make you take some part of you.
The only thing that I realy lack is self control and many of them don't have it too

 

I suppose that,when I finally have the ones I like the best,they will help me express myself more. I go through a lot of artistic ways of "finding my voice" because I am in real life a meeker person who tends to shrink away from saying what's inside,which has caused many problems in my life. It's certainly not to make myself feel more beautiful,my boyfriend does that every day...It's just an urge to say things I want to say,to show things to people the way I see them,to make myself heard or known in some way. Something like that.

 

I sew and design the clothes I do because they're the clothes that I would want to wear. The stuff I make for guys is the kind of stuff that I would want my husband to wear, but I don't have the confidence to make human sized clothes, just doll sized. I made one shirt for my husband and he wouldn't wear it because he thought it fit weird... so now I'm too afraid to make anything for him!

 

I suppose it could be filling a gap in my life. I mostly got Elise because as an artist I saw her beautiful face and could appreciate it. Now that I have her, she's a famous model from France who will be modeling for me so I can learn to make BJD clothing. :p

But maybe I wish I was a model from France? I don't know. Mostly I like her cuz she's pretty. I myself am not ugly, so I don't think I'm compensating for anything there.

But you raise a valid argument that probably applies to many people.

 

Kaiuen was a character I needed to have 'come alive',and since he was a vampire elf,he kinda portrays that 'the world doesn't like vampires,but i don't care what they think of me' childish attitude.

I love him to bits.
I'm really shy,so he kinda helps with meeting people and having someone to 'talk' to.

 

I think it is kind of true for anyone.

I know, that I just turned 16, and am going to graduate next year. I am terrified of growing up. I don't want to. I collect dolls so that I do not loose that part of myself. It's the same reasons that I cosplay, because I always want to be a child. (It might be bad, ooooh well.)

And of course they are slender and beautiful.

 

Yes. I find that they keep me company since I'm not that social and I can pratice talking to them. They seem to compensate on different levels for different people, so it all varies.

 

Up until now I probably would have denied that this is true. I’ve come to the realization that my socialism has declined. Though it is rather depressing how little I even try to interact with people out side of school, I kind of prefer it. I'm a psycho Visual kei kid trapped in the moutins. There are not too many people who even try to understand my style and I get mistaken for emo. It’s obnoxious and I find my anger is more then most people can bear ^-^ I suppose my dolls are my closest friends. They do not insult my style or infuriate me-if anything they calm me.

They express my fantasies. The vampires I will never get to be with. A man who doesn’t mind my excessive black makeup,j-rock blaring headphones, extreem change in dress (i.e. gothic Lolita to ragity visual), large collection of manga and anime, and all my little psychotic imperfections. Someone who shares the love of fine gothic Lolita clothing. Friends that will NEVER stab me in the back. Honestly I find the majority of the large mass I call classmates annoying and wish to no longer be around them. I pay no mind the their laughter and mocking. It is not my fault they are so stupid and narrow minded. Yes, my lovely BJDs only give them more grounds to stare and taunt, but I say let them stair, let them get an eyeful of their polar opposite. ^-^ They have their $200 pair of pants that will have a rip or busted seam within a few weeks and I have something much more enriching my lovely BJDs. They mean more to me then any of the huddled masses. I honestly think this small amount of seclusion is better for me then what I had before, fights and many fake friends.

-Kira

 

I don't have a doll yet, but I feel like I may be able to answer for this fairly well.

I think what I most want is a few constant companions. The idea of creating a personality also appeals to me, but companionship is what I'd love. I'm fairly social (I wouldn't ever call myself outgoing, but I do like to talk to people), and while I'm very close to my family and a few friends, there's just something that seems very calming to me about these dolls. As a high school student with a lot on my mind (now the school is starting the "you need to prep for college" thing), I like the idea of having something there. Just there. To talk to if I feel like venting (or rather, to talk at), to hold when I want to, to just have some presence in the room. I talk to my mom and cousin a lot, but they tend to go with the "oh, you don't need to worry about it" approach. I'm fairly secure, but there are some things I'm quite insecure about that those around me find silly. Looking at these dolls calms me >w<

Edit: Now that I have my doll, I find that my prediction was almost perfect. In a world where I'm feeling really unstable right now, my boy is always there for me. ^.^

 

BJD's are really beautiful that it's another way for us to fill each of our days with more beauty. Who wouldn't want more of that

 

I agree... what made me decide to finally buy my doll in the first place was because I had this idea that I could make my characters that I created (online comics) into actual 3D figures, and do photo stories instead of drawing them, not feeling in the drawing mood, oh now my scanner's broken, etc. It's just another way for me to be creative. Not to mention, as a kid, I loved making mini furniture, clothes, and stories for my tiny stuffed animals (I only had one barbie... all I did was dress her up all the time. I guess it 'twas.....DESTINY XD) I'm not into BJD because I don't feel beautiful enough, I am happy with myself, which should be the first thing you accomplish before anything I think. How can you have confidence in doing anything if you don't have confidence in yourself? *cough* I'm getting off topic here. Anyhoo. I'm into BJD because they bring out my creative side, give me ideas on what kind of stories I can come up with, what kind of clothes I can design, etc. BJD also bring people together, I've noticed. Even if you met someone who didn't know what the heck it was that you were carrying around, it does make them curious, and I've noticed that most people do enjoy their 'company' (I guess you would call it). I don't see them as being alive or living the life that I can't have (like another person stated, that is the world of Barbie). BJD allows people to bring out personalities (in general, not neccesarily their own XD). Maybe BJD can act as an extension of something/anything. It all depends on the person.

 

I dont see why something that one lavishes their attention or money or time to has to be an excuse or compensation for anything. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. It's just one of the many items in this whole wide world we choose to devote our attention, money and time to

 

Maybe not having children is what they do for me

 

I don't own my doll yet, but I'd say that like all the other dolls I've made a BJD wouldn't so much compensate as let me try it out. I'm stalwartly female and yet so deadset on getting a male doll. People say that in real life I've got kind of a weird, silly, party-hearty personality- but the personalities I make are all very serious. I'll never be that. I'll never be that supportive, calm person who can face the serious matters of life head on and not cry, I'll never be able to bite my lip and just get over it, I'll never be the comforter- I'll always need to be comforted. I've got kind of a Peter Pan thing going on, and all my characters are more mature. There's probably some deep meaning in my love for male characters but I'm ignoring it thoroughly.
Aesthetically, it's just a matter of what's appealing, and that's frequently the polar opposite of what you've got. I've got kind of childish, 'striking' features instead of 'pretty' ones and I've always sought the look of prettiness in dolls, though not so much in art. It's on a person by person basis though, most doll owners I know are pretty and grown-up looking instead of the little grinning imp I still am.

 

yes definetly. All of my characters planned so far are the way I wish I was.
I've always wanted to be that really pretty girl, who everyone notices but shes actually quiet and nice.
I'm quiet and nice(sometimes)
I'm not at ALL lady like, and I KNOW my dolls will be in dresses 98% of the time. haha.

 

I think they compensate for friends that listen to you perfectly, they are sure to listen, I don't have need for them to talk back, and thus they are perfect for all your secrets yes =3

 

.: raises hand :. Yea,that's me. I'm a little too big to fit into pretty clothes or have any style outside of baggy pants and plain t-shirts. Lanyt Brian or how ever you spell it isn't my style and it's more exspensive than what I like to spend on myself.

With my doll, I can wear and make the clothes I've always wanted to wear. I'm not ashamed of this fact tho. I am working towards becoming a more healthier weight. Having her helps me stay focused on what I'd like to look like and the clothes I wanna wear someday. So for now, something that helps me compensate also helps motivate. Plus the new skills of sewing and such that I learn through her helps me creatively express myself. When she's beautiful, wearing something I made, I feel beautiful too.

 

I don't think that my dolls are for me like this way.

But anyway it's good to have someone who loves you only for that is you.