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

-laughing- nope; he's not even an extension of me [applies for my girl too]; I'm really quite happy with who I am right now and I wouldn't have it any other way. -looks at them sleeping on the cushions all day- hmm. okay, maybe just the slacker aspect. XD

 

No, not really.

I think the girl I'm saving up for is beautiful, and I'll be giving her red hair, which I've always wanted, but I want her to be a companion, not a slate for my insecurities.

 

For me I will admit that that they compensate for the lack of appearance I have. I am fine with my body and love it but I’m no model. I also want to make some of my crazy fashion designs. Clothing and style that would not be accepted in North American culture.

 

Oddly enough, yes. Kinda. Sorta.

Yes, because I have come to learn that the personalities of my dolls that I connect with the most are aspects of myself. Whether it be my calm, serene and strong side (Kells), my free-spirited, loving, and optimistic side (Rho) or my dissatisfaction and hurts (Akirou). There are many other 'characters' that I have with other aspects that I relate to (and that sounds crazy :P ) But it just helps me create richer stories and personalities with more depth.

I also used my love of these dolls to meet new people and expand my circle of friends to those beyond the ones I have at school. Instead of sitting behind my computer, I went out to meet-ups and got to know people, and have made some great solid friendships since joining my local group. Being in the BJD world has grown to being involved in a community, and having another creative outlet.

 

Yeah, I suppose so. They have youth and beauty - I no longer have the former and never really had the latter!

 

hi! I don't think they compensating some lack in my life...it is just I like beauty and for me they represent beautiful things which I can decide to wear or make up or just to put them in a box or put them on a shelve to admire...when I was a child I didn't like much barbies since they were too adult for me...and I didn't like her style so fashion addict...I really like more bjd to me they represent innocent beauty and that's all...
I was really scared by dolls when I was a child...especially when it becames dark...now it is all gone ahhahahh and my wallet is the only one to be scared by its emptiness ahhahahhaha!

 

Yes, they help me to make sense of a lot of things about life I don't understand. They can also help me to express myself in ways I'm not confident enough to do in life. They are essentially a lot of things I've never been able to be. I wish I was assured enough in my self to be outrageous or sexy, but I guess I'm not. They also help my writing and to bring characters off paper and into the real world.

 

My boy has to wear all the clothes I can't wear cuz I'm a girl. Or he will have. I love to design clothes and style boys....someday I will get to sew the things I have already designed for him XD
My girl in a way is there for the same reason. I want her to wear the styles I like but don't like to wear myself. I have my style and I know what looks odd on me so in a way the dolls make up for that.
But I got them because I liked them not for the reason of compensating anything.

 

Lack of drawing talent perhaps, but I'd say that's about it lol. My photography sucks but atleast I can get some images whereas mind to paper doesn't work so well for me. I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin for the most part, as well as pretty happy with my life. Now if my BJDs could fix my energy problems, I'd be set! XD
(I do agree they can be good quiet company though, I'm rather fond of quiet alone time.)

 

Do you feel that you 'and/or' others around you are using ABJD's to compensate for something you don't have IRL?

Weird question.

For one thing--it is an obvious YES, because we aren't dolls! None of us are resin with convenient bodies to dress with doll clothes we can wear and wigs and eyes to change! We aren't cute little tinies or large gorgeous, older dolls. We aren't mermaids or werewolves or elves. So, yes, of course we have to have a doll to do dolly-things, take photos, pose 'em, buy outfits, mod 'em, etc. These are simply things that BJDs are perfect for doing, and humans just plain CAN'T do!

For the other thing, the answer is a resounding NO. I do not have dolls because I'm lacking for anything in particular in my life-- friends, children, pets, or whatever! If I wanted such things, I'd get such things, not play with dolls to compensate for something else! If I wanted GLAMOUR, I could try and diet and work out more and then hang about at premieres in pretty gowns. My doll isn't any more better at GLAMOUR than I could be. Face it... my dolls may look prettier, but they aren't asked to walk down the red carpet any more than I am! They can't. They are DOLLS. I can pretend they are on the red carpet and lead amazing lives, but then, I can pretend I'M doing that about as easily! So, I don't think all that kind of thing is true, at least as far as I am concerned.

 

Hmm, I'm not sure myself. Originally my dolls were just my hobby and I enjoyed having them around, and getting to go out and take photos of them and finding out just how much I enjoyed it. Usually I'd rather not go out by myself but if I really want to do something then I go and do it.
But now my Boy has gone for his faceup across the pond. And something really weird happened. I felt like I was sending off my own child on a school trip for the first time.
Not that I'd know how that felt as I don't have children, or any desire TO have children. But that's the closest thing I could think of to relate it to.
Anyway, now I've found myself to be quite lonely with him gone. So, I guess my dolls are filling the void for my desire to have someone to be with me and keep me company and be my friend. I've failed all attempts to make any friends with actual people since moving to this country 6 years ago so I'm very lonely ^^;

Also Boys, because the last time I actually spoke to a guy was when I was 16. And I've never actually know a down to earth sweet guy. They've all been total jerks (or turned out to be) so also perhaps my Finnian is doing that for me, too.

Ah I sound like such a pathetic person xD; But I am still trying, I'm not a crazy cat lazy yet. Or, crazy doll lady I should say. I don't plan on becoming one, either >3>

 

Yeah, I do. My dolls have everything I want to be. They were both excellent in Martial Art. Ran in karate Ren in Monkey Kung Fu.
I am so out of training but my dream still is to be a full trained martial artist. SO my dolls take the roll for me till I am able to fullfill it. Everytime I look at my dolls I feel guilty for no training, that helps to keep the goal in sight ^^.

 

Enki, I just spent a good time reading the answers for your post and what I found out clearly was that, YES, this theme IS TABOO.
Unfortunately, though.

And I took some time to research some users, precisely the most negative ones and that emphatically denyed the doll's compensation effect. As I thought, there was pretty much compensation, at least in artistic expression, through the fisical character, and the many concepts.

What I read here told me many people get offended by the question, as if it stated that "BJD owners must lack something IRL, so they get the dolls as compensation mechanism" but they don't get to think the point is not specificaly beauty, style or relashionship, but maybe the lack of a character that would't be possible IRL to meet, and as you yourself said in your answer, the artistic creation they (dolls) provide to us, that maybe a drawing, a song, a static sculpture just wouldn't do.

My point is, unless if the person bought a doll just to leave it standing on the shelf or something like that forever, there's no way you are not using the doll for compensate something.

If you use the doll to take pictures, it compensate your lack of a 24/7 model, if you use it for your personal character, it compensates the lack of personification and shape of the empiric character; if you use it as your fashion model, it compensates the lack of another scale production, maybe. That's what I mean, in every way you use a doll, you are compensating (and hell, "compensation" is not a bad thing!) the lack of ways to express yourself.

This is a human thing, we are always needing new forms, ways and ideas to express and create. It's not bad to compensate, it's necessary.


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(To the most cynical ones, dolls even compensate the lack of a BJD, so that they wished it and bought it.)

 

I'd have to say my dolls compensate for a lot of things. For one things, aesthetically I am far from my idea (due to hormonal issues I've had acne for 2 decades now, and wiith sensitive skin I'm alergic to everything I could use to treat it - most treatmets have just left scarring. After 2 kids, my body is somewhat droopy & as I don't sleep much I usually look haggard & 1/2 dead. My teeth are yellow & crooked as my parents didn't believe in orthodontists - they were always pretty stingy though...interestingly though, they changed their minds for my younger sister. I could keep going but I won't) so the few dolls I have compensate there. Also, I used to love to have a bit more fun with my choices of clothing and hair colours back when I was younger, being a University art college student for 6 years especially so my dolls compensate for that sense of fun expression of self. Also, I got married and had kids rather than having the brilliant creative career I'd always hoped for so, again, big time compensation (kids, let this be a warning to you... never get married and have kids until you are the person you seek to be! And if you must get married, at least hold off on the kids.). At least here I can use my painting, sculpting, costume annd theatre design and textile skills for good... even if my motives are purely selfish.

 

I feel like for me my dolls are an extension of a part of myself- they are a conduit for my creativity and a way to play with themes that I enjoy. I love to write and make up stories, particularly those that are on the fantastical side. With dolls I can take this further than writing- I can make them clothes, take photos of them, etc. They allow me to indulge more in the stories I create, but they also depend on me to have these adventures- without my creativity they would just be resin figures. I don't feel like I am missing something without them, but they definitely let me have a lot of fun. I sort of feel that dolls and doll owners have a pretty equal relationship- yes, your doll may get to be beautiful and have awesome clothes/style and go on many adventures, but how would they do that without you?

 

Hmm... I don't feel like dolls compensate for anything except a lack of dolls...

Gwil said "If you use the doll to take pictures, it compensate your lack of a 24/7 model" -- but I don't want to take a photo of a model (and if ever I do, I have several volunteers I could call upon), I want to take a photo of dolls. I also own dolls for home decor, but they don't compensate for home decor items I lack... in fact, I had to buy a shelf to make space to put them there. So really, for me dolls are just dolls. They have no character, I don't sew for them, and while I do take photos of them, I take photos of them AS dolls rather than as a substitute for a human being. I just like dolls! The end~

 

Just to add to my previous comment, I've always been drawn to the more-than-human / superhuman which is why I am drawn to those elements in dolls. I am one of those individuals who find the human state often quite boring, limited & powerless and so since an early age have been drawn to the fantastic. Hence, it is no suprise I am drawn to this in dolls too. It is for this reason that, if I had & when I have the money to do so, I would happily go crazy on the various gods and monsters of the ball jointed doll world. All of my current dolls fit the more-than-human mould in one way or another. In a way, I wish to compensate or my human-ness.

 

I feel like my dolls kinda represent something that I used to be.
I used to dress very outrageously when I was younger, long pink hair and alternative style clothing. I miss it, but I can no longer do that, so I guess I live it through my dolls.

 

I know exactly what you mean there - used to have purple hair and lived mostly in black, burgundy and purple velvet.

 

Mine are definitely that perfect figure (mostly a full bust). I'm pumped to sew for them and make them all the clothing that doesn't look good on flat-chested me.