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

I'm going to say no... Actually, I've planned characters for future dolls and most of them reflect things about myself and my own life. That's how my art always has been... I've never written a good story about something or someone completely unrelated to myself. All of my best writing is based on events that happen in my life or things that go on in my mind. It's the same when I create stories and personalities for characters, or in this case, dolls.
In example, I have one group of dolls planned that are going to be teenagers and their story will be set in a modern asylum... A lot of their backgrounds are things I feel very personal about or have witnessed in myself or those close to me.
So no, I don't see my dolls as better than myself and I don't use them to compensate for anything.
Of course, my friends complain that I'm full of myself and pompous so that could account for why I don't feel the need to compensate.

 

They have the option of switching to the Large sized bust piece.

However, unlike me, they aren't much without their makeup.

 

Honestly, no. They are for me a media to give life to fantasy characters, as is writing, drawing, rpg's...

 

Well, I guess partially it's kind of a fashion thing for me. granted the clothing my dolls wear is the same kind of stuff I do/will when I lose weight (which is happening at a solid pace GO ME), so right now, they wear what I can't. That won't always be the case. Otherwise, there's no real compensation... unless you count compensation for not having dolls... >_>;; My dolls compensate for that!!! LOL

 

Nope. Before I knew about BJDs I used to think it would be great for my creativity if I could have some sort of physical manifestation of my characters, so when I found out that was possible I thought "Awesome, I want to be in this hobby." And then started reading and learning about it. Simple as that.

 

YES! I got BJDs when I found I was too allergic for any pets. I don't want children, I can't have pets, and my housing needs to be relatively sterile. Soon after realizing I'll never own a pet again, I discovered BJDs. I always wanted to make some kind of figure off some of my characters, and wanted to continue designing costumes since I finished cosplaying, and the dolls just filled in that role. They fill the holes in my creative outlet since I retired from cosplay, and they fill that hole of something I can baby and care for since I can't have any pets. They mean a lot to me. It's definitely filling in two large gaps for me personally...

 

I think they definitely compensate for my own waning interest in eccentric dressing. I was always pretty individual when it came to clothes and always went to a huge effort to get dressed each morning, combining unusual items and accessorizing like my life depended on it. I mixed vintage and designer with stuff I found at a jumble sale or whatever. It was a big part of my life, but I guess other things got in the way, my career for certain! I never had the time to shop endlessly and sort through my wardrobe and gradually became more of a normal dresser... also, when you hit your 40's and maybe spread a little round the middle, well, whacky dressing doesn't look quite as cute as it once did... I found myself editing my wardrobe down a lot and yet the dolls can wear anything.

Now I spend free time combining clothes for them and finding mad little accessories and even making stuff for them. It's definitely reawakened that interest but now the creativity is going into the BJDs, and it looks a lot better on them, I have to say!

 

yes. awesome clothes >.>;;
my parents dont let me buy the kind of clothes i like because its too unusual... so i (will) make my doll wear it

 

Sort of? The 2nd doll I ordered will be a tiny and she's very.. child like looking. It is kinda true that I want a child of my own someday. I'm just not ready to take care of a real child just yet. :s

 

I haven't yet got a BJD of my own, but I already know what BJD's will compensate for im my life: A baby girl.

Basically, ever since I was a bairn I've played with dolls and dreamed of having a little sister or daughter that I could dress up and make look beautiful. Now that I'm older, I don't think it sends a very positive message to young girls by "dolling" them up. So I have made a decision not to turn my daughter (if I ever have one) into a fashionista, and instead I'll collect dolls that I can dress up, parade around, and show off to anyone who'll look ^^

 

They do for me. I had some unpleasant experiences as a child and it made ... socially akward. I only have 2 friends, one moved to the other side of the world : and the other has found other friends she can go out with (something I despise) so I rarely hear from her anymore. I also suffer from depression but medication alone just isn't enough at times.

To me, dolls are a way to escape and forgot, even if it's just for a little while. Looking at my girl and holding her makes me feel better. When I'm wrapped up in a new idea for an outfit everything else just dissapears.

I would never tell someone this face to face, that's why I like sites like this. You can open up and noone can judge you, well they can, but not right away face to face, which is alot worse for me. Because of bjd's I also became a member of this site where I can talk to people about something I love without people saying you're childish for playing with dolls and whatnot.

 

They're just the embodiment of my rp characters.. and something fun to do. I like making clothing and I find making tons of doll clothing entertaining and takes less time than making people clothing. I like the hobby and really don't view it as much more.

I dress far better than my doll. I spend way... way more money on my clothes than my doll clothes.. Heck, I have many articles of clothing that cost more than my actual doll. I'm just as pretty as my doll, if not more so. I'm well liked. I have a pet doggy I love. I hate children, so I've no desire to compensate for that.. I am a pretty confident person, as much as a perfectionist can be, anyway. I think that covers everything..?

 

It's actually a very interesting theory. I think it's true, but also that it applies to almost anything we do for a hobby. We like things we cannot have or do.

As for my particular case, I'm a writer, so I love character creation, and as such I try to make dolls that resemble a character I (or others) have created. People say that writers create characters out of themselves and people they know, so it might have something to do with that theory you explained

 

I say "maybe" for me. I used to draw and write a lot, and play music and even paint a little, but I was always so self-conscious of doing those things. Sometimes for no real reason, either. I really felt like I wasn't much good at those things, much less using them to communicate what I felt was a powerhouse of ideas. I'm all ideas and no execution, I would feel like.

So... in an obtuse way you could say I bypass not having the kind of skill I wanted in describing or depicting my worlds and ideas by having dolls do it for me. Strangely, my urges to learn modding and faceups are unaffected by the same insecurity; perhaps I subconsciously feel like the creation of the doll itself has done most of the work of emerging from my mind for me?

 

I think it's lovely that you have found a way to help yourself deal with issues that make life difficult for you, without turning to destructive behaviours such as taking illicit drugs or drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
The only concern I have for you, my friend, is that when "the dog" returns, you no longer see the point in doing anything - even living - any more (I also suffer from depression.)
Often, the only way to break the cycle of destructive negativity in your head is to have a friend who's got the confidence to tan your hide, but also offer you a staunch shoulder to cry on and use as a support for picking yourself up.
While it's fantastic the BJD's help you to control your thoughts and emotions, please don't let your hobby for BJD's be at the exclusion of other human interaction.
-You're welcome to send me a PM if you like, but don't feel obliged to...

 

yes. I've actually thought about this before, heh x3
They will ALWAYS look perfect everyday, I can style them however I want, make them wear clothes I could never get away with, and have personalities that are and aren't my own. I love the idea of being able to completely create something and represent it physically especially if it is something I cannot do myself :]

 

No, they are simply wonderful toys that even grownups are still allowed to play with.

 

Friends. Probably.

 

Dolls for me aren't making up for anything I'm lacking in real life....maybe I'm just confident or stuck up or something, but I'm perfectly content with myself and I don't really feel like I'm lacking. I'm pretty, talented, and pretty darned smart, so I guess I don't feel the need to live vicariously through anything (with the exception of being taller, which a doll isn't really going to help). For me, when I create art of any kind (be it painting, drawing, or fashion) I'm creating an extension of myself. Honestly, my dream doll looks an awful lot like me I've recently realized. I wear what I like to wear without worrying about other people. For me, my dolls (since I don't have any yet) would just be another artistic avenue for me. I'm the same way with RPGs though. I don't play to escape. I play to exercise my creativity. My various hobbies are just part of that I guess.

 

Yes. I have a lack of friends and lack in social skills. I usually lock myself up in my room, browsing the internet or drawing. I can't even begin to tell how many lonely nights I've sat here and cried myself to sleep because I was so lonely. I know for sure that this sounds way out there, and strange, my but Nico compensates for my lack of friends. Anytime I'm browsing the web, he's sitting right next to me, or if I'm sleeping, I tuck him into his little bed. I know he's just a doll, but he has a sort of "personality" to him that makes him almost real (woo hoo, everybody's gonna think I need a shrink.) Its not as if I talk to him, but I do treat him with more gentler hand movements than I do the majority of my other stuffed animals.