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

Hell no!! It's a hobby, for Pete's sake...

 

• Do you feel that you 'and/or' others around you are using ABJD's to compensate for something you lack in your life?
Yes and no. ^__^;;

YES
For me personally, I never grow out of that imaginary phase as a kid. I still daydream and pretend, and if I was a braver soul, I'd wear lolita fashions whenever I wanted ( and in my perfect world, I'd actually look good in them! dang chest, why are you so big?!)
For me, my dolls are a "valid" escape to that inner fantasy world- they fill the "its all in you head and you can never have a concrete feel of it" void. I'm not a writer, and I don't think up epic stories in my head anyways (so I won't be writing a book about my little adventures to share with others), but I do love to think about what X would do in Y situation, what would s/he wear, and so on. Dolls allow me to "do" that. Obviously, I can't live in my little world, but now I can play in it in the real world.
I don't have defined characters for my dolls. I think up a general personality for them, and just go with it- it allows for more creativity on my part, since my daydreams are ever-changing.

 

Well I don't have a doll yet, (I'll be ordering mine as soon as this sudden and annoying bout of unemployment concludes) but if I'm honest with myself about this toddler character I'm working up... yes, I'm probably sublimating a latent desire for actual offspring onto this doll idea... the same as I do with my cats.

But lets face it, a BJD or a cat comes with a lot lower maintenance than a human child, and I'm not at a place in my life where I'm willing to put in the time and money required to care for a human child, so a resin one I can shelve when I want to go out seems like a great idea.

8^)

 

Not in particular.

I don't have a lot of friends but I prefer being alone so my dolls aren't there because of that. I play lots of instruments and create a lot of art so my dolls are just another hobby or artistic outlet. I have a big imagination and sometimes I can't express that in music or paintings so maybe my dolls represent some of my big ideals...but I can't actually come up with anything they may be replacing.

 

my dolls arent there to be an up to my ego, but they do still fit into a part of my life that would otherwise be missing- children. they become part of the family and have their own names and their own personalities that they portray , even if you try to 'make' them into something, so i think its very right to say they can then have souls reside in them (hence why my own mother is so scared of them). but they arent there to be pretty, cute, to be sexy or anything of that sort....

 

As a child I received a cheap, plastic version with ugly hair ~ compared to the dolls my friends played with. I felt embarrassed, and the doll had an impact on how I saw myself. This was at a very early age. Now I am treating myself with some extravagance in my doll purchsing. Some part of the joy for me is in making up for some lost things, loving my inner child some might say. Classic compensation.

I see my enjoyment of the dolls as something that refreshes me. Life can be dark, painful and hard. But focusing on that part of life gives even more power to what is wrong or can't be fixed. Dolls are a way to increase thankfulness and joy in my life. I am new to this hobby, but I've been an artist for some time. I see my dolls as an extension of my creavtive, imaginatiive self, the same as my other art endeavors.

These beautiful dolls provide a bridge for me to share that, and encourage and admire it in others. All of these things compensate for the "hard knocks" life has in store for everyone with a belly button. Doesn't have to be about looks or fashion.

Dolls, and what amazing things I see people do with them, gives me delight. That is always good for relieving tension, anxiety or a sense of lacking something -- to get back to the exact topic. For example, I am unable to have children. I can sit around grieving about that, or I can do something I probably wouldn't get to do if I were not "child-free" -- I can spend money and time enjoying choosing dolls and being creative with them.

I believe the dolls may lead me to some understanding of myself and some subconscious stuff. I know for certain that my art does that for me. You might say then, that the dolls will "compensate" for not going to therapy? I know they compensate for my tendency to feel like I have to work all the time. Even though I'm an artist, because it is my profession, I lost some of the fun. I look forward to sharing in the bjd world as a place to have fun and share that fun with others.

 

Maybe youth, or just people who've got my back no matter what. It also helps that they surround me with their prettiness. And that they'll wear pretty clothes for me, because I hate getting up and thinking about what I'm going to wear, especially if its something I can easily ruin. I love not caring; and dolls can wear them nicely for me no matter what!

I really do feel like it's an extension of my younger self, the child within me. This is my way of preserving her, and to keep her alive and thriving. Does that make sense?

 

I don't think I'm really using a BJD for anything other than character development and the sheer beauty. I don't own a beautiful doll because I don't think I am beautiful, and I don't make an in depth character because I think I'm boring. Sometime though, I do sport my boys in clothes that I wished more guys would wear perhaps. But this isn't because I need to make them my perfect guy type. I'm in this hobby for the love of resin beauty, not to cope with my inner problems. I have other methods for that.... This hobby just lets me use this creative flow that's always running in me, and that's basically it.

 

Do you feel that you 'and/or' others around you are using ABJD's to compensate for something you lack in your life?
Others? No idea. Me? Yes. Absolutely. They provide me compensation for the lack of absolute freedom, intense playfulness, continuous validation, feeling of being a special snowflake... Not because my life is bad. Not at all, it is pretty good. This lack simply accompanies the everyday life of an absolutely average adult. Life - as in real life - is not a bowl of cherries. But in my doll dreamworld, it can be one whenever I like.

 

I don't think it's right to judge people for why they own bjds, but that's not what this thread is about- so, moving on...

Do I think they compensate something in my life? Somewhat. They're like "grown-up" toys for me. I still love dolls- dressing them up, making up characters for them, taking pictures of them. They compensate the fact that I am in my twenties now, and I still want to play with dolls? I can't say play with is the right term because, well, they are more on display than anything. But taking them down, posing them, etc... that could qualify? They also compensate for the fact that I can't LITERALLY bring my original characters to life. So I am able to make them into dolls? Something like that.

But if other people have them for other reasons, then more power to them. Whether BJDs are a casual hobby just because you like how they look or whether the fill some sort of void... they have one thing in common. They make the owner happy. And that's the whole point, ne?

 

I personaly think I do use my doll to a certian extent to componsate. Im a perfectionist in everything I do be it how I look or how other people look in terms of my photography. Lets face it people just arnt born perfect and no amount of makeup and plastic surgery can really change that. For one thats why most images people consider "perfect" are heavily edited. But a doll has near enough no limits in terms of appearance. Dolls make perfect subjects for art. They dont move about while your taking there photograph of diside they need a bathroom break half way threw. And they dont complain when you have made them pose in a potentionaly painful possition for an hour trying to get the lighting right. So I guess in a way I use them to componsate for lack of real people who will let me fully excersise my creativity and to get as close to perfection as I can possibly get. But I guess my doll also componsates for things I can be in life or have. She can be what ever I want her to be. From some kind of fantasy based creature to just a normal person whos life is going better than mine.

 

I'm very new to the hobby, but it doesn't surprise me that there are people who feel that having the dolls, playing with them, designing them, painting them, etc. fulfills something in themselves that they would otherwise lack. I believe that we all have something that helps us feel more satisfied with ourselves and the world we live in. For some people, it's their career, for some people, it's recreational, for some people, it's religion, and for some, it's dollies. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. ^^'

 

I originally wanted to answer, "are you crazy?"

But to be honest...

Yea. I think they do. I didn't...have much of a childhood. I was also a semi-neglected child, and my imagination as a kid was...well, let's just say my parents weren't the encouraging type. I think, in a way, my dolls are a way to get that part of my childhood back. ^.^

 

It's a yes-no for me... and I hope I can explain my brain right.

In a way, I suppose people can see that. I never owned many pretty things, or if I did, my brother had a bad tendency to destroy said pretties. Yeah, sure. I'm not the prettiest thing around, and after a horrid break up, I suppose you could say I needed some beauty in my life. I can also say that no matter what I do, or what I say, I love them no matter what. Its an unconditional love thing on my end.

However, my characters are mostly different from my own personality enough for me to answer, no. They're are so very unique in attitude and poise... Although I do think Lyr is very much like how I was a long time ago with his bookish ways and quite demeanor.

I actually view it more as a collector of fine art: Yes, the pieces evoke emotions I sometimes compensate for either having or repressing, but it does not diminish me, nor the beauty of the doll. It's a hobby and there's nothing wrong with me, or some type of ulterior motive for owning and/or buying.

My mother, however, feels as if I am compensating for the fact that I can't have kids and have almost no social life. *rolls eyes* The first reason is why I adopted a Scottish Terror (he happily filles my void for unconditional love, as only a dog can). The second is I have no social life because, quite simply, I just don't want to go out. I am perfectly content to sit reading a book. Preferably with my lovely pieces of art work with me.

 

I'm a guy and I think the only thing my dolls compensate for is the fact that I can't/don't wear girly clothes..So I take out all my fashion desires and creative concepts on them. They become my outlet..which I think is a good thing.

 

Hm....

I find myself really attracted to pretty guy dolls. It might be the lack of a significant other in my life, as well as that I can't cosplay pretty young guys as well as I would like.

I'm not sure if that's the reason for it, or because I just like them.

On the other hand, I do not find myself pretty, but I'm not attracted to pretty girl dolls.

 

For myself, I would say yes. I have so many OC characters in my head, i'd love to bring into the world. All of them share a sliver of myself, and how I am/wish I was. Felinus is my quiet, calm person that I always become when I am upset. A deep thinker, perhaps. While my on-order doll factory devil bobo (an anthro mouse) represents a devilish/mean but in a cold humor way. As its not nice to say rude things to others, and i don't do it, i let it out through the doll. As i wish i could say what i wanted to. These dolls arent just my artistic outlet, but an emotional outlet.

To me, its 'how can you bond with a doll that isn't atleast a sliver like you?'

 

Personally, I think that when I do get a doll, the only thing I'd project onto it that I'd long for is perfection, clothing styles I can't pull off, manageable hair, etc. I also don't think that "compensate" is the right word.

I think that it allows you to create people you wish you were or knew, just like any other form of character creation (writing, drawing, etc) would. I think that unless you have a significant disability or lack of something, it's probably just an imagination thing.

 

Do you feel that you 'and/or' others around you are using ABJD's to compensate for something you don't have IRL?
Hm, I cannot speak for other people, but for me... yes, in a certain way I use BJDs to compensate something I don't have IRL. I could live a perfectly happy life without BJDs of course, but I love how they represent the artistic, playful and cute side of my inner feelings/personality. For the last 5 years, I have been studying really hard to achieve the Bachelor/Master of Science grade and recently I have started working full-day in a lab for my Master thesis. I love natural sciences, but since my childhood I also have a deep affection for arts in general and I love to paint and draw. With all the lab work (I work 11-12 hours/day + weekend shifts - all unpaid of course) I somehow "miss" the feeling of expressing my artistic side. Dolls remind me that I am more than a working machine that has input of papers and experiments and output of scientific data ^^.

 

For everyone else in the world? I don't know. For me? Yes, and no.

I only have one, a boy who I sometimes have to remind myself to leave at home, not that I take him everywhere but sometimes I want to. Unlike what sounds like the trend, I'm pretty gregarious. I need to be around people and I hate being alone more than anything else in the world. I have plenty of friends but sometimes I want to be alone without actually being alone. My doll then becomes my silent companion and even good luck charm at times.

But in the same vein, I really want to get my second, one I've wanted for awhile now and it's because I've been feeling creative lately and want that outlet and financial goal, not because I feel lonely. Does that make sense?