Do you spend more time thinking about or handling your dolls?

I spend more time sewing for them than anything else doll related. I would say I spend 75% sewing, 15% online and only 10% handling them and taking pictures>

 

Hahaha...... haha...... I almost never handle my dolls. But I think about them A LOT. The ratio of thinking to handling is probably like 100:1

I used to handle my dolls more in the past, but over the years they became more of a decoration than a plaything. I look at them all the time! I love them so much. But I don't touch them except to photograph them (which I am trying, and failing, to do more often) or change their clothes/wig/eyes (which is even more rare lol).

I look at DoA and Instagram a lot, which I'm sure is part of the reason I often have dolls on my mind. I think about which one I want to repaint next and how the new faceup might look, fashion that might potentially look good on them, possible reshells, photoshoots I'll definitely never do, etc. I also fret about how many there are and which ones I'd let go of to make room, then keep them all anyway. And I think about their characters too.

It's funny to think back on the days when I'd carry a doll around the house with me, or change their eye position once a week, or fuss with their poses on the shelf every time I looked at them. But I'm still very engaged with them, just in a different way

 

I am also in the 'think about more than handle' camp This is because I have very clear pictures in my mind about characters I wish to shell and how I want them to look, etc. However, most of those dolls don't exist yet This is both in the sense of 'I don't have them yet' or they actually don't exist/I have not found the right sculpt yet.

 

100% thinking of them more than handling...

I guess that in my case, life got in the way, so I spend way more time thinking about them when I am doing other things than handling them on my free time.

Also, I have become even more of a perfectionist getting older so I won't just "be happy" with a random picture, but everything needs to be right or I won't take it (before I used to use more photoshop, but I don't have it anymore, so it's not that easy to just take some shots and post them...).

 

I definitely spend more time thinking about them! In fact, I noticed lately I've probably spent too much time thinking about my doll plans (it's more exciting, hehe) and not enough time enjoying the dolls I have. So lately I've kept my favorite girl with me as I work everyday and I've been enjoying just looking over and seeing her next to me. It feels like the best return for the energy and time I put into completing her! I still don't necessarily handle her a whole lot though, haha.

 

Definitely tinkering with them.... They don't tend to occupy a lot of my "brain space" when I'm not actively doing something with them. Sewing, redressing, restringing, taking pictures or whatever... Reading and posting here counts, I guess, but that's about the extent of it.

 

I’m always thinking of my dolls, would this wig look better on this doll, does so and so need a better outfit, etc, but don’t ever get around to actually making the changes. I have the new items and just need to do a major switch with the girls, but it’s so much work I end up putting it off. I used to work on my dolls quite a lot, but the last couple years I haven’t had the energy and this bothers me. At least I keep planning and thinking of them.

 

I handle my dolls daily, and I still think about them more than I handle them. I have a very active brain, so I'm constantly plotting and looking up tutorials and learning, but I can only handle them so much because I have other physical commitments. They come places with me pretty often, though, even if I'm just bringing a tiny to work and setting her on my shelf for the day.

 

I only handle my dolls if I need to, as in, if I change their outfits (doesn't happen often) or I take pictures of them (LOL...LMAO even ).
Most of the time they just stand around in their cabinets, in a room I only step into for painting or sitting at the computer. The fiddling around with years were only the first two, three of me being in the hobby.

However, I also don't really think about handling them. I am content the way it is

 

Definitely spend more time thinking of them than handling I'm always daydreaming about what to sew for them or who's in line for a faceup. Also about which doll to buy next and researching owner photos. I'll probably do a bjd projects every other month but I check the forums, groups, and tags almost daily.

 

I don't think I have ever thought about it as separate things. The doll hobby is way too complex for that, in my opinion. Or, at least, to me it is.

I mean, to pull an example out of many: I sew a lot and that's not possible without a bit of thinking and planning, potentially some shopping for materials or searching through my stash and maybe some reading up or testing for a special technique etc. Does this count as just "thinking about"? It doesn't require any handeling of the doll itself.
On the other hand; taking measuremens does require handeling the doll, but the handeling when doing that is purely utilitarian, so does that count? What about when remaking an existing pattern? Then the doll doesn't even need to be precent, but it's still physically making something, not just thinking about it.

 

100% thinking about them rather than handling them... However recently I got more into doing my own faceups which I have a lot more confidence in doing than I did before. So because of that I've started handling them a little bit more these days. I used to enjoy crafting for them but as of recent I just don't enjoy sewing in the way I did 3 or so years ago, but back then I didn't enjoy doing faceups xD

 

Someone will usually chill with me on the desk after the sun goes down, but it doesn't exactly involve a lot of handling, maybe some random fiddling Maybe because I'm not a photographer, there is definitely less touching than gazing, planning, and crafting.

 

I think about them infinitely more than handling them, even though I am very active with them and they are a mostly daily part of my life, I would say I think about them/ the characters near constantly. Thinking about them over the last decade plus really became my happy oasis. I actually think that's my favorite reason to have been in this hobby... Just to have topics for pleasant and active daydreaming.

 

It's a cycle of both for me really. My doll are always on display in my room, so that makes it easier to pick them up or adjust their poses. I've been doing faceups on a few to update, since I've improved from my first. My dolls have set styles, so I don't change clothes/wigs much.
As for thinking about them, it's most of the time. Shopping online, browsing on here and other sites, and continuing stories or possible changes to make to them. This hobby takes a lot of headspace for sure.
Then there are days that life gets in the way and not much of either happens, but my dolls are always waiting for me when I'm ready again. That's what I love most.

 

My life is a bit too busy for many years now so I not often have time for dolls but I work on it , so I am thinking more than handling or even admiring them as decor but it's not due to my own will , still the times I do crafting for dolls , handle them or even sit and stare them is one of my few quality times for myself and it worth the hustle , I wish though it would be more handling and admiring them than thinking of when I will find the time to do so but that's life I suppose many times the time you have for things you really like is limited.

 

I probably spend equal amounts thinking about and handling my dolls! I make up elaborate photo stories and I find that even though I have a general plot in mind ahead of time, the stories seem to develop slowly over time as I photograph the scenes and dress and redress the dolls. The more time I spend thinking about the dolls, the better the photo story is!

 

This! Also, for me, becoming more involved in the hobby and the community has inspired even more creativity and potential projects ... which leads to more daydreaming

 

It's tough to juggle work and master classes, but most of my doll related actions are mentally focused. My 1/4 sized bjd hang out on my dresser which is right next to my animation desk, so at least I have the option to look over and admire them. Three of them are Final Fantasy characters and two are original characters (with another OC head on the way), and they have "jobs" as my personal character/animation models.

When I do have free time that isn't scalped by family/friends I spend it restringing, redoing faceups, making brushed yarn wigs, sewing, modifying, etc. For example, I'd been working on Jack on and off from March to August and he's nearly complete but I still need to modify his hands. I cherish any free time I can devote to my bjds because it doesn't seem to come as often anymore. I'm still hoping to go to my first actual in-person meetup (I ended up being unable to go to Resin Rose because my summer classes scheduled their finals then)!