Does your lack of creativity limit your enjoyment of the hobby?

I always have done art, theater arts, and crafty things all my life. To me this now means that having dolls can be utterly exhausting as I always am working on projects for them now.
I find I have periods of great busy productivity with my collection, followed by weeks of burnout.
I cannot easily seem to find a middleground. When they are out it's like I HAVE to be working on things. Ideas tumble out and matters get feverish. I finish some, half-finish others, and then Life comes knocking .
And I shut everything away for a while and it's almost like a vacation :P
I get to watch dumb tv, read a book or mess around on the computer in my free time instead.

Then invariably after two weeks of "vacation from dolls" I am itching to work again. And do, full of drive and ambition and pleasure. Till I burn out again after two or three intense weeks.
It's a pretty regular cycle by now.
Tiring. But my "on" cycles have intense deep moments of aesthetic satisfaction, so the cycles keep recurring for now. I just really cannot add any more dolls or I'll drown.

 

As someone who is creatively-challenged I always struggle for things to do with my dolls. I have one whose face-up I do occasionally (I've got her look down so she's okay but any other dolls I just fail with) but other than that... I can't sew, I don't own a camera, I can't knit, I can barely crochet... Yeah

Do you ever wish you could do more with your dolls than admire them?
Absolutely! I've tried learning all sorts of skills and I'm getting a little better at face-ups but I really can't sew (I don't understand patterns or sewing machines... I can hand sew in a straight line but there are only so many ties I can make...) or create anything else and I know that I am not creative so I'd never risk trying to do mods and ruin a doll that cost a lot of money. I can't even bring myself to buy a junk or inexpensive doll to try in case I really screw up >_<

If so, what skill do you most wish you had? (Face-upping, sewing, doll photography, sculpting, mod work, character creation, furniture/set making, etc).
Most of the above! I'd particularly love to learn to sculpt and cast my own dolls but again my lack of creative skill (try sculpting something without the ability to even draw a reference picture, that's GREAT fun - like a kick in the teeth!) hinders this. I'd settle for being able to make my own dolls their clothes though

If so, have you tried to be gain a skill and failed, or do you lack the time/motivation to try?
Part of it is lack of time - although that's an excuse really - but I really have tried on many occasions to learn to sew and have failed miserably every time. My failures have made me more and more frustrated until I've reached a point where I just think "sod this" and go back to buying what I need online. I have all these creative ideas but no way to express them, boo

Lacking creative skill hasn't stopped me enjoying the hobby really, it's a small hindrance but nothing I can't overcome. And at least I'm getting better at face-ups, sort of (Well she doesn't look like a toddler's painting and that's an achievement I think!!)

 

While I agree that anyone can pick up the skills that are associated with the general kind of creativity that's most obvious with dolls (styling, painting, sewing, etc), this strikes me a rather harsh. Some people genuinely don't care about those elements (or are happy to outsource them) - they may joke about being "uncreative", but they probably actually have other creative outlets. That doesn't make them quitters - it just makes them people with a different set of priorities.

 

I'm pretty creative when it comes to what I want to do with them. That goes for their faceups, making clothes or other accessories, as well as their personalities and stories. No limit to what I can invision. My difficulty is in actually executing what I see in my mind to reality. A lot of it has to do with patience and practice. Some days I have plenty and have achieved some nice work but other times I just fail lol. I think in those cases I feel like my lack of skill, not so much creativity limits my enjoyment of the hobby. Certainly not enough to quit and never look back or anything, just take breaks until I'm set on a better mind track

 

It's not a lack of creativity so much my inefficiency to actually do what I imagine. I consider myself artistic, but obviously being able to sew clothes or create the perfect face up on the first few tries is nigh impossible. Practice makes perfect I suppose. I'll have to work towards my goals like everyone else. ...Even if I'm too lazy to get some things done.

 

Even though people say I'm a creative person, and sometimes I do feel creative, I still like the idea of tapping into the talents of other folks in the community and supporting their pursuits. To me, it doesn't limit enjoyment, it is my way of embracing the community. I can paint, but I do better at certain styles of face-ups and prefer blushing dolls overall. As such, when I want a specific style of face-up, I'd prefer to have another person to do it if I have an artist in mind. I can crochet, but I don't like my dolls to wear only crocheted clothes, so I like to buy clothing from those who can sew. I do love to photograph dolls, but some of my dolls are larger and I'm not as good at photographing them, but mostly I have them to make me happy, they are more my eye candy. They may not get camera time, but I really enjoy having them regardless. Just remember, there is no one way to be a part of this hobby.

 

For me it's not a lack of creativity,but the lack of skills and talent. It's frustrating but it doesn't really ruin BJDs for me.

 

Do you ever wish you could do more with your dolls than admire them?
Yes, all the time. I'd love to work with them, but I have no creative ideas or skills.

If so, what skill do you most wish you had? (Face-upping, sewing, doll photography, sculpting, mod work, character creation, furniture/set making, etc).
I would LOVE to be able to give face ups. It seems fun and a good way to make money. Sewing is one of those things I've always wished I knew how to do. It would make things so much easier! Sculpting would be AMAZING but I never actually considered doing it myself. Mod work is eh. Character creation is something I've always wanted to do but I lack the creativity. I can't even name my dolls! Set making is something I was working on a few months ago, but I had to but it all away because I had to take care of my sister's puppy and I had to get everything out of my room. D;

If so, have you tried to be gain a skill and failed, or do you lack the time/motivation to try?
I've tried sewing, failed. Tried character creation, failed. The others I am just too lazy to even try. I do take pictures of my dolls, but I would never consider it photography.

 

This is really nice, and very much how I feel as well. Painting is definitely not my forté, but I appreciate all of the amazingly talented face-up artists we have on in this hobby. While I think a lot of people have a goal of acquiring specific dolls or items, mine is having each doll customized by my favorite artists (of which I have many). I love the process of realizing a character or even just a concept, matching the "right" person to fill that criteria, and watching where it goes!

Does it make me wish I could do face-ups myself? Yes, for sure, but I recognize that I don't possess enough talent in that area to be satisfied with the results. I do think that even if I was able, I would still not paint all of my dolls myself; I just enjoy the variety in the community far too much.

Two things I do definitely wish I were better at were sewing and taking photographs though! What's nice is that they have real applications outside of the hobby as well, and are skills at which I think I could genuinely improve on with enough practice. I'm considering taking some local classes in both.

None of this diminishes my enjoyment of the hobby, however. I don't feel pressured to be a "hands-on" type of doll owner; I applaud those that can though! Maybe one day I will hone my own skills with the needle or camera enough to join their ranks, but for right now, finding those who can help me realize my dream dolls is a joy in itself.

 

My lack of TIME limits my enjoyment of this hobby. I have so many ideas, I got everything to do face ups but not enough time...I feel happy when I see my dolls...everyday sitting down on their chairs but I feel sad that I can't play with them. I haven't taken a single picture in 2013 and this reminds me that I gotta run to work right now =_=

 

I have to agree with this.

This too lol

Yep. I feel like I haven't had time for ANYTHING in the last six months! I don't see an end to this until at least October =_=




Questions for those who consider themselves to be uncreative or have no artistic skills:

Do you ever wish you could do more with your dolls than admire them?
Yep.

If so, what skill do you most wish you had? (Face-upping, sewing, doll photography, sculpting, mod work, character creation, furniture/set making, etc).
All of them.

If so, have you tried to be gain a skill and failed, or do you lack the time/motivation to try?
I could probably do better at most of those things, if I tried harder (or at all) but I decided earlier on in the hobby that I would rather be better at one or two things (faceups, mods, photos (ok not so much photos - I'm just not good :P)) than be kinda ok at everything. There's a lot of stuff I won't even try to try (props, sewing, sets) because they're just too time consuming. I wouldn't be able to do anything else!

Questions for the more creative/artistic hobbyists:

Have you always been a creative/artistic person, or is your creativity linked directly to BJDs? (For instance, if you are a face-up artist, did you paint before entering the BJD hobby? If you write photostories, were you a writer/photographer previously? Etc)
Professionally I'm a graphic designer, I also illustrate and write. Photography is something I'm still trying to get the hang of...and I only started that after getting into BJDs. I'm not sure any of these skills helped me do anything with my dolls lol. When I look at the faceups I did my first year doing them and the ones I do now....It's all about practice. Many many many faceups later....I am still ashamed that I'm not better at it >.<

If you previously had no creative/artistic abilities (or your first attempts with BJDs were bad), what motivated you to keep trying?
Well, I was an art major, and had been a "professional" in my field for years before I discovered BJDs, but my first attempts at pretty much everything doll related were bad. BAD. Embarrassing bad. So bad I like to pretend it never happened...Only then I had to go an photograph it for evidence....

Motivation is a tricky thing. My first motivation is, I don't want to suck. I would like to do better, therefore I keep trying. To keep this up, I look at photos from people far more skilled than I am, thinking "someday I want my dolls to look this good!!". And I don't like strangers touching them all that much...so I have to do it myself!

I know what it takes to be good at something (assuming you're not naturally perfect - in which case don't talk to me!! XD) - practice. People ask me how I draw all the time, and I remember the countless hours and notebooks and sketchbooks I've filled.....even now each time I do something if it's not a fraction better than the last time I hate it. And I know there's millions of people out there who are better than me, but I keep it up in hopes that someday I'll be better than me at it.

It doesn't hurt that faceups are something I actually enjoy doing, so redoing all my dolls over and over isn't a huge thing. Though when I lack time to do it it is :P

 

I've always wanted to be a creative person. I'm not good at sewing, or drawing, or.. anything xD It's all in my head, but when it comes to execution.. it never comes out the way I had imagined it. If I had to choose two things to be really good at, I'd want to be good at face-ups and sewing clothes, because those are my two biggest expenses when it comes to dolls.
My sister told me after I got my DSLR that I could be good at photography, and that I'd get better if I just did it more and played around with my camera more, but.. I don't know, it just seems like my creativity gets stuck and never translates well.

 

Have you always been a creative/artistic person, or is your creativity linked directly to BJDs? (For instance, if you are a face-up artist, did you paint before entering the BJD hobby? If you write photostories, were you a writer/photographer previously? Etc)
Yes, I have always been a very creative person. I've been writing and making up stories ever since I was a small child, and I've always had a very active imagination. I've loved dolls for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I could spend hours creating an amazing pretend world for my dolls, and at age 36, I still love to 'play' with dolls. I also love photography. My love of photography predates my entering into the BJD hobby, just as my writing predates BJDs in my life, but I've found that both photography and writing are great 'partners' for the BJD hobby. I don't think my creativity is directly linked to my dolls, but I can certainly say my dolls provide yet another outlet for my creative side.

 

When my dolls need a new outfit or face-up or some accessories, I buy them. I can't sew, I've tried to paint, but failed miserably and the fact that I don't like to do either didn't really help me stay motivated. So, most of the time, my crew just sits on top of my cabinet looking pretty.

And although I do some creative work that involves these dolls, I don't really see this as doing it for them, so I kind of consider myself to be part of both groups the OP mentioned.

Questions for those who consider themselves to be uncreative or have no artistic skills:

Do you ever wish you could do more with your dolls than admire them?
I don't really mind just looking at them and I'm already having too many hobbies to speak of, but it would be nice if I could involve some of my dolls.

If so, what skill do you most wish you had? (Face-upping, sewing, doll photography, sculpting, mod work, character creation, furniture/set making, etc).
I'd love to be able to make furnitures/sets. There are two thing that refrain me from starting though:
1. lack of space. I have no idea where I'd have to store these pieces.
2. lack of time. Right now, I'm trying to build a dollhouse for my Pukipuki and it's going sloooooow. Can't imagine how much time it would take me to do something similar for my SD's.

Questions for the more creative/artistic hobbyists:

Have you always been a creative/artistic person, or is your creativity linked directly to BJDs? (For instance, if you are a face-up artist, did you paint before entering the BJD hobby? If you write photostories, were you a writer/photographer previously? Etc)

I am a professional writer (although I don't use my writing in this hobby) and I always have to do something with my hands, but I've never sculpted before. Everything I know now, I've learned after I got into BJD's. I believe I sculpted my first head back in 2008 (?).

If you previously had no creative/artistic abilities (or your first attempts with BJDs were bad), what motivated you to keep trying?
Wanting to sculpt dolls is actually part of why I joined this hobby. When I saw my first BJD (a CP Chiwoo owned by Raouken), I just needed to make my own, even though I had never even touched a pack of clay before. What kept me going was my perfectionism. I didn't want to stop until I had made a BJD that was at least somewhat comparable in quality to my other - bought - dolls, so that he would look like he belonged in my collection.

Still, if I hated the process of sculpting dolls, all the motivation in the world wouldn't have been able to keep me going. At the end of the day, I just enjoy sculpting too much to give up.

 

Kind of answering the questions free form because it makes more sense that way...

I'm pretty new to the BJD hobby. Ok REALLY new, my first doll just got here today (yay!) though I've been making things for her for weeks. I've always loved making things, and that's basically the reason I wanted to get into this hobby. A previous hobby of mine was making historical/fantasy clothing, people sized (You wanna talk expensive hobbies? XD at least now I only have to buy 1/9th as much fabric...). I kind of stopped doing that a few years ago, partly due to expense, partly due to space issues and partly because I didn't really have any outlet to show or sell or enjoy the clothes I was making. I was just making them because I wanted to make them. That's really why I make things. I want to. I don't know why, but I do. And that's what keeps me going whenever things go wrong.

When I went to art school (mainly jewelry and ceramics classes), I got told all the time how creative and/or talented I was at making various things (mostly by people who knew me outside of art school, because there, frankly, I was pretty average). It really bothered me back then, because I didn't think I was that creative. I still don't, some days. But here's the thing, for every one successful thing I make and get compliments for, there are probably at least two or three "failures". Still. Even though I've been making things for years. I fail ALL THE TIME. It sounds like a cliche, but every failure is a lesson, and some of them teach me things that are even cooler than what I would've ended up with had things gone the way I planned the first time. Sometimes you can salvage the materials for the next attempt, and sometimes you can't, but usually you've at least learned something, if only what NOT to do next time.

Like I said, the reason I keep making things is because I want to do it. I love doing it. In fact, sometimes I even think I need to create. My sort of personal motto is "I'm not an artist, I just make stuff..." (with "stuff" sometimes replaced with a less PG word ) The "not an artist" bit is a whole 'nother issue on the nature of art, which I will spare you, but the making stuff is entirely integral to my personality. I'm not even necessarily good at any of it. I just need to do it, and because I keep doing it I improve.

Also, for people who are wishing they were more crafty/creative/whatever, I think trying all kinds of different kinds of projects is helpful for a couple reasons. One, because you learn what you like/don't like and are good at/not good at, but also because every experience with making things informs every other experience. I've learned things sculpting that I've applied to sewing. I've learned things sewing that I've applied to drawing. Etc.

And the most important thing, that I was almost getting to earlier (sorry for rambling): Forgive yourself for your failures! Expect them! Plan for them! Learn from them! Nobody can be perfect all the time. Most of the time you can fix your mistakes. And if you can't, well... Wipe it off/tear it up/chuck it out/burn it and start again with what you learned!

And if making stuff isn't ingrained in you like it is in me, well then, enjoy the hobby however you find it enjoyable.

 

Ah, see, that just means they've chosen to be Creative in other ways. That doesn't mean they aren't creative. The people I get confused by are people who try something a handful of times, fail at it, and then insist the rest of their lives that they "Aren't Creative" because they think Creative means naturally Successful without Time and Work.
Unless you are a Replicant robot, you are, whether you realize or not, creative at something- it's part of being a human.



It's been a while but I'm still of the mind I was before: People have got to stop thinking of creativity as some magical power some were born with and some just do not have, as the Stars Have Decreed.


The Creative Fairy does not come along and hit certain chosen Creative People on the head with the Creative wand and make them Magically Creative.

The only thing separating so called Creative people from anyone else is hard work, practice, and the will to not quit when things don't instantly (or even in years of struggle) go your way and come out perfect.

There are two basic kinds of response to not magically "Being Creative".

A. "OMG my faceups suck !11!! I am nevar doing this again evar.!" (Thank you most of you for not whining like this, I am theatrically exaggerating for emphasis here.)

Or

B. "Well, that looks horrible. Except maybe that bit there, I'll do that again next time too. Where did I put my Windsor & Newton? This next one I'm going to make better."

 

“I always say perseverance is nine-tenths of any art — not that it's much help to be nine-tenths an artist, of course.” -from The Last Unicorn&#8203; by Peter S. Beagle

 

I can sew, but I need help. I've tried painting faces but it never looks as pretty as others, but I don't practice a lot either. I do take pictures sometimes, but when the photos get no comments, it feels pointless. So they sit and look pretty.

 

I just read this. Please, don't let your lack of drawing abilities refrain you from taking up sculpting. Working in 2d or 3d requires very different skillsets. I've seen painters who weren't able to translate their drawings into something 3d and sculptors who couldn't draw a stick figure to save their lives.

When I'm sculpting, I'm only using a blue print as a reference of how tall I want the doll to be. The moment I start working in clay, I forget what I've put on paper and just go with the flow. I don't even use a drawing as reference for the faces anymore, I let the clay tell me what it should look like.
Although I am able to hold a pencil, I've never been a good artist. For some reason the lines just don't want to do what I tell them to, and my mind has trouble figuring out what something would look like if it were a flat image. When I'm holding a piece of wood however, I have no problem seeing what I could make out of it and what I need to cut away to get the shape I want.

Knowing how to draw is definitely useful, but it isn't a neccessity.

 

I do face-ups, sew clothes, even do some sculpting, but I still feel limited in some ways. Mainly, I'm not that good at putting together amazing outfits and accessorizing. I also can't do photography. Plus, when it comes to sewing, I can only make basic things. Making the extra details in clothing frustrates me, and elaborate designs are definitely out of my reach. I feel my difficulty in styling my dolls does limit my enjoyment of them, but I think I'm improving bit by bit over time. For a while I decided to buy more clothes for my dolls, but even then, I wasn't buying the items that would actually create an awesome outfit. So I've learned to be more careful with that. And it made me appreciate fullset outfits more.