"Graduating" in the Hobby

I don't know if I can say that I have "graduated" so much as I've become more confident in my skills and taste. I'm still firmly in love with the same aesthetics, I've not had a lot of changing or shifting in what I collect or the styles that I like, and I'm pretty set that I don't think any new dolls will come to live with me, unless there's one that really speaks to me. (Ringdoll K and LittleRebel Jelle are pretty high on that list.) My skill sets have evolved in the past decade, but not my tastes or how I enjoy the hobby.

Maybe the one way I have graduated is that my son is now old enough to really start expressing himself in BJD-Land, and letting him explore his own tastes and aesthetics is a new and wonderful sort of experience.

 

Absolutely. My early days in the hobby were all about ticking off dolls on my wish list and getting everyone settled with at least one wig + eye combo and a pair of shoes. They all shared clothes and I wasn't that fussed about it. Now I'm much more into photography and painting and upgrading wardrobes so that everyone has a variety of things that look more coherent with their personality traits and I've got several dolls that are perfect and not going anywhere so I'm not so focused on new resin. I'm a lot more project focused.

 

I don't collect for long, I got my first four years ago, and had a very slow beggining, mostly for money (or lack of it) reasons. Only on the last six months my situation improved and I have been in a shopping spree (four dolls in six months, not couting Groove dolls). But I'm beggining to calm again. I Live in Brasil, and the dollar is extremely costly right now, so I will have to back up again. I see that my phases are more dictated by money than anything else.

 

@Laureleen Oh, I can completely understand that! I could say that I just started admiring, for a long time. Looking at photos and wishing. My first attempt fell through. I didn't think collecting bjds would happen..... There was one I would look at every few months, for years. I've only been an owner for about 2 years, I had to wait for about 5 months for the first one to come home. Technically, my first was a head that my newly made friend, CloakedSchemer, gave to me to practice faceups.

I can understand graduating, changing focus and trying new things. Once you feel like you have mastered one goal, it's logical to focus on another. Everyone does enjoy the hobby differently, and it's that much sweeter with each goal reached. I don't tell myself that I'm not going to have a certain type of doll or never try, x, y or z. I'll just turn right around and contradict myself.

I haven't really 'mastered' anything yet, but I have tried things and made improvements. If one thing doesn't seem fun, I just do something else. I started to learn faceups, they're presentable but still not the level of reality I want. Now, I'm trying my hand at sewing, and learning a lot. I've been acquiring new resin the whole time, here and there. I have a couple boys that need everything, because they're blind, bald, blank heads. I take my time and do what I want as I can afford with both time and money.