Why do BJDs bring so much happiness to some of us?

Well I think for me it's the whole character creation thing. I draw and write so I'm constantly coming up with characters, and to have basically a 3-D model that you can base a character on is really creatively stimulating to me. And whenever I'm creatively stimulated I don't think about the things that are stressing me out. I am bi-polar and I have a ton of anxiety, so it's rare that I find something where I can just zone out and create at feel totally at ease.

It's shallow, but I also just like possessing things. I have a ton of action figures, too. I've even started buying expensive ones, like from Hot Toys (I just plunked down $200 for a 1/16 Loki Avengers figure, woo boy). So when you get all the stuff for the doll, like wigs and eyes and outfits you have a ton of stuff to play with. I guess while other people are out spending their money on gadgets or clothes I spend it on: dolls, action figures, art supplies, and books. I just like having these things around. They relax me. I can pull them out at any minute and play or just hang around with them.

Then there's also the opportunity to learn. Like, I'm going to start learning how to sew to make fantasy outfits or my dolls, since they're elves and don't really have the aesthetic of stuff you can buy. Yet another way to be creatively stimulated! Learning new things make me pretty happy.

 

I liked doing a face up. It was rewarding.

 

If I were to put it very simply, BJDs make me happy because I like them.

They are my livelihood. They make for good company when I'm lonely, and collecting BJDs is a creative hobby that doesn't emphasize my lack of self-confidence by requiring copious amounts of skill-building. I can't draw well and I'm hard-pressed when it comes to writing down the stories in my head, so having dolls bring my imagination to life is extremely satisfying. More than that, my dolls never disappoint me. I can't even begin to consider what my life would be like without BJDs being some sort of creative and mental support for me.

 

I enjoy collecting BJDs because of their life-likeness. They are like living art that can be manipulated to accommodate, harmonize, or alter moods. I also love assessorizing them. I think my dolls have more stuff than I do! Not to mention they are slowly taking over all my space! Lol.

 

ChibiBel: I'm actually quite a bit like you. I don't have many close friends, and the two that I do have, I had to leave behind on the other side of the country. (Though we chat every night on AIM or Skype) I have trouble making friends because I also had many bad experiences of so-called friends turning around and stabbing me in the back, so, trust issues. And I'm super shy... On top of that, I've also got medical problems that basically force me to stay inside most of the time, and my body clock refuses to let me be awake during most of the day.
So... I'm alone most of the time.

I find dolls just enchanting to look at, I think of them as interactive works of art. Also, as others have said, they're a very comforting presence. Sometimes it's just nice to sit them on my lap or next to me.

Dolls have taught me to better manage my money, more patience. As well as encouraging me to learn new skills.

It's hard to put into words, but there's that unquantifiable 'something' about these dolls that just makes them so special.

 

For me, when I was in college I was super poor and didn't have a lot of space, so I kind of got away from things I liked, like sewing. Having dolls has given me motivation to come back to several of my favorite hobbies, all centered around them. So since I want things for my dolls, I get up and make them. And if I want outdoor photos, I go on a walk and take them. So they make me happy because they are a good motivation to do things I enjoy (besides being pretty).

 

I actually can't really explain it. I was drawn to the hobby because they're pretty, and my impulse buy thing was going off... But by the time i actually bought one, I was just interested in dolls in general.
I liked the customization aspect, and I like being involved in fandoms and hobbies...
Florian is just fun to mess around with, but Jezabel just cheers me up, and I REALLY can't explain why there, he just does. My best friend, who isn't a doll person, visited from out of state and held him?
She was here all week and kept asking if she could go grab him and hold him. During movies, chilling around the house, playing games, she wanted him.

So, the warm fuzzy feeling is just contagious. I'm planning on getting a little doll leaves girl soon, and I already have a feeling that she'll be my go to cuddle doll and movie buddy.

(Yeah, that's what Jezabel is, but I admit that his hair gets in the way of cuddling, i'm very nervous about messing up my fiber wigs, and this girl is going to have Tibetan wool hair..)

So... yeah. Basically, my dolls just do. They just make me happy, and they're something nice to hug, even if they're made of resin. If I could take them to bed at night without rolling over on them, messing up their face-ups, or knocking them off the bed, I probably would. ^_^

 

For myself I just love to see my doll, i dont know why, maybe because hes so beautiful and i love looking into his eyes and i guess it feels relaxing to just gaze into his eyes and look at his face and even move his joints once in awhile or dress him up. :3

 

I think that the point of hobbies is to do something that you enjoy, makes you happy and allows you to unwind. I feel this way about all my hobbies - drawing, playing music, playing video games and collecting dolls. If your hobby doesn't make you feel happy, I think you're in the wrong hobby. Haha.

 

I thrive on accomplishment and attention, like many humans I'm sure. Dolls provide a bunch of opportunities to do projects. Each time I do a face-up, or a dress, or anything, it's something I've accomplished. Then I post pics of them on Facebook and other forums, and I get people's kudos for my work!

That aside, I also love them. They're cute, pose-able, quiet, easy to carry, unique. I have fun when making things for them, customizing them, taking pictures of them, staring at them, and staring at pictures of them. I look at my blog over and over again when I'm at work. Even my new one, which I've only had for a couple days, I already love.

 

This is a great thread. I love reading what the BJD hobby means to others. I've thought long and hard about this question, because my BJDs really mean something deep to me, so it's great to see others have some of the same feelings.
The short of it: I'm very antisocial and have Aspergers. I don't connect easily to people no matter how hard I try, and sometimes it's extremely frustrating - I can get depressed and very, very lonely. Even today I had some rough experiences, and I'm feeling very sad.
My dolls give me a deep sense of peace when I hold them to me, and looking at their gently smiling little faces makes me feel like I have someone who cares. All of them - but my first doll especially - brings me so much comfort when I hug them. Like others have mentioned, they don't judge me or think little of me, or demand attention. They're always there for me. And for some reason a BJD hug feels a lot like a hug from a regular person. They're great to have around, because they are constant and familiar, no matter what you go through. I've been able to relieve a lot of stress just sitting down during a quiet minute and dressing them or brushing their hair. They are shockingly therapeutic.
Besides the comfort factor, BJDs are a great way to express yourself and be creative. I felt so good about myself when I successfully modded and painted one of my dolls to the way I wanted her.
I hadn't really been into dolls before last year, but I think the inclination was always there. I used to have some figurines and barbies, but they always seemed to be lacking something. I'm really glad I found BJDs. They help fill an emptiness in my life I wouldn't know how to fill otherwise.

 

I've just always loved dolls and plush toys for some reason. I can't really tell you why. It kinda just happened. lol

 

yes me too PineRain - I've got Aspergers and you put it so well ^_^

 

I feel like I have a connection with my dollies that I don't have with anyone in real life. I feel excited when seeing my dolls; I don't get excited when I see people most of the time. I love coming home and seeing the dolls that I created. It's so touching. The love I have for my dolls is irreplaceable and something completely different than the love I have for friends & family. It's a fantasy love...Something I know that isn't really real, but it's still there.

 

It's not just the BJDs, but the entire hobby that brings me happiness. Having a hobby that allows me to express myself, be creative, use my imagination, and learn new skills has been really fun. My photography skills have made leaps and bounds since I joined this hobby. I've jumped into faceups, blushing, sewing, and have used my BJDs in stories and as models for drawing. I also find there presence to be calming. Just having them sit there makes me feel relaxed. They have been wonderful in every way!

 

I think it's the ability to have them wear clothes or wigs (i.e. dyed hair) that I wouldn't be confident enough to wear myself, plus they bring me so much joy just to literally look at them all posed and adorable.

 

I guess is a mixture of things. For me is very important the possibility to shell my novels characters.
Also my main girl is how I would like to look like physically and she wears clothing I would love to have for myself.
Plus they make me feel calm when I cuddle them, when I have had a bad they, I always have them there. Sometimes I take my Yo-SD with me to the university when I have exams and she relieves me a lot.

 

I'm not always very happy, usually im depressed, and people around me don't really know how to talk to me when i just fall into one of my moods, even my own boyfriend. But when i go back home from work i look over to my two dolls i just know i can knit or craft , paint my way out of depression. Sometimes it helps sometimes it doesn't. At the end of the project i bet you i feel better i feel proud of what i was able to do i feel happy, so for your question my dolls do bring me happiness at the end of the day. it is an expensive hobby but it makes me happy, its an artistic hobby. I don't do photo stories like most people do, mostly because due to my low moods i'd prefer to stay in my dark room, but hopefully i will fight my mood and go out and do a photo story