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

Why... that's a really good question that probably requires an equally elaborate answer. It's many things, almost too many to count. First of all it's the excitement each new box brings that makes the hands shake and you can't quite hold the scissors straight, it's a new doll full of new possibilities... how will they change the dynamics of the doll family? You can never know even if they have been planned characters from a long time ago.

Then BJDs can be 'the' ideal way to express one's creativity. I know I have never been able to picture my characters quite as vividly before despite drawing a lot constantly. It's never really been the same. They can be whoever you imagine them to be, they can look however you imagine them to look, and they take on a bit of this strange 'aura' when you've spent long enough with them and worked hard to make them who they are, almost as if they're a miniature living, breathing person. It's almost like having real actual people with you, I think that's amazing.

I got to doing faceups, tattoos, body blushing, sewing clothes, making wigs and eyes for them, I even learned how to take actually good photos! Quite seriously, they've been a constant source of inspiration ever since day one. They also brought me closer with my best friend, with whom I share a story and world that includes all of our varied characters, hopes and dreams and that means so much to me and has made these dolls even more important, in a way,

Besides, our dolls can be really comforting. Whenever I have a bad day they're always there to cheer me up and they always make me feel the happiest. I think they're quite amazing, all things considered. All it takes is for me to stop thinking for a second and sit down to brush their wig, fix their flyaways, straighten their clothes... and I will magically feel better about whatever may be troubling me.

 

When I did my first box opening I can't remember if I cried or not but I remember the overwhelming sense of awe and joy that I felt. Seeing this work of art, that I could play with and shape to my liking, was just so incredible. I also felt this instant immense fondness for him and my mind immediately stepped in to create a full character with feelings, motivations and reactions to everything around him. It was just such a multi-faceted, hugely creative experience coupled up with just how enjoyable these dolls are to physically hold and look at and pose.

With my second doll, I realized that each one was going to offer me this experience but in varying ways. What followed after, when I opened each of my dolls, was this continued awe at just how unique of a joy owning them is.

Some of my dolls make me happier than others. All of them are aesthetic pleasing to me and each and every one has their own character and world built up around them. However, my first doll is especially important to me because I have emotions attached to the many years we've spent together, and all the different situations I've been through in which his presence has offered great comfort. I was 14 when he arrived and now I'm 22. Similarly, I purchased one of my dolls specifically to help me through a rough time, and every time I look at him now I feel a sense of ease.

The doll I currently have on the way makes me very happy because everything in my life is changing right now and she offers an oasis of stability where I'm totally in control. I have a feeling I'll be completely overwhelmed when I open her.

 

Rockin' Resin Addict - I love how you explained that. I have to agree; my doll experience is much the same way.

 

As a kid I always played with dolls, made stories, loved to customize and create. Being in this hobby lets me do all of those things, and also lets me strengthen my skill in other hobbies like sewing and crafting and such. I can create new or preexisting characters with these dolls and cherish them in a physical form, not just on paper.
It's also made me a lot better at using centimeters. Whenever someone says something is someoddnumber cm, I don't have to convert it to inches. I know how tall that is because I have a point of reference.

 

I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that we knew it was something we really wanted when we stated saving up for it. While I waited for my doll I thought of all the looks and things I might do with her. I looked up owner pictures and would see what every one else had done so when she finally came and I opened her it was like receiving something so familiar but so new at the same time. When you finally dress them up and give them personality you end up investing so much into them.

 

I use BJDs as a major coping mechanism and they bring a sort of calm and artistic beauty to my life that I would otherwise have to find elsewhere.. I love my dolls so much tbh

 

In the mid sixties my friends and I would play for hours with our Barbies, then Francies and Ken. I had a supermarket, car. My brothers (3) each had every GI Joe model. Funny how we didn't have internet, we were outside playing or at each other's house playing. I think my dolls take me back to when I had no cares or worries.

 

Lots of reasons.

I've always loved character creation. For as long as I can remember, even going back to toddler years, I've always enjoyed naming things, giving them stories and personalities, so it just seems natural to do it with the dolls. They're like the ultimate way to shell a character.

I love how BJDs are a combination of many of my other interests--role play, painting, photography, sewing, sculpting, writing, character creation.

I love how many friends I've made since joining this hobby. I was the 'weird kid' growing up, and bullied for liking dolls past elementary school. It is so overwhelmingly amazing to find other adults who share my interest and don't think I'm weird or crazy or childish. Most of my closest friends are people I've met through the hobby.

I love the realism. They're unlike any doll I've owned, more like real people, in everything from posing to eyes to clothing to sculpt. Even their tiny props can be so realistic, it's like an alternate tiny world.

I love that they'r a way to either escape from real life for awhile, or to use them to cope with real life problems.

They're also a representation of earning and patience. Until this hobby, if I spent money it was usually on going out, coffee, cheap toys or accessories I'd donate within a couple of months. So much got wasted with nothing to show. With the dolls, I can look at them and see how much I've worked to earn and how long I've waited to get them.

So, to answer the question, I think there are too many reasons they bring happiness to narrow it down to just one or two.

 

I tend to look and act very conservative because I am introvert. My dolls help me to express myself and show the world around me my true personality.

 

Same here I have a weakness for the cute and adorable in dolls, figures and plush toys. I feel like there is a child in me, even though, I am an adult.
I also agree with others saying that dolls can bring comfort to loneliness and solitude, I also have these issues, although I have a wife and a daughter. But my life has been tough in many ways, so isolation and solitude has been common to me.
And, dolls are for me pieces of art, which give me a sense of comfort and enjoyment, by the way they look, their outfits and appearance.