Your true reason for having a doll?

Much agreed! I love drawing, I really do, but I don't like my drawings, so I waver with the hobby. I see dolls as a form of artistic expression, but I never feel like I'm forcing myself to put one together.
And photography is fantastic in that way n_n Even if a shot does take me a while to set up and it doesn't come out right, I'm not disheartened; I'm just more determined to get it right.
That's one of the things I love so much about this hobby. Everyone is so creative and seems to be crazily multi-talented, but nobody ever seems put-off by their BJD-related work. nwn

I am not alone in that guardian angel aspect! And here I was thinking I was half-crazy XD Unfortunately, it's hard for anyone I know to understand that Mystic is much more than a character to me Even the ones who write. So I guess you're the first person I've run in to who feels the same *cozy yay feeling*

 

A guy owning a doll is rare. My reason for owning a dollfie is very much similar to most the responses I have seen. It's very comforting having them close after a long day at work. On the weekends, I take them out with me and take some pics. Not everyone can drop everything and come hang out with me due to work schedules. My dolls, however, are always ready to go

 

YES. You actually worded it so much better than I did. I want to draw, I really, really do, and I try and try and try but I just CAN'T make it look the way I want it to. I'm holding myself up to other people's standards and it's what kills me. In this hobby I can't really do that because the only difference between my crappy photos and someone else's awesome photos is the fact that I suck at photography. The subject of the photos isn't the other person's handiwork, so I have nothing to compare myself against, really.

And yeah, if a photo doesn't turn out, you just reposition yourself, move the camera around, fiddle with the settings, and eventually it does turn out! It's not like 'oh CRAP I have to erase three hours' worth of work because I screwed something up'.

 

I don't have a doll, but I think its a combination of many reasons that I want to start saving up for one (and searching for the right one for me). I think the first reason that hit me is: they are beautiful. But lots of things are beautiful, and I don't feel the urge to buy them, but they're so many other possiblities with these dolls that make them different, and make them something I want to take part in. The activities people take part in with their BJD on this forum have really intruiged me, and it seems there are endless things to do:

#1: the customability. I think it's briliant you can design these doll to your own imagination and wishes. Ok changing clothes - cool - but changing eyes and wigs as well?! Amazing..and truly your doll. I'd love doing this >o<! (I remember when I was little and I loved playing dress up games on the computer..).

I enjoy drawing, but lately (well for a long time) I've been feeling I haven't been improving, and I don't know how I can improve. I think drawing from a model would help me and also give me inspiration (I should try my hand at the BJD drawing game and see how it goes xD should be neat!)

I also know a bit of sewing (so far I've done some sewing for school, and some hemming to help out my mom). My mom is a seamstress and encourages me to practice sewing with all the scarp fabric we have around - but I haven't really had anything to sew before, but I think it'd be very neat (and a good learning experience) to sew outfits.

I've also seen people talking about doing photoshoots/stories with their dolls and writing stories for them. I do photography but not photoshoots, mainly photos for memories from events and of friends/family, ect. But it'd be an interesting branch out for me to try photoshoots! I also really enjoy writing for school and I started writing poetry last year; I'd love to try my hand at writing poetry for a doll.

=-=...So basically: lots of reasons. Maybe when I actually own one, other reasons will become clear, or one reason will stand out, and maybe like some have discovered, she/he will be like a companion.

It's really interesting to see that people from diff. interests enjoy these ABJD.

edit:
Mukino Kuneka "I want to draw, I really, really do, and I try and try and try but I just CAN'T make it look the way I want it to."

And as well as your post on the first page: @.@ Now that I read it again, I think I feel like that a lot of the time as well. I WANT to draw, but I can't draw, I look at the paper, I doodle, but nothing every comes out finished. I WANT to write stories, be able to think up characters and plot, but I really lack the creativity and I'm worried if I do write it'll start to sound like a miss-mash of influences from all the books I've read. BJD to me are wonderuflly creative inspiration in themselves (because of customability), but also allowing creativity into other areas.

 

1.) I like Victorian era and various fun/fantasy/little girl/frilly/lolita/younameit inspired fashions and the ability to play with hair and eye colors not found in nature, but I wouldn't want to wear them myself. So, my dolls wear them.

2.) They're purdy. hurr hurr :B

 

I've been obsessed with Kurosaki Ichigo of Bleach for over three years now, and finding the perfect doll to customize into him for me has made a huge difference in making the character even more real for me.
Yeah, the obsession goes on...

 

I don't know why I've always liked dolls, may be some deeper meaning but when I get down to basics it's just that I really like miniature things, I guess it's interesting to create a whole "world" around a doll. Dress it up, make it pretty, make a living space, write a background... I'm interested in writing stories/novels so I guess it's part of the creativity that draws me to them.. I also am fascinated by their beauty, and the fact that people can make such beautiful dolls. They're nice to have around.... I like to hug my doll sometimes... I like the articulation and making them as realistic as possible, posing-wise... yeah. They're not so much companions as much as I'm like a little kid who just likes to dress up her dolls and have fun with them for the time being. lol It's one of the most entertaining things in my life right now anyway, I'm boring harhar.

 

I'll be honest here and say that, despite doing about a month's worth of research before buying my doll, the first doll I bought was actually an impulse buy

I am notorious for doing stuff like that (impulsing buying that is), but I never buy anything that I know I won't like/love which is good I guess.

As for the point why I decided to even look at dolls let alone spend $$$ on them? Like many others, I liked the idea of how highly customizable these dolls are. I'm a writer, I write a lot and I have a ton of characters I've created in my stories. I felt - for lack of a better word - immortalizing them as dolls would be a good idea since I've already immortalized them on paper so many times around already lol.

 

I bought my first doll because I wanted one who was just as beautiful and big as my friends'. As soon as I got him, I started thinking about a story around him. A little background story became a big one, including a new world, new society and... other characters.
I bought the other dolls, because having the characters sit in the back of my mind suddenly wasn't good enough anymore. I had to see them, I needed them to be physically there. Because I this way they would still be there after the last letter was written. I didn't have to say goodbye only because the story was told.

 

My boy hasn't even shipped yet but whatever, i'll post why i'm getting him =)

For two reasons mainly, why I chose a BJD and not another time was like a lot of people, the customization, and how much you can actually do with it. I also see these dolls as a creative thing, and you can grow so much creatively with them, whether it be you take up sewing for clothes, painting face-ups, making furniture, or even writing and drawing situations to do with your doll. As a somewhat artistic person myself, it's nice to have a model and a creative output and all that.

Secondly why I wanted a doll, was for like, comfort perhaps, and just having someone there ^.^ I'm not by far a loner or friendless person by the way, but naturally I am somewhat solitary, and prefer my own company from time to time. Even when I was little I would talk to myself all the time @_@ and I always had so many characters and ideas, and now I can finally give one a body and stuff =)
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I was stunning by their beauty, but that's not a reason I decide to buy one. I really want it but I have to have good reasons too. I'm a medical students on 3rd year and I don't have much time to make costumes for cosplays, I've always want to make a dress for someone and I think a doll is very nice choice. I've tried to make cloth doll but it's not well proportion and too small for me to sew her a costumes. So, I want them to be my model^^

Another reason is I really like dolls. When I was child my mom and dad went to work and returned when I was already on bed, I don't see them much. At school I don't like playing with other children because I much more prefer to be in a library,LOL. I have one brother but he liked to play a prank on me so I didn't like him much. My only friend at the time was my doll that my dad brough for a 8th years old birthday present. Now I have more friends becase I find some of them that share the same interest in manga, anime^^ But dolls are always good friends for me so I'd like to have a very special doll and I choose BJD.

 

It's a feeble attemp to grasp onto my youth ;o) Something happend when I was a pre-teen and lets just say I got rid of almost all my toys!!! Over the past 12yrs or so, I've been collecting manys toys in general and since dolls were my favorite........well, when I saw these beauties there was no stopping! It's the posing and customizing that make my BJD collection my true love of everything I have. I always named my dolls, stuffies, whatever........but these girls & guys a personality/backround, has made each one special!

 

Truthfully, I think it is the dolls who own us! Well, at least it is in my case. The only reason I got Seimei is because I fell in love at first sight with everything about him from his wig to his toes, and I was lucky he was a fullset so I could have it all.

 

Aside from them being beautiful...
I love to use them as art models. Both for photography (though my doll photography's not very good yet D: ) and for drawing (they come in handing figuring out tough poses.
Not only that, but I love to make clothes for them. I'm hoping to become better at sewing and designing so they make for perfect little models to test things out on.
I'm also hoping to come up with a story based around them as my next big writing project.

But in the first place it's because they're really beautiful

 

I was just astounded by their unique beauty from the start. They were just something so surreal and far from my current life, and I just wanted to have that for my own. I love their artistic splendor so much! Being a huge fan of the arts, I just was captivated by the process that it takes to make them. All the time, effort, and skill put into these little beauties...

I just had to have that for myself :3 My hound has turned out to be a wonderful outlet for creativity as well! I love taking photos, and I think I'm starting to become fairly good at it ><

 

I think they're a way to acknowledge the person I was when I was younger, my childhood and young adulthood. All the dolls I have seem to represent myself in different aspects, so aside from the fact that I like to collect things that take my fancy, I find dolls comforting somehow. I have always been a rather solitary person, so the dolls are a way to keep myself company.

 

Because they are beautiful and very cute !!><

 

I got them so they could materialize and manifest into my comic and novel characters, so I could get to know them better, for a better and more through storyline and character description. Plus they keep me company. I am generally a loner, so I dont hang around people so much...

And I love photographing and drawing anatomy, so using them as models helps a lot.

 

What drew me first was simply how beautiful they were--and they were the first dolls I felt that way about. However, the biggest draw and what's kept me in the hobby this long is the fact that not only are they lovely to look at, but that you can interact with them in ways that you can't do with most collectibles. They are dolls, and beautiful, and also embodiments of my much loved characters all rolled into one, and that's hard to beat.

 

I was smitten by these dolls from first glance. I've always loved dolls as a kid and I still have a porcelain doll collection. As a child at heart I wanted something to play with that wouldn't make me seem to... childish, you know, like a Barbie. I wanted something to nurture and take care of, maintain and customize. It's also nice to have some company around seeing as my two best friends are leaving for college.

I have a ton of hobbies already; knitting, sewing, cosplaying... I got tired of sewing and knitting for myself because it took too long and fabric gets pricey so I decided a BJD would be a good model. As a kid the most fun I had with my Barbies was changing their outfits and stealing prettier new ones off new dolls. xD
Hansel's a great way for me to dabble in my fashion designs. He's helped teach me how to sew clothes from scratch with patterns I made myself.
I'd also like to get into photography with dolls, I just don't have the camera to do it.
Overall he's the best creative outlet for my hobbies besides myself and my OCs. He helps me bring my ideas to life but I don't need to buy a crapload of materials to make them happen.