PSA for PMB

[Texman]

Some of you may wonder why I have been so quiet, not posting as much,
not building as much etc.

It seems I have acquired PMB. PMB is short for Paper Modelers Block.

This insidious condition renders your decision process unable to make a
decision on what to build. It clouds your thinking with "this would be cool!",
"I have to build this!", and "If only I could get it in this paint scheme" thoughts.

There are so many choices, so many models I want to build, and yet, this
condition prevents that by letting any newly produced kit make you want to build it.

It causes you to buy or download every shiny new kit you see, thinking "This is
my next build!". Then, you open the forum, and something new grabs your brain and
tells you "No, this is your next build!"

It is silent. It is solitary. It is a build killer.

This condition, also has several detail variants..I suffer from the "I can't build it stock, I must improve it" variant.

I see a kit, and begin to imagine and gather data on what I can do to make a super build out of it.

But alas, the original condition limits me when the next "really must build" kit gets thrown out into the world.

Please, don't let this happen to you. Focus. Know your thought process. Keep your brain strong.

Warn everyone you know of the signs. Tell them you must stop. Build something. Anything.

Just don't let it happen to you.

[Amccombs3]

Truly, a tragic affliction. A friend of mine suffers from the related, dreaded Perfectionist Paralysis. We're glad you're here at the support group where you can get help. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

[Richschindler]

So tragic. I only hope you can pull through. Be strong!

Just make sure you , STEP AWAY FROM THE PAPER SHREDDER!!! The results would be terrible.

[Vermin_King]

Ray, the first step is to realize there is a problem and to reach out for help.

We are here for you

[Wad Cutter]

Two years just before Christmas my wife handed me some devastating news and it hit me hard. It took me more then a month to come back to the modeling table and even then there were huge gaps in modeling. Dec 1st of 2016 I elected to have a partial knee replacement on my left knee. Again it took me a while to get back into the saddle and I'm still working on it. I think of it as writer's block. What ever it is or it's called I hate it. Now I'm trying to build Astronaut John Glenn's Friendship 7 Mercury Capsule. A very easy model but again trying to find my way to the table is far from easy for me. I'll let ya know how it goes. And here I thought it was just me. Thank you Ray. Everything you said is what I'm going through. I just want my old boring life back. wc

[spaceagent-9]

My name is spaceagent9, and I'm a paperholic.
I knew I had a problem when the plastic model hobby store owner dragged me away from my printer. I was hopeless, sitting in a pile of shreds I had cut from paper model sheets, my printer snowing more pages of greebles over me.
I hadn't hadn't eaten in days, for fear of smearing with grease or oil the pages I was neck deep in.
I was addicted to the smell of printer ink. Paper cuts scarred my hands ,maybe thousands. As I was dragged away, I was panicking, crying out '' Just one more re-mod!, all I need is to scale these to 1/350 !!''.
Now, with the help of my electric eel named Simon, I am leading an almost normal life. I can put down my safety scissors, and I'm using tape instead of glue. I only build one cannon free download model a week, and have a job planting pine trees. I am almost paper free now and proud.

[VinceM]

My problem is I spend so much time lurking (and occasionally posting) in Papermodelers and other websites that it takes me away from my modeling table!

[GaryPilsworth]

I feel for you Ray
I too suffer from PMB and PMDB at times.....
as a long time sufferer of CTS ( Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ) and was forced to put down the knife a few years ago.
Even after corrective surgery a knife still doesn't feel right and prefer the feel of a mouse in the hand but thats when the PMDB kicks in ( Paper Model Designers Block )
Its a case of Oooo that looks interesting i wonder if i can do that one, Oooo thats a good one too, and that one, and ........

Nooooooo must finish the last one first

Wishing you a speedy recovery we're all here for ya

[mbauer]

Ray,

You forgot to mention the time spent while waiting for your electron microscope to warm up, and adjusting the viewfinder for the proper focus.

Marking the build for the proper placement of the .000016789 sized drop of glue.

However the rest of us admire just how big the quarters look, next to your dioramas. To see the tooling marks and contemplate what it took to get such precise alignment of parts with no "glue" marks.

Get well soon!

Mike

[Vermin_King]

Originally Posted by GaryPilsworth

Its a case of Oooo that looks interesting i wonder if i can do that one, Oooo thats a good one too, and that one, and ........
Attachment 304044
Nooooooo must finish the last one first

I hope that you can work through the carpal tunnel, Gary

I suffer from too many simultaneous projects, too. Don't we all?