Empowerment and Involvement

[Dragline]

I am relatively new here. Being member 3,850 takes a bit of pressure off me.

This post is a call to those who are on the fringe. Those who wish to post, yet feel their work somehow [perhaps in your own mind], falls short.

This post is for YOU!. The guy reading this and perhaps awaiting a revelation of some sort. The type of guy who loves what it is we do, but seems unsure.

ALL hobbies, be they crocheting, stamp collecting, used Band Aid collector, have their Superstars. It's indeeed easy to get caught up in hype and awe in anothers accomplishment. By contrast we limit our own deeds and makings. By virtue of this awe we marginalize our very selves in terms of skill, labor, and in general our love for a thing. In our case, model cars.

This is a study in the human psyche. It is in fact, a call to arms for those who wish to be a part of this community, but fail to push the button at some crucial moment. This post is not for those well entrenched builders who have ego enough to stand perhaps even public ridicule [which I have not seen here], or outright disdain.

It occurs to me that if you post your project one of two things may happen.

1: Total disregard for what you have posted or written.

In this case I would caution you that there are many who hold their collective tongues instead of reaching for some far reaching compliment. If you know it's not up to snuff, they are certain. Does this mean you are not a legitimate modeler?

On the contrary!

As soon as you put Cyano to plastic, you are a modeler. I got paid for an early blues gig many years ago. I stepped in for an ill guitarist and got paid for it. Did that make me a proffesional guitarist? Technically, yes. A good one? Jury is still out, but deep inside, I know the answer to that.

And that is what keeps us growing.....

2: The first time winner!

Aaaahhh, to be a winner. The American Dream as it's held. But truth be told, if you garner praise off the bat you have been at this a while and are only now finding this venue. In which case, keep building, more is to come.

Those of us who are seasoned [i'm being kind here, as I am older], can ALWAYS learn a thing or two from new modelrs. I have learned a great deal already by searching the archives and asking questions. I am new to many of the new products that we are now enjoying. I ask questions concerning the materials I am interseted in and have yet to get an "Are you daft?" type comment. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers

I have built cars for many years. BUT with many years in between with nothing whatsoever. During that time MANY have come onto the scene to be INCREDIBLE builders. David T, Jay Savarese are just 2 of those builders. I built models before they were born or were mere hatchlings [no offense to your Mums guys]. These guys are a wealth of info. Look at what they are doing. Study how they got there. It's OK to ape them, but discover your own style. How many Dale Paeones were there before he showed up? NONE!

Building ANYTHING requires only 2 things.

A commitment. And the level you set in YOUR mind.

I build Superdetailed cars. I build standard "Plugwire and paint" affairs. It's all up to you.

What is a constant is this simple idea.

Have fun. Keep it up to your own expectations. Never build for anyone else other than yourself. Did I mention have fun????

This brings to mind something from the music side of my life. Are you here to make musiscians happy, or are you here to make that booty move?

Both builds have something to offer. Pick one and stick to it till the end.

Your friend with with Squadron all over his hands and not a paper towel in sight.

Robert J Frias

AKA: Dragline

Edited August 6, 2009 by Dragline

[Dragline]

Somewhat true? Long in the tooth?

Hmmmmm

You are certainly entitled but I would add that advice of any nature [of which you need none], is by definition, lengthy.

All the same, the fact that some rang true tickles me.

The truth is that it is sound, and my motivation is to get others to join in on what it is we are up to. Being as this is a solitary thing, communion is MUY IMPORTANTE'

We are all in this together. I wish more to join.........

Going to spray some primer....

Bob

Edited August 6, 2009 by Dragline

[diymirage]

robert, i read the first 2-3 lines of you post

and clearly you want ME to post

so, here is my post:

[ post ]

could someone please post the clif notes of roberts post ?

thank you

[ / post ]

[RodBurNeR]

As owner of two forums and three yahoo groups...(used to be several more)....I have to say that it's just the way it is.

I have learned that though there are 827 members on my Traditional Rod and Kustom forum, only 110 visit daily, it's not always the same 110 people..

Out of those 827 members, I would guess about 20 or more aren't finished with their registration, 200 or more are foreign and don't understand english, can't read it and just want to see the models.

Probably 100 of them don't know how to post , let alone show photos of their work. Another 50 might think their work is not good enough or maybe they don't like taking pictures....or they can't because they don't have a camera....

These things add up....sometimes a member comes out and introduces himself just to say hello and let everyone know they are admiring the models....but just want to "lurk"..

The number of members on this forum, multiply the numbers....it's the same way on all forums.

It doesn't bother me much that it's this way. If all the members posted daily, I would go insane trying to keep up and just lose interest!

I rarely show in progress builds here. Why? I just don't have time to keep up with it....I forget to update , etc etc.. I have a system I worked out for myself. I like to post progress on my own forum because of the way I build I get a better response from the others that build old school rod and kustom stuff. That keeps me going! When the model is finished, I always post it here because I do value everyone's comments and I like to share! I just can't share everything I do on every single forum I go to is all.

Make sense? More time at the bench and less time chasing replies on multiple forums.

[Billy Kingsley]

You're darn right Bob! I first joined the model forums 9 years and one day ago, long before this forum existed. When I joined, I was brush painting stuff if I painted it at all, and it looked like ######. Now, My models actually look like what they are supposed to look like, and I've had a half page in MCM solely on one of my models.

OR, for those of you too lazy to read, I went from THIS:

To THIS:

And none of that would have happened if I did not post on the message boards.

[Billy Kingsley]

Good job stifling the constition. I didn't curse, I never do, a moral ground I have always held myself to for my entire life. LAME.

[Abell82]

Bob, I just read your post and found it interesting and somewhat true (although a little long in the tooth) Basically What I've said all along to others. Build what you like to your skill level and likes and don't worry what others think. If it makes you happy do it. Not everyone is gonna like it and that's fine as long as you do. Don't be intimidated by anyone.

BULL HOCKEY!! If you build to your skill level, you'll never improve!! Build just outside your comfort zone, and you will always be learning something new.

There I posted!!!

[diymirage]

You're darn right Bob! I first joined the model forums 9 years and one day ago, long before this forum existed. When I joined, I was brush painting stuff if I painted it at all, and it looked like ######. Now, My models actually look like what they are supposed to look like, and I've had a half page in MCM solely on one of my models.

OR, for those of you too lazy to read, I went from THIS:

To THIS:

And none of that would have happened if I did not post on the message boards.

thanks,

thats like reading a 2000 word essay

[93Z34]

Personally, I find the internet and message boards have become more or less a necessary evil, if you will, of the hobby. With today's advances in technology and the ease of the internet and the ability to garner massive exposure in a short post, it's easy to see why this medium has succeeded so well in such a short period of time. Does that mean all is great with the association between modeling and the internet? I'm of the mindset that all is not as it may seem.

If you look at any given message forum, you can basically break down the membership into a few categories. First of all, you have the "Lurker". This member enjoys coming to the forum and browsing, checking out the work of everyone else and just enjoying what they see. They don't feel the need to post, and prefer not to in most cases. It's hard to say just how much inspiration the "lurker" may get when it comes to him building his own models, if he even builds models in the first place. Nonetheless, the lurker enjoys what he sees and takes in the work of those who do post on the forum regularly.

Secondly, you have the "Occasional Participant". This forum member may join a forum and introduce themselves, but only occasionally post something. They don't spend a ton of time posting replies to bunches of threads on the forums they belong to, but prefer instead to only reply to something that has really inspired them or struck a chord with them in some way. Again, not a mega poster, but one who participates just the same, only on a minimum basis.

Next we have the "Regular Poster". You can count on this forum member to be seen or heard from almost daily. From posting pics of their work to adding input and commenting on the work of others, this member can be counted on to be an active participant with a certain level of consistency.

Up next in the chain we have the "Forgotten Member". This person joins a forum and may post like a madman for a short period of time and then suddenly their posts start dwindling and eventually we don't see or hear from him for an indefinite amount of time. Suddenly, that member is back with a vengeance and normally advises people that he simply belongs to too many forums and has gorgotten about posting on certain ones, or simply doesn't have time to cover all the forums. This forum member normally makes his rounds through the various forums he belongs to, posting avidly on those that have captured his attention for whatever reason. Normally his modeling tastes vary from subject to subject and you'll find him frequenting the forums dedicated to the subject matter that currently holds his attention. Again, another valuable member of the online communities, but sometimes is simply spread too thin to cover all his bases with regularity.

The "Dedicated Member" is a forum member who can be counted on to be seen and heard from daily. This person doesn't disappear and is a regular mainstay on the forum he chooses to call "home". Every forum has a few members like this and they contribute immensely to the wellbeing of the forums they are dedicated to. They post their work regularly and can be counted on to reply to questions and so forth from other forum members as well.

There are other types of forum members that fall in between these "classifications", and each and every one is important to any given forum. I think we all get to a point where we find ourselves trying to participate in all the forums we belong to and sometimes simply get burned out from spending so much time on each different forum. Eventually we find ourselves weeding out the communities we belong to and concentrate instead on a select few.

While I think the internet has done this hobby a world of good, I can also see where it has directly influenced the amount of time we actually spend building models. I guess one question we should ask ourselves is, "Before the internet, how much time were we spending actually BUILDING something?" I think we can all honestly say that our productivity in this regard has suffered from a little bit to maybe a whole lot. Before the internet, we would sit at the bench and BUILD kits rather than surf various message forums looking at models and discussing them. How many pics do we see now of a modeler's workbench and in the pic is a computer or laptop right in the thick of the modeling mayhem? It's so easy to get sidetracked when we're building when internet access is in such close proximity to your work area. I know as the internet gained in popularity and I found myself spending more and more time on forums such as this, I noticed my kit stash increasing steadily while my built inventory started sliding. I am now making a conscious effort to change that. I am alloting myself a certain amount of time on the net on forums such as this and the rest of my spare time is being spent actually building something. I've also moved my computer further away from my model desk to allow me to better concentrate on my projects at hand.

Do I post WIP's on every forum I belong to? Nope, and I don't even post pics of my completed projects on every forum either. It just all depends on how the mood strikes me at the time. Some projects I don't feel are worthy of being shown for whatever reason, and other times I prefer to keep certain projects under wraps until I decide to show them publicly, normally at a show or modeling event.

I guess what I was trying to say in this novel of a post is that we all post or decide not to post for various reasons. It doesn't make us right or wrong, just individually different. As long as the hobby is thriving and people are building, does it really matter how much they post on any given forum? I think not.

Edited August 6, 2009 by 93Z34

[jeffb]

heres my post

[Foxer]

heres my post

Nice weathering job, Jeff! I really like the shaving cream used for the snow.. very realistic!

[James Flowers]

I am a Lurker mostly. I comment sometimes. I have struck a cord or two from some of my post. I have never post a model or work in progress. I do not want to take the time and hassle to learn how to post pictures. I read the board almost everyday. I have learned a lot from the boards I am on.

[Eshaver]

Hey Billy that aint no El Camino in the second shot but it sure do look nice man ! How bout ya show in de folks back home how ya did that masterpiece . Ed Shaver

[Dragline]

I see that opinions vary, as they should.

My post was meant to perhaps bring one or two out from behind their screens to participate is all.

I allot time for building, playing guitar, and the many things I do as recreation. I play less Battlefield II than I used to as a direct result of finding this forum and starting to build again due to the excitment it rekindled in me.

That I play my game less is a good thing for my building and being able to share what can be described as a fairly lonely hobby with like minded individuals is a blessing to my mind.

I'm glad there is a difference of opinion and taste in this world, or we might all still be driving black Fords.

Perish the thought.

Bob Frias

[E St. Kruiser50]

... what can be described as a fairly lonely hobby.....

Bob Frias

Doesn't have to be a lonly hobby Bob.

I belong to 2 clubs, go to model event's, and have friends who build that I share with, and friends I share with that don't build, but enjoy my interests, as I do theirs, as well as know the people in the local hobby shops, and keep in touch with them.

I've made friends here too, and that just adds to the over-all enjoyment of this wonderful hobby.

[Dragline]

You are of course right Dave. Perhaps "solitary" is more appropriate?

Either way, there is great community here and you are right about clubs and such. I am here in Maryland Iand I have yet to attend a MAMA meeting. This is something I will remedy soon though.

Bob