Good luck. Remember why you started the game, and what you like about it. The process of learning is typically a fail forward approach.

Awesome honesty! The more honest we are as a community, the more we can create a welcoming environment for every kind of enjoyer, hobbyist to professional. As someone who lives with anxiety, ADHD, and depression, I struggle with self confidence and analysis paralysis daily. Sometimes I have to just pick up a random model and throw paint at it just to prove I can make Wild mistakes and still retain all my value and confidence as a human being.

Much love and respect for you for this video.

I have been playing 40k or some similar table top game for about 20 years now, yes I'm old. Getting longer in the tooth has taught me that there will always be ups and downs. We will each deal with it in our own way. YOu are doing what is best for you. Your painting is amazing. Keep it up and I am sure you will get to the goal you have set for yourself.

I'm thinking of doing a video reminding people that always checking out people's minis gives you an unrealistic outlook. You have to paint them until you feel good about them. That's one thing I always have to remind myself. And yeah, they look good. All this perfection in this industry took over from just plain creativity. Just have fun with it my man.

great video my friend. You aren't the only one who faces this, I have been through it with my horse shows and it is still a struggle sometimes and it can get in my head hardcore. It is hard to dig out of that hole mentally. The important this to remember with this hobby is to have fun with it no matter what. Win, Lose or draw did you have fun at the table? Did you meet someone you may have never met and found someone you can share your passion for the hobby? Painting especially is a hard field to deal with because like you said it is 100% a preference based field. You could have the most amazing comic book style paint job but the judge prefers 'eavy metal and they place someone higher just because it is what they like. 2 questions to constantly ask yourself 1. Do you love how those models look on the board? and 2. did you have a fun time at the event? the rest will come when the time is right.

What an awesome channel. Anyone who has ever really achieved anything of consequence has sat exactly where you are now and faced self doubt. Bystanders seeing a great painter or player don’t see the mountain of failures, setbacks, and lessons it took to get to the top. You’re a hell of a player and painter. You’ve got this!

Yeah I have self esteem issues myself with hobby, job, as a parent, husband. Therapy helps a lot. Best advice someone ever gave me: think of therapy like an oil change. It’s a check in for self reflection with an external member that can help troubleshoot.

2 things 1) I approve of the shirt!! and 2) how i keep my self confidence up is I have on my paint table one of the first minis i painted. Compared to how I paint now I am head and shoulders above where I was. I will Never repaint that little goblin as he stands there showing me where I was to where I am. There is a saying "if a man try's his best, What else is there?" Cheers and just remember paint for the joy of painting.

I feel this. I've been struggling with depression for so long and it's really prevented me from painting my minis. I still have yet to fully finish a warhammer mini. I'm trying my best but man... depression just keeps you down. I'm always trying to stay positive and upbeat, but some days you just can't go to the best of your ability. I just wanna paint...

Wow you are really talented. Mental hurdles, are pretty much paralysis, I struggle too with it. What helps me, is by focussing on the smallest thing that brings my inner child wonder at what is infront of me as it if it was not something I made or something I see for the first time. It helps me do and design terrain when I’m at a moment of self doubt. Each thing I tackle I approach it that way……well I try. Thank you for making this video. Making to me is therapeutic, with it brings the good as well as the bad. Keep it up and again, thank you.

Good luck for your quest for the golden ticket bud! You've picked an especially tough year with the edition change mid way through but maybe that could be used to your advantage if you get the reps in at the start of the edition. And no matter how well you practice, sometimes the dice gods can be against you so dont beat your self up too much about it. The best part of this hobby is the community, I have had 80+ tournament games and can only remember 2 bad games. I judge a tournament a success if I've had 5 great games. Each tournament I learn something new and I improve. I've been going to tournaments for a couple years now and can finally say I can sit comfortably in the 3-2 category which I deem a success, and I will continue to strive harder to finally get my first 5-0. As for the painting aspect, you look like youre doing a great job with those minis. How you paint your minis should tell a story. I want to see the love you have for you're army. The important part with painting is not to compare yourself so others. The reality of social media is that you will always find someone that can paint better than you. Use social media to inspire you and learn some tips but only compare to your own models to see how far you have come as a painter. Although I'm not a particularly narrative player, I still like to give some of my main guys dumb names. My sludgeraker is affectionately known as Jimmy LongNails. I found myself thinking of a bit of a backstory as I paint which helps me inspire the way I paint. My opponents also love it when I say "Big Jimmy Longnails is gonna come charging in". This hobby is an escape from the every day to geek out with other people just as invested as you. Although it is a great thing to have something to aim for, keep notes of your favourite thing from each game this year and some of the silly paint schemes you tried and reflect on that at the end of the year. Think of how just this channel could have an impact on many people. I'll be here for the ride, sending love from the UK.

I also have a goal to win a painting comp. Working on it right now.best to you my man

A lot of other experience the same feelings as you right now. Sounds like a lot of the perception of pressure is self inflicted. Be kind to yourself. Create your own release valve. Let some of the pressure off. Remember to keep it fun. Keep it light. Full your cup and recharge your batteries. Deliberately paint a mini as badly as you can! Celebrate how far you’ve come. If not this year….maybe another coming year? Empaths often get value from therapy. You don’t have to look far to find someone with anxiety or depression or both. Myself included. Take care. Self care.

There is quote by Theodore Roosevelt called the Man in the Arena... it's about trying and winning as well as failing... but ultimately the victory, the success is in the trying. Thats what it is all about. I have been at this hobby since 40K 2nd Edition (1993). When I get to this point where painting becomes a chore or the paint job just it is not up to my expectation... I stop... do something else... paint something just for fun to give myself the drive and confidence to re-attack that project that had become a barrier to my enjoyment. I am experiencing this right now with Ultramarines... thirty years of painting model soldiers and I just cannot get the blue to what I envisioned when I planned this army. So, I moved on to another army project to mix it up and give myself time to work out the problem. I know you have a goal which is amazing, and I truly hope you achieve it, but take a breather, do something that brings you joy and when you are ready get back after it. You can do this... reading the comments we have faith in you. Subscribed in support of your effort!

Honestly I’m kinda in the same boat, though I don’t have much experience in the hobby or the game that long. So recent I’m trying to make a new army for eldar though when I come back from work i want to do my army painting or building, I would sometimes feel unmotivated to even do that. But so far I’m loving how your cities of sigmar is looking they look awesome, give it your best!!!!

If I were you I would ask myself: Why does it truly matter if you win the Golden Ticket or not? Why is it so important for you to win one? For sure it would be exciting to go to Atlanta and compete in the big competition, but in the end its not going to change the way you enjoy painting your miniatures or the joy you get out of an exciting game. Victory is sweet in the moment, and having a goal to move towards is good, but don't lose sight on what makes you love this hobby. It's not really the act of winning that made you go into this hobby, right? At the end of the day it is sitting down and painting, playing games, maybe crafting an exciting idea for an army list, the act of DOING the hobby, that gives you enjoyment out of this hobby. And these things are, ultimately, unaffected by you winning or not winning that Golden Ticket. So why then is winning the ticket so important for you? Is it because winning would earn you the approval of others? Is it because of social respect? Is it because it would validate your worth, in the eyes of others, or maybe more likely, in the eyes of yourself? What do you imagine changing if you did win the Golden Ticket? Regarding the stylistic choices, as you said yourself: opinions on figure painting is subjective. One person's taste differs from someone else's, meaning that no stylistic choice is superior to any other. When faced with a dilema of a stylistic choice, listen to your taste. Not because it's better, but because it's your miniatures, and you are the one expressing yourself with them. Anyone could eventually learn to paint well and copy a style that is deemed uncontroversial, but a person's inner vision is unique to them. You shouldn't stress about how other's are going to judge your stylistic choices since they are an expression of your personal uniqueness. And finally, something I wish someone had told me when I first went into therapy is this: Therapy entails establishing a relationship, and just as with any two people sometimes there just isn't chemistry. If after 2-4 talks you feel like they don't really "get" you or connect with your issues, there is no shame in moving on and trying out another therapist, and see if they work better with you. D.S.

I had this thing happen to me a couple months ago. All I can say is that it passes. It's not real you'll know this because it's transient not constant. In my case it was connected to a bad mushroom trip but the feelings lasted a couple days.

Sadboi James, we ride

Seems like you gota lot going on in your mind. I think a lot of questions need to be asked and answered by introspection. example. Whats your timeline? what matter? Unfortunately when you shoot for large goals and achievements sacrifice and suffering will be involved. whoever you see in these displays, you have to be better and beat them out of their spot. I'm not sure what criteria wins and i would say you have to go above and beyond that in your style. Your space marine in the video had potential. your color palette choices seems to be in conflict with warm and cool color theory. i recommend Color and Light by James Gurney. you seem to be wayyyy ahead in your technical ability to paint and you should work on art theory and fail as fast as you can and learn. we learn by our greatest losses. Good luck . i hope you see progress towards your goal.

It affects everybody maybe aside from those guys who just glue n game 😂 its also probably how games workshop keep on making money off of you the best way is to try n get things out the way 1st try n dont fiddle with it sub assembly helps n try to paint eyes or teeth 1st difficult parts etc n also the equipment you use aslo makes a big difference

At the end of the day its just a game of toy soldiers. Yes, there is skill. Yes its fun. But its just a game. It doesn't really matter in the end. There is no need to be emotional about it