Modelling mojo and state of mind

[David Bell]

Hi Jools,

 

I don't worry about the mojo thing. I have days when I am productive and quite a few when I am not. Ours is a great hobby and this forum is populated by some great people. I enjoy planning and researching as much as actual modelling. A day researching or playing with plans is as good as a day modelling. I have more plans than I will ever build. It does not matter. I like to have two or three projects on the go. Hence GQS and my planned 7mm shed layout, Little Allerton. I flit between the two and that is fine. There is no timeline or schedule on either. And there is the rest of life, still important. Lockdown for me has meant twice as much work and hardly anytime to play trains but that is ok.

 

Interestingly I was contemplating the Revell Saturn V, just as a nostalgic reminder of making the Airfix one when I was 10!

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

Have a great Christmas and New Year, and thanks for your positive comments and support.

Cheers

David

[TravisM]

3 hours ago, David Bell said:

Interestingly I was contemplating the Revell Saturn V, just as a nostalgic reminder of making the Airfix one when I was 10!

Having done the Airfix 1/144 scale Saturn V, I can vouch for the fact that the Revell kit is the better kit, though some of the paint choices are a little suspect (like green on the inside of the F1 engine bell!).  It will get it done, eventually and my next non railway project is the Revell 1/144 scale Space Shuttle with launch tower.

 

It always makes me smile when people refer to the whole Saturn V as the Apollo space craft.  The first three stages of the Saturn V are actually only the launch vehicle and the Apollo space craft is just the Command Module (CM), Service Module and the LM, Lunar Module.  As a side note, the Lunar Module was referred to as the “LEM”, the Lunar Excursion Module.

 

You and your family have a great Christmas and peaceful new year,

 

Best wishes,

Edited December 21, 2020 by jools1959

[David Bell]

19 hours ago, jools1959 said:

Having done the Airfix 1/144 scale Saturn V, I can vouch for the fact that the Revell kit is the better kit, though some of the paint choices are a little suspect (like green on the inside of the F1 engine bell!).  It will get it done, eventually and my next non railway project is the Revell 1/144 scale Space Shuttle with launch tower.

 

It always makes me smile when people refer to the whole Saturn V as the Apollo space craft.  The first three stages of the Saturn V are actually only the launch vehicle and the Apollo space craft is just the Command Module (CM), Service Module and the LM, Lunar Module.  As a side note, the Lunar Module was referred to as the “LEM”, the Lunar Excursion Module.

 

You and your family have a great Christmas and peaceful new year,

 

Best wishes,

I was 8 in 1969 and fascinated by the whole space programme. My Mum wrote to Nasa, addressed to NASA, USA saying she had an 8 year old fascinated by the moon landings. A month or so later a poster tube arrived filled with glossy posters of the moon and moon landing including one of the earthrise picture taken by astronauts on Apollo 8. All free of charge. I still have that photo as my screensaver on my computer.

 

Roll the years on 35 years or so and I find I was a frequent visitor to Houston because of my job and was given a VIP tour of the Space Center so I have stood up close to the last remaining Saturn V which is laid out horizontally there.

Quite awesome

 

 

[TravisM]

18 hours ago, David Bell said:

Roll the years on 35 years or so and I find I was a frequent visitor to Houston because of my job and was given a VIP tour of the Space Center so I have stood up close to the last remaining Saturn V which is laid out horizontally there.

Quite awesome

Not wishing to nitpick but there are two surviving Saturn V rockets remaining, the one you saw at Houston and the other is at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida and I believe that both now are undercover, protected from the elements.

 

These were built for the cancelled Apollo 18-20 but one was used for launching Skylab.  As a point of interest, there’s a full size replica in Huntsville, Alabama, and if it came as a kit, that would be one hell of a parcel the postie would have to deliver 

 

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[David Bell]

Interesting stuff. In a previous job some years ago I was having a Xmas dinner with my boss and his boss, both Americans. During dinner the big boss said to me, ask your boss who his father in law is. I had known this guy for 10 years so was somewhat flabbergasted when he answered- Gene Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17. My boss's wife has a rock on the Moon named for her.

[TravisM]

46 minutes ago, David Bell said:

Interesting stuff. In a previous job some years ago I was having a Xmas dinner with my boss and his boss, both Americans. During dinner the big boss said to me, ask your boss who his father in law is. I had known this guy for 10 years so was somewhat flabbergasted when he answered- Gene Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17. My boss's wife has a rock on the Moon named for her.

Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon.  Did you ever meet him?  I met Neil Armstrong years ago at the Great Ormond Street Hospital as I believe he was a patron but kept it very private.  He didn’t really want to talk about the moon as several other people kept asking, he really wanted to know more about the hospital.

[David Bell]

Never met him. I read somewhere that he nearly lost his place on the programme because he managed to crash a helicopter in a river whilst showboating.

[Tangoman69]

If you’re feeling down, then please talk to someone.

I log into RMWeb everyday and will speak you if you want me to.

 

I’ve been there, it’s OK not to be OK

 

My layout has fits and starts, some bits have come along grand, others are still awaiting bits to be added or painted.

We’re not all professional, we don’t it as a hobby when we find the time and inclination 

 

Karl

[Ross34]

On 21/12/2020 at 04:28, jools1959 said:

 

When I’m really motivated, I can achieve quite a lot but when it gets cold and damp, I really can’t be bothered.  

 

Ditto .. 

 

I've mentioned this before but I actually get SAD (seasonal affective disorder) really badly. It affects me physically & mentally. It's made worse because my main passion in life is gardening so Nov, Dec & Jan are bad - I'm counting the days. The fact that the shortest day is now behind us lifted my spirits no end - sounds silly but it's true.

Modelling wise its been fits & starts - I have a show next Sept so that may motivate me to fix whats needs fixing on the layout - unfortunately if it doesn't go ahead I can see me selling or dismantling the layout and putting railway modelling on the back burner for a while.*

 

* I did of think trying n gauge but if I'm honest the cost put me off. 

[woodenhead]

I used to suffer with SAD when I was younger, as I've gotten older it seems to affect me less, or it is less noticeable and I get through the winter much less impacted.  However, I think it my wife that is now afflicted, she's not having a good Christmas, nothing specific but it didn't help her that work instructed her to take holidays at exactly the time she needed to be working to take her mind off other stuff so it's a double whammy.

 

Roll on Spring eh!

[backofanenvelope]

I am waking the thread in the new year having managed to get through Christmas. I am trying to get myself back to RMweb after a pretty horrid 2020. I tried coming back at some point but felt overwhelmed by some logging in probs, probably because I hadn’t been on for an extended period and the new layout and busyness of it. I felt the comfy front room feel had been replaced by one of those adverts of people sitting in an airport or station with hyper-lapsing around them. I am far from complaining and have always appreciated the efforts put in by the team to keep this juggernaut running but for me, at the time it was just too much concentration I didn’t have.

 

The black dog chased me round the months barking in varying degrees and all compounded but the dreaded virus and a sense of isolation and some desolation, even though I know I’m not alone, having a family it still was one of the lowest points. I agree with tangoman69’s “People don’t fake depression, they fake being ok” and that is soooo true, and in my case, I was/am a master at it.

 

Anyway, I'm not here to complain about the past but to look to the future. There is some learning how to the filter the content so I don’t get overcome, but I am attempting to get some connection back to rmweb. I’m looking forward to catching up on threads and projects I followed before and try to get some of my own progress going in 2021 and be a bit more productive.

[leopardml2341]

A very simple but oh so true statement:

 

Depressive Illness - The Curse of The Strong

 

The title of a book by Dr Tim Cantopher.

[tomparryharry]

Hello folks, I hope you're all doing Ok.  I did have a mojo, but sad to say, it saddled up, and rode 'outa town' . Actually, it's not that bed. I've had some darker moments, but it's coming along. A recent discussion with my doctor regarding an incremental  increase  in Sertraline  will hopefully, 'do the trick'.  The shed project is still coming along, but sometimes it's a bit of struggle.  Inside here is a bit of a battlefield, but I know I'll get through it. 

 

The nights are slowly starting to draw out, so I know the Easter Eggs aren't far away.....

 

Keep with it folks, and stay safe.

[backofanenvelope]

Yes, Ive noted the lengthening days.. just need to get out of this grotty weather, so I can get proper daily walks in as that's what I respond best to. Hope the weight lifts soon..

[Big James]

My mojo has really gone for a burton. Everything was going fine. But then my work

life has just gotten worse and it’s really effected my head. My mojo has gone and I can’t see it coming back anytime soon. Which is a shame because I was making steady progress and I have a house move on the horizon with a dedicated insulated warm railway shed for me. 

Sorry if I sound like I’m whining as I don’t normally talk about my mental health. 
 

Big James

[backofanenvelope]

6 hours ago, Big James said:

Sorry if I sound like I’m whining as I don’t normally talk about my mental health. 

But that’s the point, we don’t normally talk, and it’s not whining it’s an illness

 

Hope the move goes ok. I’ve now got a “train set” I play with when things get darker, that I can set up on kitchen table. With some Kato track, 1 switch, some America stock, some mock cardboard buildings and waybills can take my mind off things for a while and just let’s me play trains.

[sb67]

8 hours ago, Big James said:

Sorry if I sound like I’m whining as I don’t normally talk about my mental health. 

 

You shouldn't have to apologise when talking about Mental Health. We openly talk about physical well being, going to the gym, eating healthy etc but how many people, myself probably included, take time for their mind. Developing coping skills and strategies for mental well being are equally important.

I've always planned exercise and training into my life but only recently have I realised that I need time to be alone and build my models or go to a preserved railway and just do something that I can enjoy and is a distraction from the outside world, it doesn't have to be long just a bit of time to be me. It works wonders! 

So Big James I hope you can get your mojo back, can you plan a layout or think about what you'll do with your Railway Shed?

 

Take care.

 

[rob D2]

Go, right ahead, it’s a good thread to air some things and venting is important .
 

My mojo comes and goes . I enjoy modelling more as a “ relaxing past time between stressful works days “, but seeing as  I’m officially redundant after 10 months furlough there are days when I literally can’t be arsed. Do too much hobby and it can turn into a chore.

 

Strangely, I had visions the other day of selling up and turning my model room into a fully immersive sound suite with synths and music production ....I’m sure that’ll pass

[roundhouse]

With the current pandemic three of the things that I really enjoy have been basically stopped. They are travel (domestic and foreign), pubs and exhibitions. This has really affected my modelling mojo and virtually brought working on my latest layout to a halt last year with no shows for it now till at least late 2022. It also has brought my planned decoder installation / other modelling crust earning almost to a halt. I would get very down or agitated when listening to the news or on forums  / social media where people keep stating what we shouldnt be doing. My sleep has been very much affected aswell.

 

I shouldnt be getting down as we have been well as have our  close relatives and  I have a good shed / workshop that is  heated insulated with plenty of entertainment in there. The only time the news has been on the telly in there since last March was the US presidential change. I am so pleased that I built it in 2019 giving my other half space to work from home in the living room and we both get on well, probably even better than before the pandemic.

 

I have now stopped viewing many threads on here and on other sites plus try to avoid as much of the news as I can and I now  have my modelling mojo back.

 

So until the pandemic restrictions are over I am avoiding a lot of threads for now not posting any railway photos when out on any walks (to avoid any criticisms, not that we have been out for walks since xmas due to the poor weather) and the layout is progressing well with many other modelling projects also in hand with old locos that havent run in many years getting serviced and fitted with spare decoders that were replaced with sound decoders. It does look odd having British outline alongside US outline on the test circiuts in the shed.

Edited February 5, 2021 by roundhouse

[laurenceb]

14 hours ago, Big James said:

My mojo has really gone for a burton. Everything was going fine. But then my work

life has just gotten worse and it’s really effected my head. My mojo has gone and I can’t see it coming back anytime soon. Which is a shame because I was making steady progress and I have a house move on the horizon with a dedicated insulated warm railway shed for me. 

Sorry if I sound like I’m whining as I don’t normally talk about my mental health. 
 

Big James

Just typing your feelings might be enough to change your mood. hope so anyway. And never be sorry for venting your feelings, We are in the same boat

[wessy]

SAD is a definite issue in the winter. I have found that a small SAD lamp, no bigger than A5 can be plugged in next to my work table (its not grand enough to be a bench). This means that it is close enough to my eyes to be a benefit, and it doubles as a very good lamp for modelling with.  I got mine off eBay.

[SteveyDee68]

Reading the posts on this thread (which I have only just stumbled upon) has more than rung true for myself. Having lost my job, marriage, home and access to my kids through depression and a counter-supportive ex-wife, my return to modelling was after picking up some magazines in 2017 after nearly 20 years of such activity being frowned upon (by aforementioned ex).

 

I dived back in via eBay purchases and my local model shop and, as can be seen in my various threads, have made several false starts. My modelling mojo comes and goes, but RMWeb serves as a constant source of inspiration,  entertainment and advice. When I lost my father at the end of last year, I posted an obituary and was deeply touched by the reactions and comments from RMWeb members, not a single one of whom do I know in person.

 

As I learnt, hiding your depression and not talking about it is self destructive. There has been a huge shift in public perception to mental illness over the past few years and sufferers will now receive the love and support needed. Sadly, I was married to someone with a pre-Victorian attitude to mental health who actively stopped me getting the help I needed and it was only once away from her influence that I was able to do so.

 

As they say, keep talking.

 

Steve S

[Tangoman69]

My mojo comes and goes, each day is different, and my layout is spread with many unfinished mini-projects.

My mental health is on the rise, even in these Covid time when I tend to spend my day from 0800-1730 talking to my computer on endless conference calls. Having recently spoken to my quack, we have agreed for me to wean myself off the sertraline because I am feeling better and the jumpy legs and excessive sweating at nights really p1ss me off..

 

I can relate to all the comments above, I try to support anyone with less than good mental health in anyway I can, because I have been supported, by family and friends, especially my wife & I am feeling much more positive.

 

Stay safe

 

Karl

[Cowley 47521]

I only just found this thread after having a little bit of spare time on here exploring the forum a little bit more than I usually get to.

Having worked in mental health in the past I’m very aware of when I feel like I’m in the right place to do something on my railway, and also when I’m not.

 The railway is pure escapism for me but some days even though I know that there’s something that’s a real easy win, I’m just not in the right place mentally to tackle whatever that is and I tend to take the view that if I don’t want to get absorbed in a certain task then I probably need to get out in the fresh air or perhaps get some jobs done in my life so that I can properly relax and enjoy my hobby...

 

I always find that I’m the most creative when I listen to these things and clear the decks (both physically and mentally) if I’m going to find relaxation in what I do for fun.

This last year has not been easy for so many people and it’s been nice reading some of the supportive posts in this thread.

 

Nick 

[skipepsi]

1 hour ago, Tangoman69 said:

My mojo comes and goes, each day is different, and my layout is spread with many unfinished mini-projects.

My mental health is on the rise, even in these Covid time when I tend to spend my day from 0800-1730 talking to my computer on endless conference calls. Having recently spoken to my quack, we have agreed for me to wean myself off the sertraline because I am feeling better and the jumpy legs and excessive sweating at nights really p1ss me off..

 

I can relate to all the comments above, I try to support anyone with less than good mental health in anyway I can, because I have been supported, by family and friends, especially my wife & I am feeling much more positive.

 

Stay safe

 

Karl

I got a diagnosis of sleep apnoea and a CPAP machine, that cured the sweating sleep and then I was able to wean myself off the sertraline with the better quality of sleep. Work is crap at the moment but I am not going back on the pills.