As is tradition on this block at New Year, although its getting later and later in January, I have a look back at what I achieved hobby wise over the last year. I find making Hobby New Year Resolutions to be pointless, and possibly depressing, when you look back as see what I did compared to what I hoped. That said it can also be good to take a look and see what you completed.

So what did I manage to actually finish in 2022?

It’s that time of year when I traditionally* look back over last year’s posts and see how I faired against the hobby goals I set myself at the start of that year. I would also set my hobby goals for the coming year too.

However, this year I really don’t feel like it, it is bound to be a disappointing result, the amount of hobby time and completed projects** have been sorely lacking through 2021.

I can remember starting a few different projects last year, and I have a couple of others that I want to get finished from previous years (eek!). But I know I have not achieved either. There is a surprising number of models built over the last year but not painted knocking around in my house, or more likely built and primed, with maybe even a coat of paint or two. There is also a surprising number of draft articles behind the scenes here at Splayedpaintbrush Towers*** that never made it off the drawing board.

So what’s the point of this post? Well I suppose it is just to remind myself that this is a hobby blog about my hobby. The definition of a hobby is an activity or interest that is done for pleasure or relaxation. In others words, I build/paint/play with models for fun. This purpose of this post is to remind us all that it doesn’t matter that project X didn’t get finished as long as you had fun whatever you did do. Sure it’s good to finish a project, but it’s also not worth getting down about either.

Thinking back over 2021 hobby wise, now that I have got to typing this article up, I do remember enjoying a number of things in particular. Some of which made their way onto the blog, some didn’t. So instead of counting successes as finished projects, how about I just list some of the projects I had most fun with last year.

Ahh yes, the annual look back at the past year’s hobbying, and see how we measured up against the hobby progress we hoped to achieve mentioned back in January 2020.

Well a quick read of my hopes for 2020, and seeing what I have actually done over the last year suggests that its all doom and gloom.

1. No, i’ve not managed to hobby more tidily or efficently.
2. No, I did not paint more than I bought – or even attempt to 🙂
3. No, I’ve not actually managed to paint much over 2020 at all 😦
4. No, I’ve not attended any events – but that’s not my fault, damned Covid!
5. No, the blog still looks the same as it did back in June 2014 (wow I hadn’t realised it was that long ago!)

So what did we do in the year of Social Distancing and Lockdowns? I’ve been working from home, and home schooling my lad – yeah right! So my hobby time took a massive hit this year. I’m massively jealous of people who have churned out multiple large scale armies over the various lockdowns, but there in lies the danger of social media. No one’s life is perfect and FB, and the like, only give a small filtered glimpse into other people’s lives. There’s no real indication of what’s going on in their life, and everyone is different. Hope you all are staying safe, and perhaps more importantly, sane over the course of the pandemic. Here is what I achieved last year…