Time for a little "housekeeping".

So, I think it's about time to chat about a couple of things that aren't directly related to pictures of cool toy soldiers (but still very much related to this blog). Things I'd like to cover in this post are:

1. Hits to your Hobby Mojo

2. Behavior on the blogs of others

3. What's up with the Legio Custodes?

And you can expect this to be a sort of a "stream of consciousness" kind of post too.

Hits to your Hobby Mojo

So, this blog has been a lot of fun (and a bit of work) to put together over the last 20 months or so. As I'm sure many hobby bloggers can attest, it's a great way to get some feedback on your work, but at the same time it can cut into the precious hobby time that you have, or the feeling that regular updates are important (which they are) can push your "hobby mojo" around like it was the scrawny kid in the school playground. Recently I took steps to revive my "hobby mojo" by no longer taking converting/painting commissions, freeing up valuable time to get back into my own projects. The ideas were starting to flow again, much like the spice from Arakis. Then I got a one-two punch that has rocked me a bit.

First, GW decides to close down the Glen Burnie Battle Bunker and axe all the staff. Now, to be fair, they have been saying it was closing down since February (when they announced the HQ move to Memphis) but it was always presented as a "We'll be moving the Bunker" kind of deal.

Just prior to Games Day, the powers that be let the staff (a great team of guys) know that they hadn't been happy with the handful of sites they'd looked at, so they'd simply be closing the store and jettisoning the staff. There are so many things they'd I'd like to say here that would not be good for me to say, so I'll hold fire. Suffice to say this action has disrupted my "hobby mojo".

Second, I got a pleasantly worded email recently that caused me to think a bit more about my hobby, and what parts of it were important to me, and why. The results of reading that email are evident in a few new disclaimers on my blog and a further disruption to my "hobby mojo".

I have some more projects to show you (some of my final commission pieces to show you), but for a little while you'll be seeing some work on other projects involving other miniatures from other manufacturers. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Behavior on the blogs of others

Just recently I had a reader disagree with me on one of my projects. I think he found it frustrating that it seemed I was willing to let little things slide on some of my work, things he felt it would be easy for me to change. He expressed as much, and we discussed the items.

In my mind, this is perfectly acceptable behavior on a hobby blog that accepts comments from readers. You don't always have to agree, but if you disagree you need to remember two things: be constructive in your criticism (provide an alternative idea or be clear on your concern), and be respectful of their decisions (not every criticism you make will be acted on). These things may seem sensible enough, but sometimes we can lose sight of them in our passion for our hobby. Sometimes we can slip and appear less than respectful.

BUT that does not mean you can abandon civility to ATTACK those that appear to have slipped, particularly on someone else's blog.

I take onboard all constructive criticism. I won't act on it all, but I do try to understand where it is coming from. If someone disagrees with me, that's fine. All I ask is that there's no fighting or name-calling in your comments on this blog. I don't like the idea of censoring people, but I will.

Of course, how you behave on your own blog is completely up to you ; )

What's up with the Legio Custodes?

Well, after those two "downer" topics, I thought I might try to lighten the mood for those still reading his far.

The Legio Custodes army will be going up on eBay next week (Sunday October 3) for a week. I still have a few details to finalize, but I will be posting them all here and asking those of you who are so inclined to spread the word. The more sets of eyes we can get on it will hopefully mean that word reaches someone with deep pockets (and the long arms to reach into them).

If you are unsure of what I am talking about, you can see the army here, and read about the cause here.

Thanks for reading, hopefully more pictures in the next post ; )

Cheers

Dave