Our Miniature Hobby Lifestyle
This section of our site is dedicated to the budgeting and side of your hobbies. Your hobbies don’t exist in a vacuum. If you’re like most people, your painting and gaming hobbies are a big part of your life, and that means they can have a big impact on your budget. If you’re interested in providing commission miniature painting services, I also share my experience with that aspect of the hobby, too.
This post contains some thoughts from someone who has purchased, traded, and sold used miniatures across all kinds of venues, e.g., eBay, bartertown.com. What is a “pro painted miniature”? If you’re surfing eBay and come upon the words “pro painted”, it catches your eye. The second thing that you notice is how badly painted many […]
What Is a Pro-Painted Miniature Worth? (Standard Price Guide) Read More »
If you paint miniatures long enough, you start to notice how much your environment shapes your hobby. Where you paint, how quickly you can set up, and how easily you can clean up all influence how often you actually sit down with a brush. Over time, I have settled into a minimalist way of working
Best 5 Simple Workspace Setups for Painting in Small or Shared Spaces Read More »
If you’ve ever stared at a pile of leftover sprues and wondered what else they could become, this list gives you a broad set of ideas to spark your creativity. Think of it as a toolbox of possibilities: from simple crafts to terrain starter concepts. It’s not a step-by-step tutorial. It’s a place to browse,
25 Simple Sprue Recycling Ideas for Miniature Painters Read More »
Are you looking for ways to monetize your hobby? Maybe you paint miniatures on commission. Whatever hobby or interest you love to do, I’m sure at some point you will have thought about the possibility of making it into more than a hobby. In fact, you dream of a way to take what you’re passionate
5 Simple Tips to Market Your Hobby For Cash Read More »
Do you like expensive things? If you’re into scale modeling hobbies and miniatures, e.g., painting and assembling model kits, then you may be interested in what an extra hundred or more in your budget could buy. Over the years, I’ve shopped around for different tools and things that could give me a competitive edge, or
7 Luxury Hobby Things You Need to Want Read More »
So you want to turn your miniature painting hobby into “a real job”? Tabletop gaming has been around for centuries, but the advent of miniature painting has allowed for a greater level of immersion in these games. As long as people are gaming with miniatures, enjoying them in their various hobbies, there will always be
Can You Make a Living Painting Miniatures Full Time? Read More »
Are you looking for ways to save money in your miniature painting hobby? The miniature hobby can be as expensive or as affordable as you want. As commissioned miniature painter, I’ve learned a few tricks to budget-saving tips without sacrificing the quality of my work. In this article, I share 10 money-saving tips for painting
10 Money-Saving Hobby Tips for Miniature Painters Read More »
Miniature painting is an intricate art that requires patience, focus, and attention to detail. As with any creative endeavor, it’s easy to get lost in the process and become overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks that need to be completed. That’s where the concept of triage comes in. Triage is the practice of prioritizing
Strategic Triage: Prioritizing Your Creative Concepts Read More »
I write a lot. Most of it is technical academic stuff for work. But, often I’ll pull up a blank page and draft a creative story or some essay on the state of the world—life. It’s something I enjoy doing and it helps me make sense of what’s going on internally in my head. Journaling
The Silver Lining: How Inflation and a Bad Economy Can Fuel Your Creative Writing Read More »
CaptainCon is an annual 3-day gaming event taking place in Warwick, Rhode Island. It is held every year in early February (usually the first weekend) at the Crowne Plaza Convention Center. CaptainCon is a celebration of all things gaming, featuring board games, organized events, and more. Attendees can expect to have a great time playing
Do you use social media or other digital venues to share your art and creative works? As an influencer, your online presence and reputation is valuable, so it’s important to take steps to protect yourself from malicious actors. We’ve grown wary of the huge number of intrusive digital threats ruling and have had to adapt
Digital Threats Against Influencers and Online Businesses (Prevention Guide) Read More »
Distractions are everywhere. You’re trying to get work done, but your mind keeps wandering off to think about that new gossipy thing you heard about your co-worker, or that reality show you can’t miss tonight. Even when we’re trying to focus on a task, it’s hard to resist the pull of a distraction. When it
The Power of “No”: Are You a Distracted Hobbyist? Read More »
Do you paint miniatures as a hobby and wonder if it could make money for you? You’re not alone. Many hobbies can make money, but few hobbies are able to earn the kind of cash that miniature painting can. In this article, I share my experience and knowledge as a commissioned miniature painter in order
7 Signs You’re Ready to Turn Your Hobby Into a Business Read More »
Wondering if stock photography is for you, but afraid to take the plunge? You’re not alone. Many photographers feel the same way, but with a few tips and tricks, you can soon overcome your fears and be on your way to becoming a successful stock photographer! Although my journey as a hobbyist has taken me
Overcoming Fear as a Miniature Stock Photographer Read More »
Ever balk at the idea of buying expensive hobby instruments? Premium quality paint brushes, costly airbrushes, and top-of-the-line acrylic paints all come with a hefty price tag that can make your wallet whimper. So why would any normal person want to spend so much money on what is essentially a bunch of plastic, dead animal
Why Expensive Hobby Tools Suck (and Why We Need Them) Read More »