Inspiration

Why do we build the models that we build? I'm not talking about the specific kit, but rather the type. What is it that makes us want to build a de Havilland Mosquito, or a 1948 Ford convertible, or the USS Nimitz? Being modelers, we all have a model closet of some sort, with varying levels of unbuilt kits stacked up. Just the other day I was looking at my collection and wondering what I should build next. I stood there for 15 minutes, without anything jumping out at me. So I sat down and read a book instead. Within a minute, I had already decided what I would be building next: a Coastal Command Blenheim Mk.V. What was it that made this decision so simple? Becoming involved with the subject...

There is no greater inspiration than having some involvement with a subject. Whether it's reading about the Coastal Command Blenheims in a book on Blenheim squadrons, or taking a tour of the USS Ticonderoga, or seeing a restored 1935 Morgan 3-wheeler at a car show, inspiration can show up at a moment's notice. Often times it's just what is needed to get back into modeling after a slump, or to start something new when the current project is getting to be too frustrating. For many of us, this method of inspiration is transparent, but by making a note of why you are building something can help on those long, dark nights when that conversion just doesn't seem to be going right.

Chris Banyai-Riepl