What's Happening With Milgeek? Health Update & New Hobbies

Health issues means a slight change in direction for hobbies...

Time was that when there was a hiatus in the Milgeek blog it was *usually* because I'd found a new hobby that I was obsessed with and as a result I neglected my blogging until things settled back down. But since my stroke - over a year ago now - things have become even more hap hazard.

On top of not feeling up to doing much and problems with my coordination PLUS the huge pain in the neck which is my continually crap ridden man cave I've had a particularly sapping lack of motivation. To be honest, most of this year has been taken up with my sitting on my ass and watching rubbish day-time TV!

BUT, things are looking on the up and up...

My health is improving - I'm getting out and about more regularly - plus I have found myself a couple of new hobbies which I found less taxing because of my issues and which I can do either while sat at the sofa or on the kitchen table.

New Hobby No. 1 - Doodling

The first hobby I returned to as my health started to improve was doodling and please not that I say 'doodling' and NOT drawing or sketching. This is because or my dodgy hand coordination due to the mild stroke. At first I could only scribble very wobbly line drawings, messy cartoons really, but over time and with practise I managed to get some control back into my hand.

Above: A early doodle, it took some concentration a a while to
do, but was very satisfying...If wobbly!

Because of this, and because I found aimless doodling so relaxing and enjoyable - it's great for your mental health - I decided to try doing a little Domestika course called 'Expressive Architectural Sketching with Colored Markers', just to give me a more focused subject for my random scribblings.

As it turns out I REALLY enjoy sketching buildings! Albert Kiefer's course was extremely enjoyable and the most astonishing this was that it turned out that my shaky drawing turned out to be perfect for the quick and instinctive type of sketching that this course highlighted. My wobbly lines actually looked like it was my 'style'. Hahahahaha!

Above: In time I progressed somewhat and started to make some drawings
which combined my new found interest with drawing local landmarks and
combining them with my interest in Gothic horror!

Turns out, people - for some strange reason - like my wobbly 'style' and seem to think it's deliberate! 😂

I shouldn't laugh, as as a consequence and after months of slowly getting a little better at doodling, I have actually started selling my work and taking on commissions.

I'm dumfounded.

New Hobby No. 2 - Model Railways

Now this is totally out of the blue really, at least with my drawing I will be including subjects that come under my traditional Milgeek themes, including history and Lovecraftian horror. But model railways seem completely unrelated to anything that I have done before.

What has toy trains got to do with Milgeek?

Well, it's actually all about scale modelling and the uncertainty I have about continuing my military modelling the way I used to do. I still really want to continue with model making - particularly scale scenic crafting - but being as how I am unsure how my ability to work with precision and fine detail that I used to bearing in mind my shaky hand and reduced coordination.

So, I had a think and a look around and I noticed that model railway building includes a fair bit of scenic building BUT at the same time has a lot of pre-built models that could help me get started in modelling again...But with small steps with a view to increasing how I could possibly customise these models as my abilities - hopefully - increase. 

Above: My very first steps in beginning my new model railway hobby.

I can do as little or as much modelling as I feel I am up to.

So, yes, it's not a military, or horror, or strictly historical based themed hobby BUT for the foreseeable future it's the best I can do AND will serve as rehabilitation.

Conclusion - Milgeek Changes...A Wee Bit!

And so, I'll be introducing some new themes into the Milgeek blog. I hope this slight change in subject matter will be interesting enough for anyone who still reads this blog. We shall see!