How to lose at Golden Demon?
Sounds provocating, doesn't it?
This write up is by far not meant that way, doesn't include any offence and it is also not only about GW's Golden Demon.
I was very inspired by Chris aka Bestienmeisters blog post about winning a Golden Demon.
You can find them here, listed up:
After reading those posts by Chris you really prepared your head about winning a Golden Demon. Lets get over to the message I want to tell now. Somehow while reading this I found myself in worries about maybe these great articles could affect the one or the other in the wrong way of motivation, like putting too much pressure in winning a Golden Demon. Ok, I stop now about the Golden Demon thing as there are many other things you can win out there in the Miniature world of Events, some are less important than a Golden Demon, others are more important but in the end you choose yourself if winning something is your main force behind your motivation of painting figures and what means "important" for you.
Please make sure that what I am trying to explain now is just my own personal oppinion, my exeriences and a summ up to understand what I mean. There is no offence in any of my words.
About Winning
- the light and the dark side
Winning is something nice for sure - you always feel happy when you win something and you can be proud of yourself but this can fast change to the "dark side". The dark side that keeps your mind only focused on the goal to win at any cost and this changes you. It changes the way you think, the way you prepare, the way you act to other painters, the way you share your love of miniature painting and it changes your passion. It changes the passion why you paint, for example you find your passion in painting figures or you find your passion in painting figures to win something at all cost. That is a difference you should be aware of.
To avoid the dangers of the dark side I recommand thinking about winning for a while. If your painted figure wins you something it means it gets credit by some judges who compare different works from different painters to call out the winners. This is the same at the Golden Demon or a small Online Contest. That means your work will be judged by 3~or more persons of the jury. If you have competent and fair judges the contest will be a fair thing and every painter will get what he deserves to win. You don't have much influance in the decision of the judges, in fact none - but if you prefer for a competition try to bring out your best you can do. Judging is not an easy thing and everyone who already did knows how hard in can be and what heavy weight responsibility you carry during your judging work.
Winning is indeed something nice but it ain't all.Winning means credit and you should be proud of, but not glorify it, not glorify those who won. When I used to play basketball in the 90s I was pretty good and my team and me won a lot of games, me the top scoring machine of some games, the wall of defence, the wave in the offence. It was nice and I did not know about the dark side when I was young and jumped around with that orange ball without ever thinking of it. But winning puts something up to yourself. On one hand you got motivation to go further, to reach more, to try new things, to get it on with bigger projects, to make what you did to win even better with the next try.
BUT it also puts pressure on you - dark pressure. Maybe you don't recognize this but it is there, no matter what. Like: Oh yes I have won something, now I am a better painter than painter X or painter Z and my figures are better than figure X or Z. More pressure in form of keeping your position for the next event - to win again, to show what you can do and still are the one who is able to win, to fullfill the expectations of others. That is the dark side of winning and it can lead you to paint in exile in your inner self. Always think about the right motivation why you paint. It should not only be about winning in the end.
I was lucky to learn to feel humbled when I won something. Humbleness is a gift in such situations. It stops the dark side from coming up right at the spot and you don't put yourself or your painting or your trophies over others.
About Losing
Even I am still young I lost many times and I am thankful for it.
Way more thankful than I ever was during winning something. Losing learns you humbleness and brings much more motivation than winning if you take a closer look on losing.
Losing at a figure competition means your work was not best in the eyes and oppinions of the judges. That is ok. That is nothing bad. Maybe it is because your actual lack of experience because you are a beginner in painting figures, maybe it is because you did not put as much time in your project as you would like to, you know the weak spots of your figures the best - this is always for sure if you are honest on your own painting experience and skill. Maybe other reasons too but in the end you always know them if you are honest to yourself. Learning to lose and fail protects yourself from the dark side, from the wrong ideals of miniature painting for competitions. Losing never should stop your love of figures, never should stop your flow of happy painting, never should stop yourself from the drive to gain more experience in painting figures.
I know many painters who in case of losing a contest are losing their motivation too, searching for reasons, searching for their muse to give winning another try next year for example and totally got stuck at the dark side. Most of those already have won something earlier and did not think about winning or losing so far.
Conclusion
Summing this up I am not sure if you all might get what I exactly mean. After Chris faboulous blog posts of Winning a Golden Demon I just felt that I have something to tell about this too. I did not want to talk too much about winning and the way you can win something and the things you should do to win something. I just felt that I wanted to tell that losing is not bad at all. Losing won't destroy you if you don't glorify the goal to win. If there are some to win there are also some to lose and that doesn't make the winning painter a greater person as the losing painter - in my eyes :)
Humbleness in both aspects is the key to stay a happy painter, who paints for the fun of gaining experience and the joy in creation whatever your skill level is.
I hope you get what I mean?
Let me know what you think about these thoughts and if they were really worth the typing. I am really interested in your oppinions and experiences about this topic. Hit the comments if you got something to share ...
Keep on happy painting!
Best Wishes
Roman
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You wrote something really worth of quoteing Roman:
"In fact for me the moments when I lose in life are more important than winning ever was and would be. Losing will help your character to grow..."
And it's about whole live, not only painting. Everyone of us need to learn the hard lesson - loosing is far more often part of live than winning. And You need to learn to not surrender, to take clues and keep going in direction you have already choosen. That's something what shape us,test us and create our character.
Thanks for this beautiful thought from the morning. Happy Painiting!
Great article roman, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I know both sides too, the bright and the dark one (not only with painting minis). In my opinion you`re right when you say it`s "necessary" to lose sometimes to keep your on the ground.
In the end most of us are just painting cause of JOY and HAPPINESS =)
This is very usefull thought´s, as others have posted not only when painting minatures but we should keep this with us at all times. Having lose something or lost something can be hard, really hard but it´s not untill you see that it´s a leasson of life that´s come to us that you can embrase it.
This hobby, or life should be about doing thing´s because you enjoy´s it not because to prove something. Being humble is something you should always strive towards and to lose is one way to learn about it.
Well writen article about one of life´s most important lessons. Keep up the good work here at MW.
A great joy to read.
I think our hobby has the big luxury, that you still can have another run for the win as long you don´t loose your motivation.
It is not a competition, where you are risking your live like a motorbycle race. In that hobby a bad decission can have really serious consquences for your health.
In our hobby as long as you have a strong character you simply can repeat the run for the win, as you can do that hobby even in a high age.
Learn from the mistakes and from the other mad guys.
Even if you don´t win, and you are loosing with class, in most cases you have a great time with all the other freaks, friends and arists out there. This is my real trophy I wish to take home after a good competition
Ciao
Fabian
I love to win - who don´t :) But I paint my minis to take part on a competition, not to win, cause this is nothing you can plan, in my opinion. If I win something I´m really happy. When I win nothing it´s ok when the others are better. So I use competitions for motivation to get some minis finished. And my minis wouldn´t get finished, when there is no deadline ;). I also love competitions with a theme, cause then you get crazy ideas you would never get without this competition.
Thanks to Roman for sharing your toughts.
Serafin
I did paint a miniature some time ago. As a beginner I was quite pleased with the result, so I took it along with me to the Tactica convention in Hamburg earlier this year to take part in the contest. JUST to take part. There were no judges because the visitors were allowed to vote for the miniatures. When they called out my name as 3rd place in the open categorie I was stunned and didn't know wether they were just kiddin me. I can't even blend two colors ^^ I have no idea why anyone should have chosen my work but I am very happy about winning.
Because now, if I ever participate in a contest again, in case of winning it could only be because I did improve my painting. And that is my goal right now: improving my painting skills so I can be able to look at my miniatures and be pleased with the result. That's just what I want: be pleased with the result because I painted that miniature and be proud of it.
As long as I am pleased with the result... who cares about other people's opinion (as long as it's not constructive criticism, because that can't ever be worng).
Cheers,
Matschbirne/RustyX
Your thoughts made my day Roman.
The things you wrote down, are exactly what I figured out during the last month, losing one of the most important persons I knew, trying to stay alive and positive somehow.
And I grew, faster and more than I did in one and a half year of relationship. Winning is a pretty thing, whether a contest or real life issues, but in fact it is neither the only, nor the biggest part of life.
What I love about this blog is the simple fact, that your philosophy runs through your paintings and life alike, the way you see this world and how you show the whole thing. It is more than colors, miniatures or hobby...it is a very special way to unite hobby, life and passion.
Have a good time my friend and thanks for the morning lecture ;)
Martin / Farbfanatiker
Dear Roman,
This article is really good!
I do a lot of international trainings around the world according different topics.
And your words are full of "real experience, feelings, self motivation and self reflexion".
I think your best article so far for me.
With best wishes from Graz
Oliver aka Sky (Ocean)
Well My frind, last years I was very worried about paintin, becaus the winning demons, I was uneable to paint without thinkin "GOD I MUST win again!"
It's call "great expectations"
After talking to you at Monte, I realize what means "happy painting"
I think it's more important than a perfect shade or light
reading your article (and Chris articles too)
is exactly that "paintin mood"
thnks for make me painting Happy :-)
Raffaele
This is GREAT advice. Competitions really cloud the reason people should be playing for.
This is one of the best reads that I have had in a long time. It is more than true what you have expressed in this post. To the JUNGLE CREW keep inspiring for better....
You're so right. It's always the personal stuff you win, NOT the prize. and yes, there are people who are just way too much into winning those superficial prizes, in my opinion. But YOU, Roman, you were and you are still one of my eye-openers. thank you for that :)
Great article. I was in the dark side or a while and i have to say I was stupid. And the worst is not to be stupid, is that you don't know you are stupid. Later is too difficult to get again to the light side.
Please keep on earth.
Well said roman. It was nice to win a demon and i felt humbled they chose my mini as winner, but i still think that enjoying painting is more important than winning. Nice article.
Only when you learn to lose, you are ready to win. What I mean is not that you need to learn some special technique which will allow to paint your minis so bad that they will surely not win so you can get 100% chance of losing, but that you need to learn how to take your loss.
When you can take your loss with dignity, without losing your motivation, and are still able to congratulate the winners, you will be ready to win.
And no, I don't mean that ready to win = skilled enough to paint a winning entry, but to win and not suffer the negative consequences like vanity, unreasonable pride, becoming conceited, losing the drive to further improvement, etc.
When you can take positive energy from your losses, you will take good things from your wins, too.
You're right, Roman, humbleness is a gift or a trait to acquire. Call it a skill. It is a major motivating factor and nothing teaches it better than a good loss!
Winning, losing... Been there, done both. Winning feels good. ;)
However, I have never lost. Ever. I just have not won. This to me is a big difference.
I know people who are utterly destroyed when they "just" won Silver. 2nd place to them means being the FIRST OF ALL THE LOOSERS. That gets even worse, when other entry are talked down in an effort to make ones own entry stand out and - if one does not win - of course the judges are stupid and bought and the world is an unfair place in general... Poisoneous conspiracy.
I sometimes play TOTO. TOTO is where you bet on soccer games and if you did them all right, you can win some money.
Why? It makes watching ALL games exciting for me, as I have some stake in them. If I didnt do it, I would be interested in one game, maybe two.
Entering a painting competition is kinda the same. It thrills me to see my own miniature in the midst of some of the glorious entries of other painters. Entering the competition makes it exciting - even if you think you have no chance of winning. By being more interested in the competition you "see more". Your senses are heightened, adrenalin rushes through your veines, making you attractive to present female life forms....
And sometimes, like in my case, the best teams dont show up for their games and I win silver :)
And that felt good.
there are as many reasons to paint as there are painters in my opinion. I for one like to tell stories and approach miniature painting as an art form more than anything else and as such competitions make no sense to me. Wether someone wins competitions or never enters any I know that I have something to learn from their work.
I much prefer competing against myself trying to get better than trying to beat others in the eye of a handful judges.
my 2 cents, great article by the way
You say winning is glorified? For me you just glorified losing.
Especially for a professional painter winning a conetest should be important as you can get a lot of attention if you win. Losing maybe also helpfull, you can take a look at the other Minis and check why the won to improve your own skills. You try to copy techniques and eventually you "discover" new ways to paint a mini. Without this ambition to improve and to win a contest there would be less progress and, of course, pages like CMON had no right to exist. Would it be as successfull if there was no rating and ranking? I don't think so.
In the end I want to say that I got your thougt: what yoo wrote is something a lot of martial art fighters fighters share. Train for yourself, try to creat good energy and so on, feel good while you do it. And if you fall, just get up and get going - reminds me of courage wolf's "falling is not defeat, not giving up is. Pointing out losing the way you did is, at least for me, the wrong way.
Finally Golden Demon is an art competition and everyone defines beautiful art for his/herself, pointing out that not everyone agrees with the judges. In the end glory belongs to the Top 3 rated.
Great words Roman!
At this year I've had my first entry at an painting competition - Hamburger tactica.
For sure it is not comparable to a Golden Demon, but for me it was a great experience to get the second place in single miniature category.
For short time all my thoughts where about getting the next trophy. But after a few weeks I realised that painting with my friends is much more a trophy to me. And I'll get this trophy everyday.
At last competitions where a nice motivation to be creative and share ideas with other people - so happend with the MV easter season competition.
Everytime I talk with my friends about our projekts it's so much fun!!!
Thanks for your words and this allways inspiring blog.
Keep on happy massive jungle painting every day f*** yeah!
Greets from Hamburg,
apone
I follow Roman 100%. I was in the dark side for a while, after I won several gd trophies. But last year that changed. As both of my parents had cancer and I married I recognized, that the contests are far more for me then winning - it is about stretching. From contests and painting I get relaxed. Winning is nice, but relaxation from todays live is much more important then winning could ever be.
Greetz Tuffskull
I almost agree 100% and I want to share my thoughts on all of that. Aiming to win isn't a bad thing either and i know you don't meant it that way. But I just wanted to show my go on this topic. Of course there are more facets on this topic than the painters who paint for fun and the painters who only paint to win something.
I can only tell how I approach this topic. I am only getting more motivation if I aim to win something. On the other hand I am not getting sad or angry If I don't. I could never paint just for the joy since this gives me no motivation at all. Also "winning" is a term that can be discussed. I win something if I paint for competition, did my best, go to the show and talk to other painters. I want to know what they like and what they don't like about my stuff. I want to have a good talk, getting wisdom, experience etc. I don't need to win a deamon to actually "win".
Don't get me wrong on the whole motivation side- thats just me. If you can get your motivation just due to the painting process thats cool. I can't. I would never ever paint a miniature I am not aiming to take to a competition or to show via Cmon, building my online portfolio etc. This is one of the reasons I don't paint Non Games Workshop stuff that often since my main goal is the Golden Demon and I rarely participate in other contests. So if I have the chance to go to the Duke or somewhere else I will start paint other stuff but right now I am focussed on GW stuff since this are the miniatures I aim to win something with.
Its hard to write down what I mean but I think the best way to describe it is that miniatures I paint need to have a purpose. The are either painted to win something or to get a high score on CMON. This is where my motivation comes from and I don't think its a dark side if you think this way.
It becomes the dark side if you start to talk others down, go only to competitions to win and feel very bad if you don't. I can only speak for myself but i don't think I would paint at all if there weren't competitions to enter :P (besides my tabletop armies of course)
Thanks for all your thoughts. I really enjoyed reading your oppinions about it and as I said in the text: No Offence at all - everyone has his own reasons for painting miniatures and rater they paint for the dark side or the side of light or something in between or something completly else - it doesn't matter as long as they paint :)
No offence at all - I hope you get this right. I do understand your personal reasons when you see a competition for motivation, hey it is the same for me and I am for sure not glorifying to lose or horroring to win. I just said that losing in life really made me an adult :)
Ain't nothing bad about winning. Winning is great. Just don't let it spoil you.