Something that comes up at work around this time of year each year is our self-evaluation. I thought this idea could apply to us as well. It basically boils down to two sets of ideas...strengths and weaknesses. Much like the New Year's resolutions, it takes a snapshot of where you are today.

My own strengths...
1. Utilizing existing fodder to stay within a budget.
2. Getting better at applying water-slide decals.
3. Getting better about organizing custom posts.
4. Finding usage for obscure fodder.

My own weaknesses...
1. Sculpting.
2. Taking good pictures.
3. Submitting customs to the gallery.
4. Finishing a dio-story.

Feel free to post your own self-critiques.

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Strengths:
-finding interesting combos that allow for no joint rubbing while keeping the character instantly recognizable.
-sculpting mustaches
That's about it in my head.

Weakness
-sculpting anything besides mustaches
-dry brushing, I did it on several customs last year and didn't like the results.
-it's getting harder and harder to think of recipes that have been done yet. I did ok with outback and fast draw, but there are a lot of custom "ultimate" versions out there that I love and can't think of a better recipe.

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Strengths over the past year:
1) I achieved some customzing goals.
2) I learned a bunch of new things I can put into future customs.
3) I had fun customizing, fun on the podcast, fun at the Con, and fun playing with the toys. Enjoying this hobby is a big strength.

Weaknesses:
1) I started on this goal and haven't lived up to expectations, I want to be a better admin. I'll keep working on that. I need to learn more web design.
2) I've gotten worse painting eyes. Just to get normal looking eyes, not even drbindy level eyes, it takes my twice as long as it used to.
3) I started a base to do a head sculpt from scratch on. I can do odds and ends and I can modify anything but my sculpting body parts skills are lacking.
4) Durable, playable vehicle design. I started this with the Group Project Hind I made where I planned for dis-assembly so it could be packed up when we move. But I want to expand on that and be able to build something that doesn't feel tacked together and can hold up to rigorous play.

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Customizing strengths:

1) Will use any figure, regardless of rarity to complete what I want.
2) Found a way through breathing exercises to augment the disabilities that were making painting and details impossible.
3) Found a niche that never, ever, gets tiresome. The more I delve, the more I want to flesh the images and ideas out. Not afraid one bit to take my customs to places few would tread. Dios, though smaller now in size, are getting more complex and I am hitting everything that I enjoy.
4) Through trading here, making a grand network of opportunities that previously were untapped.
5) Taking Boil~n~Popping to a whole new level to achieve what I want without having to paint.


Customizing weaknesses:

1) Time, first and foremost. SInce I have to customize during blocks of visual clarity, if it happens when I am swamped with chores or research I get distracted and often blocked.
2) Focus. Artistically, our home is going through a Renaissance. We start hitting projects as we think of them, often stopping one to get another done. Since we (the Mrs and I) feed ideas and techniques back and forth, we often lose focus. For example, we have found the DVD love of Canada's Ruby Gloom series. So inbetween my D&D customs and her animal needle-felting projects, we dropped it all for a whirlwind of making customs, dolls, and maquettes of the characters we took an immediate shine to.
3) I still hate painting, for the most part. It is not the act so much, as I know that my locale and environment makes the hard work often more due to the humidity, dust (apartment issues), and lack of available space. I recently finished a great Aragorn head Dave gave me a SlayerCon2, and it fell from my desk and hit our tile floor and chipped the nose down to the original cast plastic. Even past the Testors primers. Got to find a balance with painting, so that it is less a chore/dislike and more a welcome technique.

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