Are you a "Project Freak?" Afraid of being bored?

[MichaelD]

I am and I'm convinced I have issues of some sort. I'm a fairly intelligent individual. I'm very busy as I have two jobs. Have a GF. Have a son, whom I see when his mom isn't being a complete b!tch.

My problem is that I always have to be busy. Always have to have something to "build" or "work on" or "modify" or "test out." Do you know what I mean?

I will get into phases where I'll watch a movie (DVD) every night for a week or so, then do another project.

Why am I this way? How can I stop? I am out of room in my little apartment. My living room closet has some jackets in it...but mostly a big roll-away Craftsman tool chest along with 3 other toolboxes and plastic storage boxes full of computer parts, car stereo parts, air compressor parts, wires, grills, screws. Sheeeeet, you get the idea.

Any suggestions besides tying my damn hands together and sitting on them so I can't build/work on anything else?

 

[sk560]

good to know someone like me is out there. i think i'm in the same situation...... going to ask for some work from the project lead now.

 

[sitka]

Programming, there are a huge amount of projects there. Always something new. Just watch out because people have a way of acquiring your tools as they fall into disuse. Programming "is" building for the most part you just don't get greasy.

 

[notfred]

I envy you. I have tons of projects to do, but they end up not getting finished cause I lay around and read AT and watch TV.

 

[Ameesh]

thers nothing wrong with that.

 

[Descartes]

I think your behavior is actually great.

I have many little projects, but I don't see all of them to fruition. It's better to be the way you are, rather than apathetic.

 

[phuana2001]

yeah, I have the same urge to keep myself busy, unfortunately, I was laid off, and now I have nothing to do. And went into a state of depression because of that.

 

[loup garou]

I'm the same way, and for the past 2 years have lived with 3 other guys who are the same, also. In that time, we built a full-size bar and devoted a whole room to it, stripped and re-hulled a sailboat, rebuilt 2 30 year old outboard motors, built a pretty nice home theater with speakers wired to almost every room of our house, set up and wired a home LAN, repaired our pool's heater and got a new blower for the hot tub, built 2 workbenches (one for computer/electronics work and one for tablesaw, grinder, router), built god knows how many PCs for ourselves and friends/family, worked on countless cars, my roomate did some painting, re-sodded our yard, and tons more stuff I've probably forgotten!

 

[MajesticMoose]

I;m much the same way. I love to go outside and work, especially splitting wood.

m00se

 

[oLLie]

Sounds cool to me.

 

[Beau]

<< I;m much the same way. I love to go outside and work, especially splitting wood. m00se >>



Tell me, do you split the wood witht he interstellar toothbrush you stole from my sister after biting her when she was carving her initials into you that was given to her by Sven?





















I gotta stop doing it... sorry

 

[MichaelD]

Well, that's cool. Thanks guys; I don't feel completely abnormal now. Heheheh. Are all you guys high-strung as well? I speak very loudly most of the time (not when it's inappropriate though...there's a diff b/t "loud" and "disrepectful.") and I "talk w/my hands."

When I met my GF, she told me that I scared her because I wave my arms around so much when I speak. She used to say "stop directing traffic when you talk to me!" I'd LMAO.

Oh, BTW, I'll be finished w/my latest project; installing a system (audio) in my truck, tomorrow night. But then of course, I have to fine tune the gain and EQ settings...which mean fiddling. OMG! Nooooooooo! Aieeeeeeeeee! No!!!!!!!!! Does it ever end?

 

[Ladies Man]

MichaelD...... you're my hero

 

[silveronsilver]

Wanting to be useful and wanting to build or tweak things is a staple of the successful middle class American male.

Our fathers used to spend their spare time tweaking and ricing out their cars. We spend time building and tweaking computers.

 

[flot]

It never ends. I have more crap than I know what to do with, just because it amuses me. But I've found that if you sell the old crap (once you get done screwing with/building/fixing it whatever) to buy new, it works out pretty well.

But then there are the things (like the hacked i-opener) where I'm sitting there looking at it, and I just don't want to get rid of it because I spent x hours on it and it's so cool - even though I never, ever turn the thing on anymore.

And my car has been mostly disassembled for the last 3 months. hahaha.

 

[MichaelD]

<< (like the hacked i-opener) >>



What is this "I-Opener" that you speak of? What's it do? Can I build one?



<< And my car has been mostly disassembled for the last 3 months. hahaha. >>



Oh, I know that feeling. I just took apart my brand-new truck. There's something really bad about the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you pop out a piece of the dashboard and you see wires that you've never seen before in any other vehicle..and you have to take those off to get to the screws that hold the.....you get the idea.:Q

Have a good day, gents.

 

[DrMoreau]

Hell, I'm the same way! Except most of my projects reside right here on my computer as I'm not very skilled with my hands. Other than building computers which I can do quite well....

I wouldn't worry about trying to stop this behavior. The phases you spoke of are a normal part of the creative process. The time you spend watching movies is generally known as the "gestation" period. Even if you aren't consciously thinking about a particular project, your sub-conscious is busy turning over new ideas and tackling problems with current projects. When you start to get tired of watching movies and feel this urge to get busy with a project again this is the time when the ideas and solutions finally surface into your conscious mind.

To get me to stop this process of creativity would be like asking me to no longer exist!

I actually worry more about the people who don't engage regulary in some type of project!

 

[ChrichtonsGirl]

I do the same thing. I have to have at least three or four projects going at a time - I'd say I get antsy when I don't, but I don't think I've ever been able to not have all kinds of things going.

I haven't figured out if it's part of a Type-A personality-thing or if it's related to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but I'm thinking it's more likely part of OCD.

 

[Elledan]

It's even worse with me. When I talk, I talk very quickly, jumping from topic to topic, leaving the people I'm talking to behind in total confusion.
I've learned 6 programming languages so far (or am in the process of), build mutiple PC's, am now working on my own MOSIX-cluster, am programming a simulation of the central nervous system for which I've to read tons of articles, books and stuff, am also working on various other projects, including cybernetic implants (visual only, for now), artificial gravity (not by spinning), various parts of theoretical physics, which require me to read more articles and stuff, and...

Okay, I'll stop before you all fall asleep

 

[creedog]

I highly enjoy my projects as I feel that they give me a chance to "simplify" my thoughts and clear my head. This is very thereputic for me.

Since christmas I have installed front and rear speakers in my truck, for the rear ones I had to build custom fiberglass panels to mount them cleanley. I also put in an air horn and mounted running lights. Plus I bought a army box for my tools in the back of my blazer and mounted tie downs to tie it to. plus I am working on a subwoofer and amp setup

Plus I am customizing my motorcycle too.

Damn I cant wait till I get a house.

Oh the projects I will have to do.

Hell I walk into my friends house and it pains me to see the crap they they should fix and improve, but haven't. Man when I have my owm home I will constantly be working to improvew my suroundings

 

[MichaelD]

<< Since christmas I have installed front and rear speakers in my truck, for the rear ones I had to build custom fiberglass panels to mount them cleanley. I also put in an air horn and mounted running lights. Plus I bought a army box for my tools in the back of my blazer and mounted tie downs to tie it to. plus I am working on a subwoofer and amp setup >>



Yup. Me too! Been working on getting my system setup for two weeks now. I don't have a garage to work in, neither do I have much free time, so I do a little here and a little there. Front speakers today, rears tomorrow; that kind of thing.

I've been taking pics of almost everything as I go. I will be building one of those "member pages" over at Sounddomain.com when I'm done. I've got good components and am taking my time w/the install, so it shoud be great! *thinks positive-positive-positive thinks*




<< I haven't figured out if it's part of a Type-A personality-thing or if it's related to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but I'm thinking it's more likely part of OCD. >>



You know, someone mentioned that to me. I don't think I'm a Type A. I don't have to "Win" everytime, nor "come in first." That's Type A, right? But I definitely am i bit OCD. I have to check doors 2-3 times before I'm satisfied that they are locked. I don't do the handwash thing or anything like that, but I do have my quirks.




<< am programming a simulation of the central nervous system >>



Dayum. That doesn't sound like a project; it sounds like a lifetime's thesis work or something! That's gotta be complicated...sounds like fun!