This guy is the reason I got excited about the hobby. We need more like Lenz.

To those about to paint, we salute you! 🤘

Thanks Sam. I enjoyed the format. You have a lot of good things to say and it’s good to hear you say them. 🙏

Thanks for this, Sam. Love hearing your insights as always. Peace and many blessings to you.

There is a line in The Course In Miracles that comes to mind.  "The Ego will try to Kill you."  Being 52 and been in the hobby for over 40 years, I see how people have grown and destroyed themsevles by comparing their painting to others, especially who they watch on Youtube.  To add to that, the painting competitons can always wreck your soul.  Constantly pushing yourself to be better but yet not taking the time to enjoy what the hobby is about.  Joseph Campbell said, "Follow Your Bliss."  I feel that is a good reminder for all of us to just PLAY and be Young at Heart and retun to why we started here in the first place.

I always find myself diving deep into my own thoughts after listening to Sam talk about different things in this hobby. Thanks for always pushing us to think outside the box Sam!!

What a great question (video). I’m 64, an aerospace engineer (who just completed helping send the crew around the moon).  I started painting and building miniatures around 2017. I did it to help grow a creative side of me that was missing since I had been so steeply set in practicing math and physics and logic and problem solving. Moved from staring at grey to making them into a living figure to play with to moving into airbrush last couple of years.  Recently started thinking about inks. But had stopped wondering why. Your question has given me a renewed spirit in the hobby as I examine why and what I am doing. I have been fortunate to find some like minded NASA engineers in my group where none of us knew the other one was in the hobby…we thought we were doing it by ourselves. Now we talk and share stories and completed projects…we learn together but are not competitive.  We support each other’s progress. So I guess for now what I find my answer being is growing an artistically technical (paints can be very technical) muscle and nurturing it with time and thoughtfulness without beating myself up when I make a “mistake”.  I found a hobby that grows with me and will be with me when I retire in my 70s.

Your last comments where gold. "Not out there to brag". Respect! This is why I like your channel. I just feels down to earth. Thanks.

I'm an artist.  I paint oil paintings and create drawings in the photo realistic style.  Miniature painting IS art.  I also build and paint scale models to include miniatures and while I am not as skilled as Sam in that regard I know art when I see it.  When I see some of the masterful work that is done in the miniature painting genre there is no doubt in my mind or to my eye that it is art.  Even fine art.  Keep up the good work Sam, you're an inspiration.

For me art is a process not the end result. It starts with inspiration and develops over time until your ideas are realised. From that perspective anything can be art. Food and drinks, miniatures, drawing, painting and sculpture what ever.

Hell yeah Sam. Do what you love. This hobby has so many facets. You’re a boss. Keep it comin’. Great vid

I been dealing with health issues for the last 5 years and getting inspired to paint or play is so damn hard. You get to the point where you just give up because it is not worth the metaphorical knives that would stab into me to just to get out of bed and set up to paint or build.

Earlier today I did get up, cleaned my work area so I can just go paint easier. My goal is to be able to just sit and do something for however long I can. Watching this video later in the day has made me so glad to make that decision, to change how I normally paint/build as my new normal limits how I was able to do it.

Minipainters/artists should ramble more. It's part of being an artist - shedding light on thought processes, and how it affect their work, their outlook on life, etc etc. It's one of the job descriptions of an artist besides, well, doing art. Thanks for the video Sam.

Thanks for making videos sir. It’s always a joy watching people with more skill than I, doing things that I also do. You genuinely are doing amazing things, always inspiring!

Much like 52 miniatures I appreciate your more thoughtful videos.  I increasingly find that ideas and understanding the why  is far more developmental to my painting than step by step guides.  I would love to see more about how you decide on the tone of your peices, which I find always have a strong clear identity.

Sam is my personal sensei. My painting guru, teacher.. a vision of what can be. I so admire both his skill, but even more so his ethos. Thank you brother. Unchained

I really do enjoy listening to you and Alex just ramble on a topic, sharing insights and offering up more creative ways to do things.

A big part of making any art is just thinking/reflecting on your process and motivations, really enjoyed this one - more episodes of Sam thoughts are very welcome!

It was really great to have classes with you. To have the insight of a great artist is invaluable even if brief.

Always a pleasure hearing tour insights Sam, its definitely very easy to be led down a path in this hobby and asking yourself this simple question, having a sitrep, is definitely worth doing.

Love this more philosophical take brother, enjoyed it.