Elementary School
At eleven years old or so (I’m much younger in the picture above) I went to my parents room and told my mom I was too old to play with barbies. I have an older sister and I suspect her waning interest in Barbie dolls had much to do with this. I did have some Bratz dolls as well, and of course I was not too old to play with those, they were much cooler.
Middle School
Sometime, when I was in middle school, my grandma was planning a garage sale, and asked if she could sell the dollhouse she had that I hadn’t played with in some time. “Yes,” of course I said, I was much too old to play with dollhouses.
High School
In high school I got my first dollhouse kit. My sister bragged to those in her grade that her younger sister was building a whole doll house. One of her classmates was on the track team with me and said in front of the team that she heard I was building a dollhouse. I was mortified and lashed out at my sister when I got home that day. I was much too old for dollhouses, building one was my secret.
In 11th grade though I used toys and miniatures to complete a school project, I built dioramas whenever possible during middle school for assignments, from the mortmain mountain in the Series of Unfortunate Events for an English class, to a teepee when learning about Native Americans in a history class . When it came to enjoying creating an assignment, small inanimate objects were never longer too “un-cool.”
College
By the time I entered college as as photography major, either I no longer cared about my coolness being based on whether or not I had toys around, or since the toys I did have around were for photographic purposes they didn’t make me uncool.
And Beyond
And I suppose the rest is history. You wouldn’t know it but I imagine these days I have thousands of miniatures. Tiny things store nicely. And my home decor is also centered around miniature items. We’re trying not to put holes in the wall (i.e. mini shelves) at our current apartment and its killing me!
Aside from my new work space, where I haven’t spilled the beans just yet (I’ve only worked here for 3 weeks), I am happy to admit to anyone in any space that I collect miniatures. I do admit that I tell them its with purpose, for my photography, and that’s not a lie, but maybe it is a little part of me still thinking it could make me “uncool.” 😛
I also admitted (briefly) to a love of miniatures as a teen. I quickly pretended I’d never said it (I was so embarrassed to have said something so uncool!) and it was a long time before I let myself reclaim what was a real interest of mine. I’m so grateful for the internet. It allows me to connect with people all over the world who are as passionately interested in nerdy things that not many people understand or appreciate. I can be cool with them.
Being cool is so seriously overrated… it all comes down to who you are talking to. To other miniaturists, you ARE cool!
Liking miniatures is super cool! We just didn’t realize it yet.
If only we knew sooner how overrated it was to be cool! You are cool too and so are minis!!
Cool hobby. For any age.
Agreed!