My yoyoing has really slowed down as of late. I feel like I’m losing interest in a way, but i don’t want to lose interest. I haven’t come up with anything new in a while. My parents suggested that i take a break from it for a little bit, and maybe that will help renew my love for the hobby. I don’t think I’m in any danger of quitting out right.
Today is the first day i haven’t yoyoed at all in a year. Everyday i was throwing less and less, until today when i didn’t do it at all. I usually yoyo for 2-3 hours daily. Then i started yoyoing for like, 30 min a day. Yesterday i only threw for i would think around 5 min.
Can anyone offer advice on what i should do? I have tried taking up new styles, watching vids for inspiration, etc. but i still haven’t been able to get excited for yoyoing.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, and desperately needed.
I have read a lot of these threads and have asked myself this question plenty of times before but never started a topic about it, just mostly read what others had to say.
Watching videos to get inspired is one very good way.
Taking a break for about three days is good (that is just me, other can take a month off and that is a good time fram for them). Taking time off does give you a rest and you go back in with almost a fresh mind on the whole subject.
I found that doing more than one style can really dramaticly enhnace your desire to yoyo. I started to do 5A and it was about 5 days later I realized that I had not picked up my 1A yoyo. This one can really really help. I recently put down my two 3Aers and got back to 1A with an undersized yoyo and the tricks came out of knowhere, insane technical tricks and tower formations. I had to record some raw stuff to remember all of the tricks.
One thing that I like to stress is just once a day, just once, pick up your yoyo and throw. Even for just one small combo is fine. If you want to keep going then by all means throw some more but if you feel like you are pushing youself then put it down and come back to it later or better yet the next day.
We all go through this spell and we all have our own ways of dealing with it. I’m sure there are plenty of other examples that I just can’t remember.
1.5 mount. Do it. Explore it. Make a couple kids with it. Ok, moving on.
Double or nothing. Asian hops to GT. figure out how to do it; an when you do, figure out how to do hourglass type tricks from the said GT.
If the kids from the 1.5 are starting to take up yoyoing, direct them and yourself to chopsticks. Not just plain old normal chopsticks, but chopsticks from different mounts. Figure out how to get into any sort of chopsticks mount from your new wife 1.5 mount. Look for fresh ways to chopstick your way into that trick that makes people say “Dang. Paul Dang” from double or nothing.
Ok, that’s nice and done.
So your kids from 1.5 having been being lazy lately, eh? Well, that’s just a part of their natural behavior a kids of a Yoyo mount. They’re slacking. Slack is wack. Wack is good. Slack as much as you can. Look for places in tricks where you can pinch that string and slack it around like the strings on fire.
Slack is all done. Good. Now please make your way to the wrist mount exhibit. Wrist mount is a great trick to find creative ways in and out of; but also for doing creative things while in them.
Use these five mentioned elements and try to hook them together in different ways. Try to get to a wrist mount from a double or nothing. Or a 1.5 from chopsticks. Or slack you way into a wristmount an from that wrist mount go to a double or nothing.
So basically, look for ways to hook tricks together. That really helps me come up with tricks.
AND ALSO, do weird things with your Yoyo. Wrap the string around your leg andyour arm at the same time and do Eli hops from it. You get the jist.
Don’t be afraid to put it down. It’s a hobby. It’s perfectly fine to just…put it down for a little while.
Explore other avenues for inspiration. Spend some time watching jugglers, contortionists, gymnasts, kendama players, trick ropers and western artists, etc. Look for something to influence your throwing that isn’t just other yoyo players.
Pick the style you’re the absolute worst at, and do nothing but that for a month. Grind it out. You can always tell when I’m in a period of low-creativity when you see me trying to play 2A. Ha ha.
Seriously, there’s nothing wrong with just putting it down for a little while.
Set a self goal.
Make your new years resolution to get a sponsor!
Or if that’s too steep make it to learn all the tricks on this website.
I’m not sure what your skill level is exactly, but you can never aim too high.
I thought you said you need some THINspiration. I’m like, go diet?
Anyway, pick up another yoyo style. Or play responsive for a whole month. I have a YYJ Classic with thin bearing and I made it responsive. Forces me to become a lot more smoother. Give it a try.
I haven’t been yoyoing long enough to give yoyo-specific advice for inspiration, but I tend to agree in general with Steve-- it’s a hobby to be enjoyed, and it’s OK to put it down. I’ve put down every hobby I’ve ever had from time to time… guitar is my first love, and a few times I’ve gone months in a row without playing.
To me it’s not so much about taking a break to revitalize, it’s about recognizing that the relationship has matured.
It’s OK to look at your yoyos and tell them, “I think I’d rather watch a movie tonight” without feeling guilt. Allow yourself to enjoy the hobby on your own terms. It’s OK to mourn the honeymoon phase, because it sure is fun to be that excited about something, and it leaves us a bit empty when that feeling starts leaving us. But don’t over-analyze… if you recognize the end of the honeymoon, you should also embrace the opportunity to approach the hobby on new terms.