March Madmess 2021 is going to be delayed.
I need to make a review of the ToyBox 3d printer, yes, but I also have a half a dozen others that need my attention. These companies are relying on me, they put their trust in me, and I feel like I’m letting them down.
But I need PrintABlok right now.
I’ve said this before, and perhaps even said it here, but my 2020 Covid story isn’t like the “standard” Covid story. Where I live the local government looked at the situation and said decided, possibly correctly, a total lockdown would be superfluous and cause more damage than it did good. However, coincidentally, the makerspace where I work flooded in July, and since it’s in a library it’s probably going to be June before it opens to the public again. So instead of being sequestered at home with more time on my hands than I know what to do with, I got yanked out of the makerspace where I usually have some free time to do 3D printer builds and testing and other maker projects, and was assigned to work the circulation desk which kept me a regimented level of busy during the day, relegating my YouTube stuff to the few hours I can steal away on evenings or weekends.
I am determined to not complain, because a lot of people have it a lot worse. But this is also happening as a lot of 3D printer companies, possibly benefiting from an influx of people with time on their hands for a new hobby, have been piling 3D printers on me for me to test and review. Yes, that picture of 3D printers stacked up is sitting just off camera, and yes, whatever printer you’re looking at in that stack and going “does he really have … sitting there unopened” is probably what you think it is. I have too many 3D printers to review, and I want to review them right now, but I just can’t.
Did I just invent zer0th world problems?
Deciding to drop all that and focus on PrintABlok isn’t helping me get these reviews done, though. Focusing on PrintABlok has also killed my video schedule, because videos take time, and I need that time to iterate an awesome PrintABLok lion head.
However, I feel like focusing on PrintABlok is right thing for me to do right now for a number of reasons. First of all, I was running myself raged trying to get these printers reviewed before March. I look forward to March Madmess, and perhaps even more so this year because I’ve made some changes to the way I grade 3D printers, and I feel like I have a great idea for a series of great videos. But, the stress of making that happen this year was causing me more stress than it was worth. Secondly, focusing on PrintABlok right now is something that’s been delayed long enough. There may always be printer reviews. PrintABlok needs this right now. I will be back in the makerspace one day soon and testing printers. But 3d modeling on my lunch breaks, that I can do.
As I wrote that last paragraph, I started to wonder if I wasn’t just making excuses, trying to justify to my audience what, deep down, I just want to do. Then I remembered that no reads this stuff, so this blog can be for whatever I want it to be for.
I want to shirk my duty, let my YouTube channel slide for a little while, ignore the growing pile of 3D printers, and instead run another PrintABlok kickstarter where I get to make awesome animal based PrintABlok sets. And I can. And I will. How can I not? When I look at PrintABlok I get giddy. Follow your passion, they say. I have a passion for PrintABlok.
