Some fine points are made by our membership above. It is hard to disagree with many of them.
For me, one important facet is "The Story". Every model tells a story. Where it came from, where it went. Who flew/sailed/drove/built it. What kind of a guy was he? Where did it end up? I love a good story!
It takes less time to read a book and buy the models of the book's subjects than it takes to build the models that help tell the story.
My Parents were both pilots. We used to fly as a family every weekend. Sometime Dad let me fly the airplane.
We flew to Oshkosh in 1971 where I saw my first Spitfire and the Blue Angels flying their shiny, loud, smoky F-4 Phantom II's. It was my Dad that fostered the Airplane Nut in me. I have always been the kid that happily played by himself. I read almost everything I could lay my hands on.
My Mom said I used to wrestle with my German heritage. The German pilots in WWII were the "Good Guys" in the ETO in my own, young mind.
Our own Naval Aviators must have been some of the bravest, most skilled, airplane drivers there ever were.
I build to "vacation my brain". Later on in Life I build to share my appreciation of those Men & Women that sacrifice SO MUCH to provide the Liberty and Freedom all Americans enjoy. This how Sea N' Sky got started. Those people tell me THEIR stories.
Sometimes my imagination runs away with me and I build what might have been, In Another World. Making up a story of what I wish for.
Sometimes I build something I am near sure will make my fellows laugh. "Make a Model, Make a Joke". Inspire a story.
I won't delve into why I Create here. (TLAR Models). That is a truly long ortello! I wanted a model to tell a story no one else makes is the Cliffe Notes version.
I'm trying not to ramble on over much.