Everyone needs this type of hobby
From a serial hobbyist
Art (painting) was and always will be my main hobby.
It’s something I need to carve out extensive time to think about and then to actually create — I paint, I sculpt, and craft. At times, art can feel like a bit of a burden and so I haven’t found consistency in it lately. I’ve sadly only painted about 2 hours for all of 2024. I haven’t had much time at all. Or truthfully, I haven’t MADE the time.
Hobbies are a part of life — it’s actually one of the key factors in helping people become centurians (living to 100). Exploring hobbies are a great way to explore the world, meet people and live a meaningful life—each hobby has a different set up requirements or commitment and these are some I keep in rotation:
Gardening — a consistent summer activity since 2013 and I also have my indoor jungle year round. I don’t plan on getting any new plants but have had my indoor collection growing since 2015. I bought a peach tree this year like the one my grandmother had growing up so I’m excited to see it grow *fingers crossed*.
Comedy — I loved taking comedy classes and performing as well. My main connection to this hobby is watching live comedy shows. If you’re ever feeling down, this is simply the best.
Flower arranging —Nothing beats a stop at a flower shop or trader joes and making my own arrangements. I love doing these for events or simply a “just because” moment.
Charcuterie/Crudite boards — last year I got my first official payment totaling $800 for a charcuterie set. I was talking with a woman about creativity and showed her some of my past boards as it’s a way for me to express my creativity. She said she was having an event and would love me to make some boards — to simply name a price.
I’ve since moved into crudite as it’s much healthier, but wow — you really never know where hobbies will take you. I’ll create another post where I write more about my charcuterie journey and share some photos.
Baking — I love baking and my family would often give me baking supply gifts. I haven’t baked in about a year (time). It’s usually something I do around the winter holiday season and I look forward to when I have more time.
Dancing —I have a disco ball in my living room. Period.
Other hobbies I’ve tried on a less consistent basis and love, mini doll house crafting, soap making, scrapbooking, candle making, tea blending (love this), yoga (yin), golfing, photgraphy (business), tennis and so much more.
BUT COLLECTING — IT’S MY NEW THING. NOT SO NEW THING.
Collecting - I would always see people collecting coins, santa claus statues, stamps, comic books and the list goes on. I used to think it was crazy seeing people with hoards of this one particular thing in their homes from floor to ceiling or tucked away in the basement in what seemed like a million boxes. Looking back, I have a hat collection and a dress collection — it’s not like buying jeans or clothes — there’a different kind of thrill when adding a new piece while observing how it compliments it’s friends.
I never ventured into collecting because it always felt like it had no end, but I’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel.
Last week in Bryant Park, I met a man selling original authentic vinyl records and he makes a living from doing this. I don’t think hobbies need to be turned into a business or some form of income. I believe it’s important to have one hobby that is for pure enjoyment. I had a great conversation with this guy and he knew everything there is to know about vinyl records, musicians and more. He described the quality of the records versus mass produced duplicates. He.knew.his.stuff. He found a very specific niche that had fininte ends. Little did I know that a week later, I would start collecting something too.
I realized back in 2022 that I love dessert wine — specifically Hungarian tokaji dessert wine. There is such an incredible depth of flavor and you only drink about 2 ounces because it’s so rich in flavor and satisfying. I rarely drink but the last few drinks I bought were dessert wines to enjoy at the end of the night. I often think back to college life and hosting wine & cheese in my apartment and looking back — it all makes sense now.
I’m not a dry girl…unless it’s my humor
I’m not a rose girl
I’m not a white girl…kidding
I’m not a champagne girl
The above is a photo of a 2014, not 2013, but you get the idea. My first wine. My second wine is a Royal Tokaji.
Why I love this hobby — I don’t drink often but I love to share special wines with my friends and family in a deep and intentional way. My family prefers the sweeter wines and the ones I’ve been finding have a depth of flavor.
Dessert wines are priced higher than the average wine bottle so it’s something special to me. These wines taste better with time of course, but also they are best stored upright unlike most other wines. Definitely lends itself to my contrarian or non conformist approach to life. I’ve also started collecting art but the price tag for that is much much higher and going to take me longer to accumulate.
Anyway, seeing as I’m not a hoarder here’s how I’m tackling it:
Goal:
12 wines in rotation.
Year:
2013 ideally but will consider others (my graduation year)
The challenge:
Not much of a challenge but just enough to not hurt my brain.
- These wines are not very common. They don’t sell them in Paris — I asked. Connecticut liquor laws reduce the sale and variety of these types of wines so I’ve learned New York is my best bet. I’m not going to go out of my way for these wines so I’m going to see which ones come on my radar.
- These wines need to be stored upright so finding the right storage and display for 12 wines is going to be fun. Again, not going to go out of my way, but going to see what comes along my path.
The benefits
- Relatively low effort
- Has depth in flavor but also uniqueness and history of the wine
- Can be shared with friends and family
- Dessert wines get better with time so there’s no rush or sense of urgency
- Investment for the high quality purchases
- Can mix this with my other hobbies (for example, Baking)
My next targets:
- Chateau D’Yquem Sauternes, 2013
- Dolce, 2013 — named after one of my favorite phrases Dolce Far Niente. This means the sweetness of doing nothing. I try to cherish these moments of being still when my creativity and soul feel alive.
- Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo 2013
- Feudo MontoniPassito Rosso 2013
- Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port
- Royal Tokaji Essencia
I have a list of 6 others but don’t want to overwhelm myself. I never ended up taking the wines class at Cornell but here I am on the cusp of becoming a deep dessert wine collector. Who knew?
I’m excited to do a taste test one day when I have a really good reason to pop open all 12. I’ve met vintage watch collectors, book collectors and so much more and glad to have a reason to now join the collectors club.
What do you want to collect?
Do you know someone collecting something interesting?
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Sasha Mack, a graduate of Cornell University with a BA and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, is a multifaceted professional who seamlessly blends business acumen with artistic creativity and personal development coaching. Born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, Mack has leveraged her education and experiences to make significant contributions in various fields. Her professional journey includes roles at Bridgewater Associates and Meta, board membership at a non-profit and private school, and involvement with Lawyers for Children. As an accomplished artist, Mack is known for her unique handmade creations, particularly her “Black Sheep Collection,” which explores themes of individuality and non-conformity. Additionally, she works as an authenticity coach, helping others uncover their purpose and passion. Mack’s diverse achievements, from academic excellence to artistic innovation, reflect her commitment to personal growth and positive impact in both business and community spheres.
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