“I’ve Got Passion” Spotlight Series #2: 12 Hobbies in 12 Months Challenge

Start your passion with a challenge

Christopher Banks

Published in

PassionDig

7 min readJun 8, 2017

“Always remember to fall asleep with a dream and wake up with a purpose.”
-Isabella Strambio

I want to learn something new, you say, and yet days, months, and even years go by and they remain untouched, unloved. The dust…settles upon them.

‘Pin it.” “Add bookmark.” So many of us have seen those words, clicked those buttons, only to see them lost forever in the attic of our computers or phones. Why do we do this? How can we bring these ideas down from the attic and bring them to life?

In the second instalment of our “I’ve Got Passion” series, we introduce you to Isabella Strambio. Like you, she had hundreds of bookmarks, pins, and folders, filled with things she wanted to learn. The problem was, everything else came first. She had ideas but at the end of the day she couldn’t think clearly. So, when her husband started working out of town, she knew she couldn’t let this opportunity pass her by.

She took action! She set a challenge for herself, made a plan, committed to it, and told everyone about it so she couldn’t back out.

This is the story about 12 months, 12 new hobbies, and one amazing woman. Read on to see what you can achieve if you take the time to pursue your passions.

Tell me a little about yourself including where you’re from, your key experiences, and what you do now.

I’m Eurasian (half Japanese — half Italian) and I grew up in Liguria, Italy. I came to London at 18 and worked as an au-pair while studying for a degree in Interior Architecture. Soon after I got my first job, I met my husband Martin. Together we’ve lived and worked in Australia, Dubai, Belgium and Italy for 10 years. In 2013, we moved back to London and now have two girls. I’m currently working as an Interior designer and in my spare time I learn and teach crafts.

What are your passions, how did you get into them and why do you love them?

I’ve always loved crafts and making things with my hands. I remember my parents always telling me off at the dinner table, because I would make up a game with my food or other objects around me. What I love about crafting, is the challenge of learning something new, the fun in making something from scratch, and the satisfaction of having a beautiful product at the end.

Can you tell me about how you came up with the idea of doing 12 hobbies in 12 months?

For a long time everything else in my life came first which was so frustrating. So when my husband started working out of town, I knew it was my chance to do something about it.

Having always wanted to create a blog, I turned to my love of crafts. People love all kinds of crafts and I wanted to share my journey. It would be something I would have loved to follow — a mother learning something and hoping to inspire others.

I knew if I set myself the task of learning a hobby in one month, I’d be able to achieve it. Being the curious cat I am, however, I knew learning one craft would never be enough for me. Originally the plan was to do 9 crafts, but when I saw that number, the idea for 12 hobbies in 12 months came to me.

What hobbies did you choose for your challenge?

Here are the crafts I’ve worked on until now (10 to date) the last two are still a secret! 😉

Macrame 2. Weaving 3. Natural Dye 4. Polymer Clay 5. Stamp Carving
6. Baskets 7. Crocheting 8. Soy candles 9. Paper cutting 10. Slow stitching

What did your friends and family say when you told them about your 12 month challenge?

My mum still thinks I’m totally crazy! Everyone loved the concept from the beginning, but I don’t think everyone thought I could keep it up. Nowadays, they support me in social media and they are my biggest fans.

How did you go about learning each activity?

I attended workshops and bought kits online. I also followed and paid for tutorials by other crafters and bloggers. I spent a few evenings per month researching the best way to learn a craft.

What was the most difficult hobby you learned and why?

Crochet was the most difficult. Good technique requires consistent, constant tension throughout a project. You also need to follow a pattern and it takes practice to get good at it.

What was your favourite hobby you learned and why?

Macrame, because of the freedom you have to create your own beautiful piece by using even a single knot — also natural dye. I keep going back to it as it’s a magical craft.

Was there a time in your 12-month challenge where you felt like quitting?

I never felt like quitting. At times I did feel overwhelmed, as I wanted to say yes to all the projects and opportunities out there. I had to learn to be selective and honest. I have a full-time job, two kids, a husband and I need to balance everything.

I have a diary where I plan my work, which helps me manage the flow. If I didn’t have that, I don’t think I could do this challenge well. I also use commuting time to check Instagram, answer emails, and spend most of my lunchtimes working on my blog: ‘TWOME.’

What does passion mean to you?

Passion to me is doing something that makes you grow as a person everyday.

What drives you?

My passion, my goals and my determination to spend my life doing what I love. I live by the motto ‘Always remember to fall asleep with a dream and wake up with a purpose.’

Tell me one quirky thing about yourself.

My favourite colour is white, but I wear black most days!

What are your values?

CREATIVITY as a way to relax, to find your inner self, and to grow and build confidence.
TEACH and pass on what I’ve learned so other people can start a creative journey.

Did anyone in particular inspire or encourage you to pursue your passions?

My parents have been a big inspiration — they’ve always encouraged my sister and I to follow our passions and to take risks. They taught me that you don’t always have to follow rules.

If I wanted to do a similar challenge, what advice would you give me?

Know 2 or 3 months in advance which crafts you’ll be working on.
Have workshops booked and tutorials saved that you can follow. It takes quite a long time to find the right one for you. I usually spend 2–3 evenings per month doing that.
Purchase materials needed for your crafts. This involves more research. Sometimes buying kits is a good shortcut and waste-free.
Share where your sources come from (materials, tutorials, etc.) to give people credit for their work.

What did you take away from doing this challenge?

“That I can do anything I put my mind to, and that you can do what you love for a job if you work hard enough.”

What are your goals for the future?

I want to turn TWOME into a business and so this is going to be my next challenge. My goal is to have my own studio to work on my crafts and run workshops too. Also to have a nice Italian coffee machine. I could serve good flat whites, with some homemade cookies to my students and clients.

If you were to hold a PassionDig experience, what would it be like?

Right now, I would love to teach how to crochet your own linen and leather strap bag. I would have this workshop in a very relaxed, calm and welcoming venue. The students would not only leave with a new skill, but also a memorable experience.

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Isabella was like many of us; she had passion but had trouble starting. By challenging herself, she not only grew her skills, but also her confidence. Never underestimate the power of pursuing your passions. Isabella was able to take those first steps and is now on her way to running a successful business doing what she loves.

Look on your computer and phone right now to see what ideas you have saved. Commit to doing just one of them this month. Keep challenging yourself, and like Isabella, you might even end up doing what you love for a living.

You don’t need to do everything in a day, but in time, you can achieve great things and grow your passions.

Someone once said to me, “How do you build a home? Brick by brick.”

To uncover new passions, head over to www.passiondig.com.