How 3 Washingtonians Found Their Hobby.

Wheel of Fortune

Dannia Hakki, 39

Cofounder and CEO of public-relations firm MoKi Media

Skill: Pottery

“Going to some amazing DC schools was the introduction I had to pottery. I did pottery in college as well, and then took an eight-year break. My best friend told me her cousin had joined a DC pottery class. At the time, I was kind of down–I had just ended a relationship, my job was so intense. Her cousin went to this place called Hinckley Pottery, and there happened to be an opening in their Monday-night class. Nine years later, I’m still in the Monday class.

“When you’re centering the clay, you’re centering yourself. I can’t touch my phone because my hands are covered in wet clay, and that’s a beautiful physical wall created. When you have a fast-paced job where you’re answering a ton of emails and you’re staring at the screen, stepping into a place where you start using your hands to mold something–and that’s where all of your focus goes–is incredibly therapeutic and relaxing.

“Every time somebody has a wedding, I make them serving bowls, and on the bottom I put their names so it feels really special. I think about those eight years where I didn’t do pottery, about how much work I missed out on making. I should have jumped back in way earlier.”

Hinckley Pottery offers weekly wheel classes for all levels. Two-month minimum enrollment, at $215 a month.

Pedal to the Metal

Matthew Green, 37

Cofounder and lead captain of District Running Collective

Skill: Motorcycle building

“In the pandemic, I was really interested in cafe racers [motorcycles that are stripped down and modified]. I had been looking at YouTube videos and Instagram. I didn’t know much of anything about bikes. I just got inspired, and then I bought a 1978 Honda CB 550 motorcycle. I had to get my friend that rides to go with me to pick it up because I didn’t know how to ride. It was all original, but what I wanted to do was chop it and make it into a cafe racer.

“It’s a whole other world I didn’t know existed. There used to be a motorcycle shop in Ivy City called Dunn Lewis. It was a DIY bike shop. The owners were really hands-on to try to help you configure it.

“I learned how to do wiring from YouTube, to use different tools to cut the metal and fabricate pieces. It was an unreal experience, having a vision to being able to do it.

“It’s a tight-knit community, and the way people share resources and knowledge, it’s just such an easy thing. And yes, I know how to ride now.”

PowerRide University offers a beginner course for driving two-wheel motorcycles, starting at $359. 

Strumming Along

Andrea Klee, 46

Publisher at Electrical Contractor magazine

Skill: Ukulele

“During the pandemic, I jokingly mentioned to my husband that I wanted to learn the ukulele because I thought it would be adorable. He bought me one for our pandemic Christmas, and I used an app to try and learn it. I wasn’t sure that what I was doing was correct, so I put it down for a long time. Recently, we were having a day of midlife angst–what do we want to be when we grow up, that sort of thing. We were wandering the streets and came across [the school and shop] Music on the Hill. I was like, ‘I guess I should go in and see what they have.’ They said, ‘Registration opened today,’ and I was like, ‘I have to actually do this.’

“I’m glad it’s something I’m doing, but I’m right at the moment where it feels harder than I was thinking going in. There’s so many elements to learning an instrument, and then also putting yourself in a place where you’re performing for another person. As a shy person, it’s really hard.

“The goal is to put myself out there, learn something different, and try and get myself unstuck in other parts of my life with this new pursuit. Once you start learning something, you start looking at other things you can navigate differently. It brings you back to the present: What do I need to do now, not 20 years from now?”

Music on the Hill holds private and group lessons for a variety of instruments. Group classes are $225 for six weeks; weekly lessons start at $212 a month.

This article appears in the December 2024 issue of Washingtonian.