Take the Initiative: Turn Your Hobby Into A Club

If the internet has proved anything, it’s that there will always be people who share your interests out in the world, you just have to find them. That’s why we’re challenging you – yes, you – to start your own club.

Have you ever joined a club or social group of some kind and realised that it wasn’t quite what you were hoping for? Maybe you joined a book club but quickly learned that your fellow readers were interested in books that you weren’t enjoying. Perhaps you started taking part in a foodie meet-up, only to discover that you hated all the things they loved to eat. Whatever it is, the answer isn’t just to give up and keep your hobbies to yourself. Figure out exactly what you want out of your hobby, do some research, and turn it into your own club.

To get you started, here are a few fun examples that would make great clubs (that we might even want to join).

Unconventional Sports Club

Like being active but aren’t really into mainstream sports? Tired of playing football just because everyone else can’t seem to get enough of it? Then this is the club for you! An unconventional sports club would be a great way to meet new people, get some exercise, and try out sports that you’ve never even heard of. One week it could be all about underwater hockey, and the next you could find yourself learning how to play Quidditch. Chances are, you’ll end up with a fun group of people who like the weird and wacky, are also looking for something new and are always up for a challenge.

Banned Books Club

The problem with a lot of book clubs is that the books themselves don’t really lend to intense discussion. Sure, Jane Austen was a brilliant writer and yes, we all had to read The Girl on the Train because we wanted to see the movie, but what about books that really stirred the pot of controversy? If you really want to get an interesting, educated debate going among bookworms, a banned books club would be the perfect place to start. Plan out a reading list of the most famously banned books ever published, from Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses to Toni Morrison’s masterpiece Beloved, and get ready for some stimulating discussion.

Cheesy Foodies Club

Obviously, the most important part of putting together a foodie club is deciding what kinds of foods you’ll be tasting. If you’re bored with gourmet groups that scour the city for the most expensive or overrated restaurants, why not gather a group of people who are really into one specific food – like cheese! Cheese is delicious, there are tons of different kinds, and there are even more ways to eat it. You don’t even need to go to a restaurant together to share your love of cheese: maybe one day you meet up at a farmer’s market, the next you invite your cheesy friends over to make your own pot of cheese fondue, and another night you find a pizzeria with interesting cheese toppings. Be creative!

From Trash to Treasure Crafty Club

Love making things yourself? Get satisfaction out of using your hands and relish a creative challenge? Perhaps a craft club is the right thing for you. But wait: this isn’t just any old crafty group. Each meeting starts with a different member bringing in a big bag of trash – old newspapers, clothes they don’t wear anymore, dishes that broke, old records they found in their garage, etc. – and the group puts their heads together to come up with something cool to make out of it all. If that isn’t a creative challenge, we don’t know what is.

Awful Movies Club

If you’re a film buff, chances are you’ve seen most of the classics – and you’re probably tired of rewatching The Godfather and Citizen Kane. We’d suggest starting a club that looks at film in a different way: the awful movies club! Find a group of people willing to watch the worst of the worst cinema has to offer. You can marvel at the terrible scripts, awkward acting and hilariously failed special effects together and maybe, just maybe, find something great in all the badness. We suggest Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (2003) for starters.

Article by Gail Wilcoxen