If there was ever a time to pick up a new skill or hobby, it’d be during lockdown. And that’s exactly what our #legend friends and Hong Kong influencers Elly Lam, Feiping Chang, Leaf Greener, Lindsay Jang and Laiza S, did during their downtime.

From mahjong and cooking to arts and crafts, here are their newfound hobbies that you can also try your hand at (in or out of lockdown):

Elly Lam: Cooking

“I have a deep-rooted love and genuine curiosity when it comes to food. My passion really developed when I was living in Los Angeles; I was always on the hunt for the new restaurants and used to binge on The Food Network and cooking shows. With all the extra time during lockdown, it was natural for me to spend more time in the kitchen. I started baking cakes for friends’ birthdays and it eventually led me to cooking full-on meals for family and friends. There’s just something so therapeutic about cooking and baking. Meals are always best when shared with loved ones and the most rewarding part of cooking is seeing the smiles on my loved ones’ faces after a meal. Follow my culinary journey on my food IG: @ellyxbelly” 

Follow Elly Lam on Instagram @elly

Feiping Chang: Embroidery

“I’ve always wanted to learn embroidery and needlework so that I can eventually embroider my own linen napkins and table settings. Lockdown was the perfect time to stay home and pick up a new hobby that didn’t require too much equipment. What’s great about embroidery is that you can do it almost anywhere since it’s so easy to bring around.I mostly do it on my couch in the afternoon with bright natural day light and a good cup of tea. It feels very tranquil and therapeutic to focus on the needle work with music in background.”

Follow Feiping Chang on Instagram @xoxofei

Leaf Greener: Oil painting

“When I was stuck in quarantine for 14 days this April, it made me rethink a lot of things. I wanted to create something related with my passion, and I’ve always been interested in art. I eventually decided to give oil painting a try in June, as I figured lockdown was the perfect time to start something new. I’d never done any oil paintings before, so it was a great first experience for me. I now paint from home and I’ve even turned part of my living room into a small studio.”

Follow Leaf Greener on Instagram @leafgreener

Lindsay Jang: Mah jong

“I picked up mahjong about six weeks ago, but I’d been wanting to learn for years. I love having friends over to play at home, and my favourite part of playing is the need to focus, meaning no one can be on their phones!”

Follow Lindsay Jang on Instagram @lindsayjang

Laiza S: Pottery

“Ceramics is a random hobby of mine I developed four years ago after a surgery I had on my left hand. A lot of people said I wouldn’t be able to throw clay after my surgery but I wanted to prove them wrong. The best part of pottery making is its meditative aspect – you need to be very focused on what you’re doing. It also lifts my spirits, as I never leave the pottery studio feeling bad. Somehow, the negativity just disappears. I usually go to Hama (@hamapottery) or Tung Yao (@tungyaoworkshop) and I’ve even created a separate Instagram page for my works: @laizas_ceramic.”

Follow Laiza S on Instagram @laizas_

See also: Lockdown diaries: Hong Kong influencers’ fave books, cocktails and comfort foods