As part of Cabin’s 1 year anniversary, Cabin's very own Roxine Kee will be hosting a monthlong writer's residency in the Texas Hill Country this summer. The four lucky writers will participate in a one month intensive IRL experience from July 1-28, 2022.

Think of this writer residency as an IRL forcing function to stop procrastinating, get unblocked, and finally get that writing project/s out the door (with feedback and editing help!).

The writers will work together in-person at Cabin's Neighborhood Zero location outside Austin to put in their 1k words a day, take rambling walks in the Texas Hill Country, and live The Writing Life ™️ as a scenius. 

The residents will be living and working out of the 4-room Container in Cabin's location outside of Austin, Texas. There's high-speed internet, ensuite bathrooms (!), a SAUNA, and of course, bags and bags of Noowave coffee to help you slip into flow. 

Why are we doing this?

We’re doing this because we believe that writing isn't a single-player, solo endeavour. As Packy McCormick wrotee in his essay "Conjuring Scenius", our best writing happens in multiplayer mode with others.

“Patrons of The Eagle and Child wrote three of the five best-selling fantasy series of all-time within an eighteen year period - The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Chronicles of Narnia. It is here, on Tuesday mornings, that C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the other members of The Inklings of Oxford met to read, discuss, and critique each other's work.

The Inklings were so impactful on Tolkien’s writing that he dedicated the first edition of The Lord of the Rings to them, writing, “What I owe to them all is incalculable,” and singled out Lewis in particular by saying, “only by his support and friendship did I ever struggle to the end.”

This is also our way of giving back to the writing community. The idea for Cabin came from a collective of creators known as The Creator Co-op, most of whom met online in the Twitter writing community.

Because of this, we are running this residency for free! If you're 1 of the lucky 4, you just have to get yourself to Austin and we'll take care of the rest. :)

Because of the intensive nature, we're only taking on 4 participants for the July residency. Here's how you can apply and catch our eye!

How to apply

1. Write & share a thread on Twitter explaining who you are & your project for the month.

2. Tag @creatorcabins #DAOsummer22 in the first tweet

3. Confirm that you are: able to attend for the entire duration of the cohort, and able to focus on the residency program.

If you have any questions send us a DM @creatorcabins or email us at retreats@creatorcabins.com .

We want to nurture an apprenticeship and collective within Cabin's creative community. This is an experiment towards transforming Cabin's Media Guild into a social space where creators can hone their craft amidst peers and mentors.

We look forward to seeing your application!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tl;dr?

• What: Intensive writer’s residency

• When: July 1-28, 2022

• Where: Cabins in the Texas Hill Country (~45 min outside of Austin, TX)

• Who: 4 writers

• Cost: Free

“Is this free?”

Yes! We’re offering a month of accommodations at the Cabin for free. Apart from that, there are a few personal expenses you’ll need to shoulder during the month:

• Getting yourself to Austin, TX. If you’re flying, we’ll take care of rides to and from the airport.

• Food, groceries, and fun. We’ll do weekly grocery runs so that the residents can stock up. We’ll go out for meals a few times a week to try Austin’s food trucks, good ol’ Texas BBQ, and American delicacies like pizza. We might also go for a few rounds of mini golf and disc golf at Dreamland in Dripping Springs (among other shenanigans).

• A rental car (optional). There’s plenty of free time, so if you plan on doing any solo excursions or drives outside of the scheduled residency, then we recommend renting a car.

Apart from these personal expenses, the accommodations, workshops, and the residency itself are free!

“No, really? No strings attached?“

If you don’t count goodwill and lifelong friendships as “strings”, then no. There are no strings attached.

“No way. This sounds too good to be true.“

It’s not. This is what our community does. :)

You can read about our host Roxine’s own experience as a participant in a previous cohort of the residency. You can also learn more about other residencies we've run on the property, like our DAO operator residencies and our Cabin retreats program.

“What sort of writing projects are you looking for?“

Previous creative residents have written screenplays, lyrics, longform essays, and blog posts. Here are 3 concrete projects you can start and finish within the month:

• Challenge yourself to publish 1 blog post a day (this is what previous resident and incoming host Roxine did)

• Write and publish 2 longform essays over the month, while receiving feedback and edits from the residents and the contributors of Cabin’s Media Guild.

• Go through a writing course you’ve been meaning to take but never found the time for, like David Perell’s Write of Passage or Ship 30 for 30.

As long as you can finish the project by the end of the residency, we’d love to hear what you’ve been working on. 

“What sort of workshops are planned?“

Once the residents have finalized their commitment, the host will organize workshops and speakers, depending on their needs. Here are some workshop ideas the Cabin hosting team has thrown around:

• How to distribute and promote your writing without doing 2x the work

• How to publish quality work consistently, without burning out

• How to interview, research, and write like an investigative journalist

• How to use research and data to strengthen your writing and make your case

• How to produce a first draft in 2 hours or less (consistently)

The residency will be as intensive or laid back as the participants want. The host and Cabin will find a happy medium for everyone!

“Will there be time for fun and sightseeing?“

Of course! Most of us can only write for a maximum of 4 hours a day. Even with a few workshops scheduled during the week, this leaves a lot of time for trailbuilding,  building campfires, hiking, chasing waterfalls, and gazing at stars as a group. 

If you choose to rent a car during your stay, you’re also free to take off on your own to write in a quiet café in Dripping Springs, climb the Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, or enjoy the white noise in the Central Public Library in Austin.

“What about my full-time job, prior commitments, etc.?“

We recommend participants focus full-time on the residency for best results. But if you have a (remote) job and you can still be present and put in your 60-90 min of writing per day, then by all means still apply!

Bottomline: Just apply! If you’re accepted, then we’ll work out the details with you. 

“Do I have to be in web3 or know about DAOs to apply?“

While we’d prefer that residents be making the transition from web2 to web3, we’re prioritizing commitment to the craft over what you write about.

Again, just apply! We’re mainly looking for committed writers with a clear definition of done for their project.

Our ultimate objective is to help those writers get to that stage by the end of the month.

In collaboration with Montaia Basecamp, our “Summer in the Sierras” is a month-long coliving experience, designed to be a fun way to spend IRL time with the Cabin community and with some of the finest Nature in the world.

Read more to learn about the experience.

Curious about Montaia? Check out this page. Ready to sign up? Here’s the form.

This experience is available to anyone in the wider Cabin community or anyone interested in getting more deeply involved.

Here’s more information about the Summer in the Sierras and a video preview. Apply here to join. More about Cabin here.

We did a Q&A with Montaia’s caretaker, Kaela, to tell us more about the base camp and why they decided to partner with Cabin for the 2022 summer residency

Cabin: Tell us about Montaia Basecamp.

Kaela: My entire base camp is a regenerative coliving space nestled in the Eastern Sierra Mountains of California, about 45 minutes south of the Yosemite National Park and entrance. We are 30 miles from the closest town, yet we are only 15 minutes away from natural hot springs and from some of the world's best climbing and hiking.

We're right on the edge of the Inyo National Forest and the John Muir wilderness.

We run on solar panels for electricity and heating. We have our own well. We have a greenhouse that supplies fresh herbs for all of our meals, tomatoes, and carrots.

Cabin: What makes Montaia so special and unique?

Kaela: The location of the entire basecamp is extremely specific. We need to be exposed to nature. We need to have a relationship and a connection to the natural world. Montaia is one of the few places in the world where you can be this remote and yet still have ten or more people on video calls at the same time with our fiber optic internet.

Rendering: Fiber Optic Internet Coming into Montaia Basecamp

Here, we can be isolated from the majority of standard society, be close and connected with each other, and be in deep relationship and exposure to the earth.

Not a rendering: The actual scene around Montaia Basecamp

At Montaia, you can walk right out the door and access hiking trails immediately. Everything just becomes a little clearer and a little brighter up here.

Cabin: Tell us about the Cabin summer residency at Montaia.

Kaela: In the month of August, we will be designing a coliving and coworking experience, explicitly for the Cabin community. Folks can either choose to join us for the first or last 2 weeks of August, or for the full month.

During our month together, we'll catch sunrises in natural hot springs. We'll hike and go on weekly adventures. We'll sleep under the stars. All these activities are OPTIONAL and we’ll leave plenty of time for people to attend to their day jobs.

Halfway through the month, we’ll do a weekend-long backpacking, rewilding expedition. Here we'll bring in practices from the indigenous people of this area, the Numa people, as well as standard backpacking and backcountry practices. How much backcountry we do will be based on the group that comes.

Oh, and if you're a climber, bring your gear! There’s so much incredible climbing.

Cabin: What's the intention behind the summer residency?

Kaela: The reason that my entire base camp exists is to provide a space where we can explore an emergent culture of connection and to deepen our relationship to self, to earth, and to community.

What can emerge when we come together? What inspiration and creativity do we allow when we're held, not only by the mountains, but also by each other? What can emerge when our basic animal needs and our spiritual needs for quietness are met with the clean prana of the entrance of the mountains, where there are so few humans?

Exploring these questions allows us to drop back into a connective state of being, and prioritizing cohesion between ourselves, each other, and the natural world to create a dynamic and an environment where thriving is accessible and useful.

Apply for Cabin’s Summer in the Sierras

Our intention is to bridge the URL with the IRL and cultivate community through shared spaces and experiences. The month of coliving is divided into two 2 week sessions between August 1-31, 2022. Feel free to stay for the whole month or book just 1 of the sessions!

• Session 1: August 1-14, 2022

• Session 2: August 15-31, 2022 (includes an expedition on August 18-21 for extra cost)

Want more info? Learn more here.  Ready to apply? Fill out this form.

Curious about living arrangements? Montaia has 9 rooms available (see below for a breakdown of each one). Each room will be between $700 and $1200 per 2-week session or $1400 to $2400 for the month.

All the rooms are available as single-occupancy rooms and one room is ideal for sharing/couples. There will be a $150 extra cost per 2-week session for couples sharing a room.

There will be an opportunity to do a shared food plan with the other residents. The weekend backpacking trip will cost more on top of accommodations.

• Master Bedroom Suite – largest and best-lit room, attached office/library, mountain views, attached bathroom, ideal for sharing/couples

• The Quiet Room – private, simple space, tree-filtered natural window light, separate from main house, garage access and entry

• The Mountain Room – large upstairs room with private patio/balcony,  mountain views afternoon sunlight, close to jacuzzi bathtub

• The Triangle Room – small, cozy, triangular room upstairs, small window w/ mountain views, sloping ceiling,  ideal for couples renting 2 rooms (with The Mountain Room)

• The Cavern Room – most private room, private garage access, spacious, den-like atmosphere, no window light

• The Jungle Room – spacious upstairs north-facing room, view of large blue spruce + white mountains, natural light, no direct sun, upstairs near jacuzzi bathtub

• The Garden Room – large, private, sunny room, floor length mirrors, opens into greenhouse, spiral staircase entry, possible option for pet owners)

• The Vanigan –  leveled driveway space to park a personal van,  access wifi from van, usage of all shared living spaces, kitchen, bathroom, and coworking areas

• The Guest House – private studio dwelling, separate from main house, mini kitchen, mini bathroom

Want more info? Learn more here.  Ready to apply? Fill out this form.

We’re excited to hang with you this August!

Today, we’re excited to profile Mene Mazarakis, investor at Chapter One. Enjoy!

the tweet that announced the leap

First, some context: what did you used to do, and what are you doing now?

I was previously at Meta (fka Facebook) where I worked across a few teams. I started as an early PM on the crypto team, part of a small team building out FB’s digital wallet called Novi. Then I led civic products at Instagram working on helping people register to vote for the US2020 election.

I’m now an investor at Chapter One, an early-stage crypto fund focused on product & design and making web3 accessible to all.

What was your first exposure to crypto/web3?

My first exposure to crypto was in 2013 when I was at debate camp in high school. One of the kids at camp showed me a gold coin that had a string of numbers on the back of it and told me that this was a bitcoin and that it would be really valuable in the future. At the time I thought it was a token you’d use in an arcade…

What was your “aha” moment / why did you decide to go FT into web3?

My aha moment was working at Novi at Meta. In college I traveled to Kenya and did research on the impact of mobile and cross-border payments for remittances and thought it was an incredibly fascinating and impactful area to dive deeper into. A lot of the aspects of my research we were trying to build that at Novi while adding a blockchain-based digital currency and wallet that was interoperable with all of your Meta experiences. Playing around internally with our MVP and seeing that we could move money at the speed of a text message and the cost of a fraction of a percentage point made me feel we were on to something. 

What was the most surprising thing about entering web3 full-time?

I’m most surprised at the creativity in the space, especially for thinking from first principles to problems in a novel way.

Working in web3 full-time also reminds me that the only constant in our world is change. Learning to adapt and grow is one of the most important things we can learn.

Finally - what is your favorite part about being in web3?

It has to be the people. I'm reminded daily about the diversity and inclusion of communities in web3. Not all systems are perfect but the current (rapidly evolving) state of web3 feels like an improvement in people coming together to push the bounds of existing tech. 

I’ve also never had more fun on the internet. 

Thanks Mene for joining us, and let us know who you’d like to see next!