the mendastery

a (secular) monastery/artist residency/retreat center for maintenance.

I want to start a monastery for mending, a mendastery. Some cabins in the woods where you can bring your basket of mending and just darn and sew for a day or a week with other people quietly mending nearby.

@trav@sunbeam.city May 02, 2025, 01:58 PM, https://sunbeam.city/@Trav/114439532233431253

latest thoughts

makes sense to get this started as an event first before going so big with a permanent location.

the vibe/expectations/life at the mendastery

no wifi
no speakers/amplified sound
only maintenance work, not an art residency for generating new works
- (perhaps other than writing/reflection/journaling/sketchhook?)
speak at/near whisper
- (in the quiet area)
visitors are participants
- everyone takes part in the maintenance of the mendastery
- show up expecting to do some work on maintaining the organization/grounds
- the site should be fully self-sufficient with volunteers
fixed times for communal cooking and eating
- cook together
- eat together

activities

mending & maintenance
meditation
stretching
quiet contemplation
gardening
reading
writing
walking

what is being maintained

the body & mind
- stretching
- eating good food
- gardening
- walking
- meditating
- quiet
- nature
- sleep
things
- textiles
  - bring your own sewing machine or 1 on-site machine (foot powered?)
  - hand-sewing/darning encouraged
- wood things
  - furniture?
  - no power tools (foot powered?)
- bicycles
- lamps
- the facilities themselves
  - the sewing machine itself
- cleaning the facilities
the environment
- gardening
- landscaping

logistics

grounds

3-season

central zone
- main building
  - kitchen
  - shower
  - serves as “reception”
  - electrified, off-grid solar
  - some shared tools and tall tables with stools to work and eat at
- outdoor area
  - picnic benches
  - shade
  - grill
  - hammocks?
- garden
  - tool shed
  - compost
- out-house
- parking area

with a foot-path to:

quiet zone
- small cabin for silent communal activities
  - meditation
  - mending
  - reading
    - small library
  - writing
  - stretching
  - no power other than lights
- cabins and camping area
  - micro individual cabins, 3 season
  - start with ~3 micro cabins?
  - no laundry on site, bring own bed linens

location

in/near Vermont within 1 hour of biking from any transit stop
- initial location. If successful then there could be others in other places
far enough from main roads that there aren’t people constantly walking/driving/biking by (some traffic is fine)
at least 1 acre
- low enough that this endeavor is affordable, big enough to make sure there is nature and seclusion

this part is less certain, just riffing

organization

non-profit with cooperative governance
3 levels of participation
- member-owners
  - participate in consensus governance
  - pay yearly dues
    - to cover taxes and maintenance materials costs
  - pay initial membership fee for joining
    - ideally this gets reimbursed and reduced over time
    - possibly a few thousand dollars at least at the beginning as capital costs are high
  - can get their membership fee back if they leave
  - can reserve a cabin for themselves for as long as they want
    - for free
    - set your own schedule
- members
  - people who have been to at least one orientation retreat so they understand the vibe and how things work
  - can reserve a cabin for themselves for as long as they want
    - for a price
    - set your own schedule
- the public
  - may attend public events
  - cannot reserve a cabin for self-guided time
    - must first attend an orientation retreat
apply for grant funding
- we are reducing waste…
guided retreats
- a few days
- classes on
  - mending
  - stretching
  - meditation
- operational orientation
- notaflof but hopefully could cover the cost of upkeep