ABOUT SPLENDID MOLA
This writers’ happiness movement came about because I was so disturbed the fact that so many of the ways we as writers have access to writing time, get to meet each other, and are able to take care of our bodies and minds require money. This includes things such as conferences, retreats, workshops, and so forth — all wonderful, but all requiring money. And so I decided to try and build a new system of support for writers, where those kinds of things were available to any writer, anywhere, regardless of financial situation.
With this in mind, most of the writing support offered here is free. Instead of being supported by each individual paying to attend, it’s supported by the Mola Fund, a communal pot made up of mostly-small donations from any writer who wants to and can support this vision.
This kind of structure isn’t a standard one-to-one exchange for goods or services. It isn't dependent on hierarchy, scarcity, greed, or fear of missing out—all things that are common in the economic world, but aren’t useful when we’re trying to build more joy, creativity, and community. In other words, this is all of us taking care of all of us.
HOW the finances WORK >
There are also paid offerings here, such as in-person retreats and live writing containers, so I can support myself and Splendid Mola as it grows. To assure access, every paid offering has as many fellowships as possible covering the cost to attend.
This is a grand experiment. I have no idea if it will work…but I think it will. Because there are so many of us who care about all of us. So many of us who are actively choosing love over fear. So many of us who understand how much writing matters, and how important it is to have space to do it — even and especially when it feels like the world might be falling apart.
Whether you’ve been writing for decades, are just starting to think you might like to write, or are somewhere in between, Splendid Mola is here to remind you — all of you — how important what you do actually is. And to help you do it, as best we can. To join the movement, simply scroll down and sign up for the mailing list, and you’re in!
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VISION
Splendid Mola is designed to promote a world where writers are supported, with a long-term vision of building powerful, community-fueled, writer-centric ways to fund large-scale programs that benefit writers everywhere.
Right now, so many of us are exhausted, depleted, overwhelmed. Many of us are trying to juggle day jobs, families, friends, responsibilities, and activism while still somehow finding time to write. We want to be a force for good, to help fix some of the awfulness in the world, but we don’t always know what makes the most sense or will actually make a difference.
But here’s the thing: writing is your contribution to healing the world.
Splendid Mola is a place where you don’t have to do or be anything. It’s all taken care of for you. This is what “a revolutionary refuge for writers” means. This is where you can take a breath and remember who you are and that your writing matters.
The structure of Splendid Mola, the entire way it’s set up and funded, is meant to be an alternative to our current systems — which tend to be, at their root, dependent on keeping us afraid, separate, and convinced we aren’t enough; not to mention embedded in and with systemic racism, sexism, and othering. By their nature, systems based on fear can never promote equity or kindness.
The idea of Splendid Mola is more kindness and more writers having time and space for their writing — which, as far as I'm concerned, means a better world. If there’s something here that feels as though it is not inclusive, kind, or in line with these values, please let me know. We all grow when we hold each other up.
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WHAT THE HECK IS A MOLA?
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splen·did
– ˈsplendəd/
– adjective
magnificent; very impressive.
mo·la
– ˈmōlə/
– noun
Mola molas, or ocean sunfish, are my favorite fish (I was once a marine biologist; a favorite fish is a requirement). They are the heaviest bony fish in the world, weighing up to 5,000 pounds and reaching up to 15 feet in length and 10 feet from top to bottom. They look somewhat like gigantic smushed blobs, and they often float sideways at the surface of the ocean for reasons that are still mostly unknown. They are delightful, strange, and unwieldy. They tilt to the side. They are often really, REALLY slow, and not even remotely graceful. No one is quite sure why they do some of the things they do, and they often seem to serve no apparent purpose. They are mysterious, goofy, majestic, ponderous, and incredibly, weirdly unique.
In other words, they are somewhat like the creative process.
