Epiphany at 2 a.m.

It is 4:09 a.m and I have been up for two hours. For the record I do not do the fall back part of daylight savings (is there a daylight bank were it is stored?) at all well. In fact I am not sure if we are just entering daylight savings or exiting it. But I digress. This blog is supposedly about thinking out of the box when I should be sleeping. At least the clock said I should be sleeping. But I am not sure I believe any of the clocks.

Friends of mine on the ethernet know I am much upset about the current tenant, who thankfully is moving out not a day too soon. I have, rather automatically, put a for rent notice on Craig's List. But in my gut and soul I really do not want another tenant. The last three have been from hell. And the last two have cost me money. With the current soon-to-be-gone tenant I have not been able to have my studio open. There has been no place to park with his sometimes six (yes, 6 large) vehicles and three trailers. People have not been able to see my studio open sign or my front door. Sometimes you could not get to deck to my front door and I could not get my car out to make meetings, do freelance writing coverage of events, or on one occasion get my paintings to a show I was accepted to, etc.

Planning a huge studio sale the first weekend in December when he is gone, gone, gone!!! And endless open studio event!!! OPEN DRIVEWAY.

But when I first purchased my duplex the thought was the rent on the apartment would pay the mortgage. And that worked quite well for the first 12 years. People and times have changed. So I have been racking my brain for how to afford not renting it ever again. I have been playing mind games about conjuring up the perfect tenant if I were to ever rent it again. I have been looking for work outside my studio and pet sitting. Taken on odd jobs.

Then at approximately 3 a.m. (4 a.m in real time) I decided to go completely outside the box. Could have been just that I had not made coffee yet. Some part of my mind entertained going back to sleep. Sorry, another digression. A friend had suggest I figure a use for the 1249 SF unit that suited my soul if not my economy - like artist studios. Like artists have money? And then it hit me that is the point - they don't. So why not turn it into a sort of artist's hostel? A reasonably priced place for my many artist friends around the world to come and take in the beauty of New Mexico mountains.

It means furnishing it again. But I have proved once that can be done quite cheaply. Maybe even secure a used easel or two for those flying in. Other artistic paraphernalia. I have not been able to do a reverse mortgage I was considering. No way the appraiser could park let alone walk around the property turned to firewood lot. So I could begin there. Would give me some funding to do things, and begin advertising the possibilities. I could even hold workshops in my studio and provide lodging in the package. Or invite other artists to hold workshops in the apartment and bring their students.

First order of business is that Open studio event, then having a handiman turn off the water in the unit so I do not spend a fortune on keeping it heated through the winter. Or get just a through ski season renter, cash up front. I would love to be able to launch this venture come spring - well, just past mud and flood season. Gives me time for more brain storming and gathering input from potential visitors. And get the ground work going on the reverse mortgage.

My ideal dream would be to do this only summer and fall. And be able to afford to travel in the winter or just shut myself in the studio and paint. That is something else I have not been able to do with the log splitter running at all hours.

I invite your ideas.