A fantastic DIY residency opportunity just for my subscribers!

Want to get the hell away from your day-to-day and plan a DIY retreat for the fall of 2024? Read on.

Hello, hello, it’s Wednesday!

It will be May soon, and in May, I am doing something that you might also want to do, too?

One of my favorite humans and writers, Bianca Marais (you know her from

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

fame) is running a fantastic virtual workshop dedicated to all things memoir on May 11th. There are a ton of speakers and panels and the registration is nicely priced: $149! I’ll be teaching memoir in the morning. Sign up and join us!

Use this link to sign up and join us!

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Now back to our regular programming.

We have a super cool DIY residency opportunity today!

Like many people, I wear a lot of hats: one of those hats is “nonprofit director.” I founded a learning collaborative for artists called The Cabins back in 2016. During the pandemic, we had to shift from in-person group retreats to matching deserving artists with vacant properties in beautiful places to keep folks healthy, inspired, and safe. This year, The Cabins is on hiatus, but a wonderful property host we often work with is letting me share a super cool opportunity just for my Substack subscribers who have a flexible schedule next fall. Read on!

Note: The pictures that feature snow-covered ground are photos I took during my January 2023 visit. The non-snow photos better reflect the type of weather conditions you’ll have in the autumn of 2024. For interior photos, please visit Alice and Michael’s Airbnb link.

Outbuilding (garage), adobe house, outside of main house

Photos by Alice and Michael in different seasons

The offer:

Writer Alice and her husband Michael have recently reached retirement age and have pledged to travel as much as they possibly can. This year, they’re looking for one or more responsible creative types to enjoy their beautiful New Mexico compound while they’re gone this coming fall.

Their home— which is in walkable distance of the unbeatable town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico— is comprised of:

• One small adobe style house that has a queen bed, kitchen and bathroom .

• One house with a covered porch, kitchen, one queen bed and one twin bed, a living room and office.

• A courtyard area for hanging out.

• A giant garage (good for artists or people recording music).

• 4 Chickens, 4 cats, and bees (yes, that means plentiful eggs!).

• Possible access to a car for the right candidate.

Alice and Michael will be traveling from September 9th until October 30th 2024. The right candidate loves animals, funky towns, peace, beauty, quiet, and the unmatched magic of New Mexico. (You don’t have to do anything with the bees, but you shouldn’t be freaked out by them or deathly allergic.)

I visited Alice’s compound in 2023 and stayed for a few days, and it was absolutely divine. Truth or Consequences is super artsy with a slew of hot springs, delicious food and lots of live music. The Wifi works great, the compound is super dreamy, the eggs taste fresh from heaven. I absolutely loved staying at Alice and Michael’s perfect home.

Alice is requesting $350 a month to go toward utilities and a deep cleaning before and after the candidate’s departure. Want to come with friends? Make a DIY residency out of it? That’s possible! The $350 per month is the total cost for each month, not the cost per person.

↑ You are the right fit for this property if:

• You love funky, eclectic towns that are LBTGQ+ friendly.

• You’re a creative person looking to get away from whatever your normal is.

• You love animals.

• You can work with Alice to overlap prior to her departure so she can show you around and show you how to care for the chickens and the cats.

• You like magical, cozy atmospheres, handcrafted mugs and blue eggs from free-range chickens.

• Green Chile is your lifeline.

• You are tidy and responsible.

↓ You are not the right fit for this property if:

• You require ADA accessibility standards. The home is currently not ADA compliant. (There are smalls steps, uneven ground, cobblestones and gravel on the property.)

• You are allergic to cats. There are four cats on the property. They live outside normally but have been in the main house on occasion.

• You’re …uptight? The home is in an adorable neighborhood with lots of creative people. You might hear a dog bark. You might hear someone singing from their backyard. You might see some fun people letting their freak flag fly. It’s New Mexico, after all!

• You’re a big smoker. New Mexico is prone to fires and Alice would prefer no smoking on the premises.

• You’re not able to commit to coming in the fall or are the kind of person who tends to cancel things last minute.

More pics from my January visit!

The main house porch, downtown sign, another view of the garage

SELECTED FAQs:

• How long do I have to apply?: This is kind of a first come, first served type of thing. Alice will read applications into May, but if she finds the right candidate before that, she’ll act on that. She’ll also compile a waitlist if a lot of people are interested in the homestead stay.

• Can I come with kids? Children are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

• Can I come with my pet(s): No.

• Can I come with friends: You may!

• Will I have access to a car? This is a possibility that can be discussed with Alice. The hosts might also be able to set you up with a bike.

• Do I have to pay for my own travel to get to Truth or Consequences: Yes.

• Can I see more photos? You sure can. Click here.

• Can I share this with people I think might be interested? You may! Thank you.

Please note the following:

This 2024 opportunity is not affiliated with my nonprofit The Cabins or my writing retreat Turning Points. I am just the happy messenger— all questions going forward should be addressed to Alice, please. Accepted guests will be asked to sign a liability waiver prior to arriving at the property. Additionally, Alice will likely want to FaceTime with potential candidates. You get it. It’s her house ;)

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“I’m all in! How do I apply?”

Please send the following information in the body of an email to Alice Hutchins alicehutchins70 (at) gmail (dot) com at your earliest convenience:

• Contact info: Your name, current address, birthdate, preferred pronouns.

• Dates you are interested in coming for. (Note if you are available to come the entire time, which is preferred.)

• Whether you are planning to come alone, and if not, with whom would you be traveling?

• If you are coming solo and there is another solo traveler that might be a great pairing for you (remember there are two houses) would you be open to sharing space?

• What do you plan to work on, creatively, while you’re in Truth or Consequences?

• Do you have any familiarity with New Mexico, or Truth and Consequences in particular?

• Do you have any allergies?

• 1-2 references that Alice can email and/or call to make sure that you’ll be a good house guest.

• A website or other link where Alice can check out what you’re about. Social media works, too!

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TESTIMONIALS from artists who stayed at Alice and Michael’s property through my nonprofit, The Cabins in the past:

“I had a long list of goals for our desert residency in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. We were going to edit a film about my family. We were going to read transcriptions. We were going to crack open our story and put it back together again. These things happened (hooray), but perhaps even more profound were the things I didn't expect. We deepened our trust as collaborators. We refueled our creative tanks away from the noise of daily life. We cooked and we laughed and we cried and we fed the chickens and we nursed our sunburns and we drafted an experiment of how to live and work in one symbiotic exercise. It was a totally transformational experience, not only for the project we were working on, but for our spirits and humanity. This kind of artist support is urgent and life-affirming. Thank you, Courtney. Thank you, The Cabins, for making these little miracles possible!” - Filmmaker, actor and writer Hannah Myers

“My solo retreat through The Cabins in Truth or Consequences, NM was incredibly nourishing in many connected ways. Not only was I able to focus my mind in a serene setting and finish the project I was working on, but I was also able to nourish my body in the hot springs and at a local yoga studio as well as make meaningful connections with locals. My tasks taking care of chickens and cats were a meditative reminder to tend to my holistic self each day as I wrote, reflected, and rested. My communication with The Cabins and the property owners was full of care and detail and I couldn't be more grateful!” - Writer and musician Lou Turner

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And there you have it! Remember to address your inquiries and applications to Alice, please, not to me. Her email is: alicehutchins70 (at) gmail (dot) com

I’m jealous of the person or people who get to go to T or C— it’s an absolutely marvelous place!

xoxo

Courtney