But generally speaking, people weren't fired, art jobs were very hard to get, so something really calamitous had to happen to a person who was working there in order for you to find a space.
Confront your fears, list them, get to know them, and only then will you be able to put them aside and move ahead.
When you have less revenue coming in the door, you have more money going out the door. You have to find ways of trimming.