Any lost their jobs?
I was the unexpected beneficiary of a very rare, very unexpected self-employment opportunity which I seized ~ 6ish years ago. I always knew it would come to an end, and was also quite cognizant of the fact that I never deserved to receive such a spontaneous, unsought blessing.
It allowed me to enjoy modest financial stability while being able to work full-time on the creative projects which are near and dear to me and truly my "life's work." I resolved to spend the time mostly in solitude, trying to make the most of every moment with the ever-present knowledge this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to "follow my dreams" could suddenly cease to be, at any time. I didn't know when, but I knew it would inevitably end at some point, and that it would absolutely devastating.
As expected, and due to factors beyond my individual control, this is exactly what came to pass. Nothing lasts forever, and the things that make us happiest are the hardest to lose. I'm immensely grateful for being able to have the experience, though, it means I got to spend the final years of my abbreviated life doing something worthwhile and fulfilling.... almost makes up for all the prior years of frustration and despair.
The pro-lifers' advice to me would be "go get a regular job now," and for some folks, this might be sound advice. However in my case, it was the time spent at those "regular jobs" that exacerbated my maladaptive mentality and drove me to self-medicate with illegal drugs. Why on Earth would anyone in their right mind voluntarily return to such conditions?
As such I am fully committed to ending this thing on as high note a possible.