Laid off, Lifted up: Rediscovering creativity
I asked my friend, Marissa, to share her story about why she chose to use her layoff to pursue her passion. I met Marissa through our transition firm, LHH. We connected on LinkedIn and we’ve been messaging ever since. She lives in a far suburb of Chicago, Illinois. We bonded over the Windy City and Midwest living. She also worked in finance on the mortgage side, but she’s also an artist - and her art is where her heart is. I hope her story resonates with you as much as it does with me.
By: Marissa Bonamer
Since being laid off in March 2026, I’ve done some soul searching.
I started working at my previous employer in 2005. In 2020, my manager helped me realize I needed to find a new direction, and I moved into a period of my career that was transformative.
By 2023, I was helping to onboard a new system. In 2024 and 2025, my team and I traveled monthly because of the system moving.
Towards the end of 2025, I found out I was getting promoted to VP level. With everything I had been doing since 2020, I felt like this was the culmination of all that hard work; I was really on top. And yet, through it all, I felt like this wasn’t where I needed to be.
So when the managing director came to me in March 2026 and said I was no longer going to be employed, I was completely shocked. Taken aback. Bamboozled. Distraught. I couldn’t believe it. I was just promoted!
The time is now
While I was whole hog into my career at my corporate job, I was discovering that it wasn’t everything. I needed to get back to my writing and my true purpose. It wasn’t just a want; it was a true need.
During the 6-year period, a friend of mine was branching off and exploring the spiritual side of life. In 2023, she started performing Reiki for clients. I was right there to support her. Check out her website and if you’re interested in Reiki, set up an appointment: blisswitchwellness.com.
Jumping into the metaphysical world helps you realize that the physical world is different than you expected it to be. I was exploring my higher self again and with that comes realizations.
My higher self was reminding me that, inherently, I’m a writer. Always have been; since I was a kid.
I knew I needed to get out, but I kept putting it off, and putting it off. I kept saying to myself, “I’ll get there, I just need to pay off this piece of debt, I just need to do this, I just need to do that.”
I was informed of my layoff on a Monday morning at 9am. By Tuesday evening at around 7pm I realized that this was the best thing for me. It was happening: it was finally time!
With the layoff, I got several perks. I got this wonderful resource of Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) to help me jumpstart my next chapter in life. Through that resource I met some amazing people. One of them is Megan.
Building what comes next
The Wednesday after my layoff, I started planning. I looked up writing jobs, freelance, copywriting, technical writing, etc.; there was a whole other world out there. I also realized, I get a severance. And that led me to think: I can do more than just write.
Since about 2014, I’ve been cosplaying, going to renaissance faires, and being creative outside of work. In 2020, I started to sew. On top of the fact that I’ve been crocheting, knitting, and all around just being a creative person with textiles since I was in Jr. High.
That was when I made the decision that I’ll start a YouTube channel showing others how to sew.
With the onset of creating my YouTube (it’s still in process), I was going to create a website. But I hadn’t considered a blog until Megan shared what she was doing. Mine is more of the creative aspect of what I’m doing. Including a couple of patterns so far, and a little bit about my journey. Check it out: lowkeyexpression.com.
Here’s a few of the costumes that I’ve created:
Click on the image above to open a larger view.
My fear? Money
The last thing I want to talk about through my journey is money.
Everyone is obsessed with this thing. Especially in this country.
I won’t deny that I also have been obsessed. Many of my actions have been based on the thing that drives most people. But now here I am at this precipice in life. I have no income currently. Sure, I have my severance, but I’m not making any money. Yet. I’m in the process of creating prototypes for items I will eventually sell. However, the future of my cash flow is uncertain. And for a while, I was really concerned about that.
I have come to realize that I need to stop worrying and obsessing about money.
One of the things I’ve discovered is that the more you worry about something, the more it’ll negatively impact you. Worrying about money, worrying about a job, worrying that I’ll be a failure and end up homeless on the street are things that I need to stop worrying about.
I need to focus solely on the projects I have going on. My writing. My website. My YouTube channel. Creating things to sell. Those are the things I need to think about. I need to stop worrying about everything else because everything will happen the way it needs to.
When I stopped worrying about money, I started getting money.
It’s part of the Law of Attraction. Finding the positivity in the world because that is how you get the things you need. Being positive actually changes your DNA. Something I remind myself of: positivity doesn’t mean happiness. Everything will work out the way it needs to. Everything happens for a reason.
When you start looking at the world through this lens, everything else becomes clear. And it has for me.
I’ve worked harder and been more creative in the last 3 months than I have been in the last 20 years.
Do I still regress? Sure. Sometimes I’ll get sad about my previous job. I spent 20 years with that company for them to just let me go like it was nothing.
Do I still worry about the future and money? Occasionally yes. But then I remind myself that everything works out the way it needs to. And I’m working towards the goal of being financially stable through other means.
Sure, maybe I won’t be making the same amount of money as I was before. But to me, that doesn’t matter anymore. What I need is the freedom I have and the will to make art; that is the most important aspect of my life. Even if I got a little lost along the way, I have rediscovered my purpose.
You may be thinking, what a bunch of hogwash. And maybe it is. But ask yourself, what is it that you’re looking for? And don’t let it just be money or about money. There is more to life than this society of being rich. There’s no fulfillment there. You can’t take it with you. Whatever it is, find it, take it and make it your focus in life. Everything else will fall into place around that.
Connect with Marissa:
Email: marissambonamer@gmail.com
Website: https://lowkeyexpression.com/
Megan’s favorite blogs (as of June 2026)
The Strange Fulfillment of Being Productive: How Marissa is spending her newfound abundant free time.
A day in the life: “Every day has a new surprise.” What do you feel like doing today?
Making a Clergy Stole: Marissa used this time to get officiated! I’m Catholic, and so many of my friends have used this time to become a Deacon.
You can sign up for Marissa’s newsletter, and she has a “comment” feature on her posts.
