I think one of the worst things about financially struggling is how often it feels, at least to me, that working on something 'just' enjoyable or personally important, or even something that might not be immediately salable, seems like it always must be put on hold for money work or at the very least be subordinate to it.

It is totally not bad for you to get to have one day (or several, or however many) to work on your story, especially after a drought.