You can have both world. IMHO, you should get your daily job done no matter what, because whether you are let go is normally nothing to do with your hobbies. It's mainly due to people don't want to work with you any more (including your boss). So get your job done first and do whatever else is none of anyone's business, even it's in working hour. This is my two cents.

Thanks for sharing your story. I enjoy the read.