Rick Allen lost his arm yet found a new way to Rock.

tick. tick. tick.

Can you hear it? That's the sound of my severance clock beating down.

Three months ago I was given a monetary allowance which shielded me from going into a state of hysteria. My severance pay enabled me to get my head straight without stressing over how I was going to pay my rent. Up till three days ago though, my thoughts were more scattered than ever and my problem remained the same: I needed to find a new job in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis.

As my days of "paid vacation" became numbered, I was forced to seriously consider what I was going to do with my life. I was entertaining numerous, unrealistic possibilities but needed to decide on one of two: A. Find a long term job B. Freelance until December, giving me freedom to go on a Latin American adventure. My choice would decide my job hunt approach.

Last week while picking up a paycheck from one of my day jobs, I ran into the one contact I forgot to notify about the layoff. I have no idea how she slipped through the cracks of my extensive job hunt, but I found her at the right time. She had one casting producer position still available - a week long gig casting Realtors and Home buyers for TLC/BBC Worldwide.

On day one of work my head became clear. I want to surf. I want to cast. I can do both. There is no guarentee that any job is permanent, especially these days. So there is no sense in throwing a dream away for a a steady job that can vanish in a second.

I still like the idea of a permanent job though and can try to get a new one when I get back. If I want to go the scripted route - a smooth CelebReality transition would allow me to get the agent/actor contacts that CSA's desire.

This plan will take long hours, business cards, networking, learning new skills and even making trips to New Jersey (thanks Chuck!) to adapt to a new style of casting that pays even more. I lost my old job but now will be a better casting rock star because of it.

To the unemployed who are reading this, here is my advice on getting back to doing what you love; think back to every job you have ever had and contact those you worked with. Think beyond who was in your department though and get in contact with them too. Directors I used to run into at the 770 office pantry, had the same bathroom schedule as, or even sneezed on in the elevator are all suddenly coming out of the woodwork with projects I could potentially work on, giving me hope that my dreams (of being a bilingual casting director who surfs) won't come to an end when my severance clock ticks down to zero.