El-e-va-tion!

don't worry, i'm not living in the wild with dingoes anywhere.

i've actually just been busy (with rehearsals and a residual non-paid job). and it's friday night, i'm staying in with an orange juice, tea and my thoughts. there were people out there to meet etc., and i'm not ready to face any of them yet. in fact, the only person i really wanted to talk to had other plans. so i'm in, to really...finally figure out what it is i'd like to do.

the first thing was to get clean. made up with my friend, wrote a letter to co-workers, have been working on meeting new guys and not obsessing too much over the last one. hanging out with family, bringing 100% to rehearsal and making my lifestyle match my income.

you know...people are truly wonderful. in the last couple of days since broadcasting my unemployed status off of facebook; i've gotten a ton of suggestions about what to do, where to go, a couple of interesting offers and just a bunch of loving support. how to apply for UI, who to talk to etc. But taking a step back and looking at the situation, if this is a culmination of all my worse fears, then it's something that i can move thru exactly the way it is happening. gently, quietly, easily. there is a little bit of a buffer zone that my ex-bosses graciously bestowed and what i'm learning is...

i have a little bit of time.
here's a great quote from wayne dyer's site today:

Release Others’ Expectations If you focus on what others expect of you, you’ll continue to act on and attract more of what they desire for you. But when you can shift your inner thoughts to what you intend to create and attract into your life, you will no longer have to give mental energy to what others want for you.

so i've figured out, I'd really like to do:

marketing/production: it's a huge industry and something i think i'd be really good at. it takes people skills and organizational skills. unfortunately, i think it also takes an mba.

voiceovers: i'm an actor with a fairly malleable voice. i used to love doing imitations of mrs. potts and audrey (little shop of horrors) when i was a kid. i've also been told that my voicemail sounds rather professional, and i've done a ton of reception. the only thing about voiceover work is that it's balls to break into.

writing: a book. about women. i'd go into it more, but i'm not sure it's ready conceptually. think of the 'unknown men' series i did last year and you'll get a better picture of it.

singing: obvious but true. move on this. make a demo. throw it out there. case in point - i love the lyrics to existentialism on prom night, but the vocals throw me. it's the one thing i take pride in doing well.

design: it's strange, but i have a very very weird skillset, and part of what i still love to do is be creative. to just take an idea or a need and run with it. see what comes up. this means a lot more classes in new design media.

here's what all of this means. it means time and commitment and investment. but the returns will be good. for now, i'm taking care of my mental health and what it really means to work. working at something, not just where i'm needed, but where i can be passionate and make a difference at what i do. Lena at Ch!cktionary also posted this site, geared more towards recent graduates, but still containing a lot of great tips for those of us looking.

30 in 30: the Insider's Guide to Job Hunting in '09

-most Americans will have held 10 different job positions by the time they are 40
-the average job hunt, sans recession, takes 4 months. Double that for our tough times
-don't just take jobs because you HAVE to. take a lower paying job if it makes you happier.
-look outside your normal "industry" to find jobs (this is why i started looking at the marketing listings on craigslist)
-above all, stick to your guns. if something doesn't sound like it's going to be a good fit for you, don't do it. you'll hate yourself and you won't do a good job.