Where can I get All Time Low posters for cheap?

Can talent just...go away? And can you get it back?

• Last November, I had just finished a play at my college. I was three courses (it may not seem like a lot, but I get easily overwhelmed). Anyway, the director of the next show coming up specifically requested me and this other guy. So I kind of was forced to do it. Don't get me wrong, I felt honored that I was wanted, but I knew it was gonna be too much for me. So I did that, on top of writing English papers until about 4 am or so. Then I was also doing another show, one where I had to make the posters and programs (something I have no idea how to do) cause it would go to another class' credits. So I would stay up for hours working on that, running from place to place, cause they wanted me to get them copied too. Plus, 6 am rehearsals. I didn't get very much sleep during this time. My doctor finally diagnosed me as having Burnout (which I completely agree with). The thing is, I feel like the burnout made me so tired that I wasn't able to focus on stage, would forget lines, stumble over words a lot, no energy, etc...Because all that happened, my self esteem started really becoming low, which then led to severe nerves (I've always been a little nervous, but it's ridiculous now). Because I didn't have energy, I would try and make myself have energy which led to things being too "over the top" and not natural enough =>>> more low self esteem=>>>more nerves. It's not all in my head either, people would tell me, ya know "that's too hokey, be more natural, were you nervous?" So I know it's starting to show in my art and stuff. I USED to be good, just FYI. I think I'm not as burned out as I once was since I said no to some projects. But the nerves and the low confidence are still here, so now when I'm on stage I still can't focus all that well because of everything everybody has told me since I was burned out. I'm constantly wondering if "this is too much, or not enough." I'm afraid to show any kind of strong emotion now cause I'm just completely unsure of myself (more so than before). On top of that, I have this crazy accent that I have to get rid of for shows so now I concentrate too much on that and people say it sounds unnatural. But they burn it in my brain so much that it has to go, how can I not focus on it? Sorry this was so long, my question is, can talent go away all of a sudden? Can you get it back? How would I go about getting back to where I used to be (focused on the moment, not as nervous, more "natural?", etc...) Cause I did used to seem more natural before. Any help please? Thank you!

• Answer:

  I'm a nineteen-year-old college student, actress, and techie in Santa Cruz, CA. Not sure how much wisdom I have to offer on the subject, but my advice is, hang in there. I've gotten burned out, and I see where you're coming from. Of course you're still talented; of course you still have all the potential in the world to hit the top of your game again, or be even better than before. Give yourself a little compassion; you've been through the mill, acting is a difficult craft, and anyone would be tired. Any body would be tired, and your acting is bound to show strain long before anything else does, because an actor's body is her instrument. I hear in what you're saying that one of the reasons you're flagging is low self-esteem; because you know you've been off your game lately and you're scared that when you try you'll fail. In other words, you're off your game because you're off your game. What if you knew, without evidence, that the next time you stepped onto that stage, everything that came out of your mouth was going to be sheer magic?