Occupied Mind: A Junior Self-Portrait Illustration by Hiba Absar (2013)

My personal essay is about how my brain never shuts off. My illustration is based on the line, ''my mind occupies itself.'' My brain never rests. There is always something to think about, whether it’s homework or a song stuck in my head.

I chose to use a disco ball as my head to show that my mind is always full. The disco ball represents the constant party in my head whether or not I want it to be there. It also reflects the randomness and obscurity of my thoughts. The disco ball’s lights, like my thoughts, are all over the place.