Burnout

Style: Colored pencils and pen.

Statement: I drew inspiration from my own experience as a student at Saratoga High School — the No. 1 public high school in California, according to Niche. My self portrait uncovers the unseen downside of the academic pressure cooker culture — burnout — that’s buried beneath the superficial facade of gleaming résumés, rigorous course loads, perfect grades, and impressive extracurriculars. Burnt orange signifies the suffocating heat of stress; blue represents the bitter cold of perceived isolation. I envision this piece to spark discussions about mental health: a first step to stop silent suffering.