SU 26 Winner: Joy Masih

Brief Theme Overview

The 2026 NeuroArt Summer Cohort explored “Waves of Thought”, a theme centered around cognitive neuroscience, pattern recognition, memory and the ever-changing activity of the mind. From scientific research to creative expression, participants were challenged to consider how our thoughts, emotions, and neurological processes can be understood—and represented—through their work.

The Inspiration Behind the Research

For Joy, Brain Circus became a playful and personal exploration of what it can feel like to live with ADHD, and have a mind constantly moving between ideas, interests, tasks, and distractions.

The song turns familiar moments of distraction into something humorous and relatable, transforming everyday experiences into a larger metaphor for the mind in motion. The idea of a “Brain Circus” captures the constant movement of thoughts, with different ideas competing for attention and seemingly taking the mind in unexpected directions.

Rather than presenting ADHD only through its challenges, Joy's song also celebrates the creativity, spontaneity, curiosity, and unpredictability that can accompany a different way of thinking.

At the heart of the piece is the idea that this mental movement does not have to be viewed solely as something that needs to be corrected or controlled. Instead, Brain Circus embraces the individuality within that experience and finds joy in a mind that does not always follow a conventional path.

Connecting to “Waves of Thought”

The theme “Waves of Thought” is at the center of Joy's submission. The song uses waves as a metaphor for the continuous movement of thoughts in an ADHD mind—thoughts that can arrive suddenly, overlap with one another, change direction, and lead somewhere completely unexpected.

Throughout the song, this movement is represented through playful imagery. The mind becomes a “trampoline,” ideas are constantly jumping, and the narrator becomes a “ping-pong ball” moving between thoughts. The image of “twenty tabs open” further captures the experience of having multiple streams of thought competing for attention at once.

Rather than trying to silence these waves, Brain Circus embraces them. The song presents neurodivergence not simply as a collection of challenges, but as a different cognitive experience—one that can also involve creativity, curiosity, spontaneity, and unique ways of connecting ideas.

A Message Beyond the Art

At its core, Brain Circus asks listeners to look beyond symptoms and see the person behind them.

The song acknowledges the frustrations that can come with ADHD while also recognizing the individuality and creativity that can exist within the same experience. Its message is ultimately one of acceptance: thoughts do not always have to move in a straight line to be meaningful.

Sometimes, the unexpected directions our minds take are exactly what make them unique.

Explore The Art

Hear Joy Masih's full art/song submission:[View →https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJUkUX0hjxUZ8PR57xj8Xu66ftvP5fmz/view?usp=sharing]