RAJAA HAMED RASHID

Iraq- At every stage when women prove their presence in the fields of creativity and success, they affirm their ability to combina ambition, knowledge, art, and influence. Among these young models stands out Noor Mohammed, only 18 years old.

Noor Mohammed, a student at the College of Dentistry, has not contented herself with her academic path. She has created a remarkable presence in multiple fields: she is a painter of beautiful works, a player of the guitar and piano relying on listening and innate talent away from academic study, and she also possesses a melodious voice and sings with captivating talent.

Multi-track talent

In addition, Noor Mohammed works in media and content creation through her personal platform on social media. She has a substantial follower base. Which allowed her to participate in television programs, including “You Talent” on MBC Iraq, as well as her participation in TEDx Women Baghdad in 2024, which opened an opportunity for her to work with a telecommunications company.

Noor Mohammed says about her experience and multiple talents, in addition to her academic excellence at the College of Dentistry: “Music for me is an innate talent without any effort. After that came my other talents like drawing and media. The first thing after music was media. I started posting content on social media, then l moved directly to drawing and sharing my work with the audience.”

She added that her love for renewal and not being satisfied with one path has been part of her personality since childhood, affirming that she realized this from the beginning: "I love renewal and do not like sticking to one routine or one talent. Therefore, I prefer to diversify my skills and fill my time with them."

Noor Mohammed sees herself as an artist studying medicine, explaining that art is not limited to entertainment aspects but extends even to the medical field, where there is also art. "This is a truth that few people realize, but for me it is a clear truth."

 

Time management and organization

She stressed the importance of time management through proper organization. Priority remains for academic study, followed by personal time and rest through drawing and music, then media work which requires energy and presence in front of the camera.

But she sometimes has to give up her personal comfort to maintain all these paths, saying that nothing comes easily; effort and sacrifice are necessary. Constant media presence also imposes many pressures, especially on a person who is naturally sensitive.

Regarding the most exhausting periods of her life, she said that the period after high school and the beginning of university studies was among the most difficult stages, but she insisted on continuing because she did not want to destroy what she had built over many years due to a temporary period of fatigue. She makes sure to take intermittent rest periods before returning to her activity, especially with the great support she receives from the audience and people's love for her.

She continued: "I choose a piece of a song, play and sing it, then post it. The audience interacts with it greatly, and the same goes for the paintings I post on my accounts."

 

Family support and societal challenges

Regarding the challenges she faced, she affirmed that her family was supportive and did not interfere negatively in her life. The greatest challenge came from society's astonishment at her ability to balance medical studies, media life, and artistic talents, especially with her academic excellence and being among the top students in her college.

Talking about multiple paths, Noor Mohammed rejected describing it as scattered, considering it a journey of self‑discovery and life. "There is nothing preventing a person from trying more than one path and succeeding in them, but it is important to have a clear plan and goal; otherwise, it would indeed become scattered."

As for the project she is most proud of, she pointed to playing the guitar and piano, considering that being an Iraqi woman playing the guitar is a distinctive and relatively rare situation in Arab society.

Regarding her vision for the future, Noor Mohammed said: "I do not see myself fixed in one place; rather, I see myself in more than one field at different times. Art is my personality and my identity. If I leave it, it is as if I abandon myself. As for medicine, it is my academic study that I have worked hard for many years. Media also represents my professional field."

She affirmed the possibility of combining these paths by producing youth content that brings together medicine, art, and media, especially given the abundance of awareness information that society needs, but she is still thinking about the most suitable way to present it.

When asked which field she could never give up, she affirmed that music remains closest to her personal identity, saying: "It is impossible for me to give it up."

Noor Mohammed concluded her speech with a message to the young men and women of her generation: "Give everything its due. Make your studies your priority. After effort, take a rest and develop the talent you love. This way, you will reach what you want and achieve it."