12th April, 2026

What am I working on?

Working on a commission comic right now. And whenever I get bored, I switch to something trying new brushes on Procreate.

What am I reading?

Will McPhail’s 'In', wonderfully illustrated, primarily in black and white, the book follows an emotionally withdrawn man who finds it difficult to connect with others. Yet, when he dares to reach out, the artwork transforms, suddenly bursting into colour, signifying the richness of genuine human connection.

McPhail’s visual and verbal wit makes the narrative both funny and moving. I specially loved the coffee runs (you would know what I mean when you read it) It’s honest about how hard it can be to bridge the gap between people, and how much courage it takes to express what’s inside. I have felt the weight of unspoken thoughts and hence at some level this book resonated with me. I will be reading more of his works in future.

What am I watching/watched recently?

I watched The Breadwinner and god, what a beautifully made movie. I absolutely loved the sequences when Paravana would recite her stories - moments that burst vividly on screen, contrasting the harshness of Taliban-controlled Kabul with the boundless creativity of a child’s mind. It is a story about a family and the turmoil they have to go through (yes, I have seen another movie around this theme - The Swallows of Kabul) It is emotionally powerful - a story about resilience, about family and about courage.

New thing I learnt lately?

'Enshittification' - the way platforms slowly and steadily get worse. The framework is quite simple. At first, the platform focuses on delighting its users. It offers convenience, innovation, and value to attract and grow its audience.

Once users are locked in, the platform pivots to serving advertisers, brands, and other business partners. This often comes at the expense of user experience; more ads, less transparency, and reduced control.

Finally, when both users and business customers are dependent on the platform, it begins extracting maximum profits. So, platform fees increase, ads are everyone on the app, users get coupons that are unusable or partners have to pay higher commissions - it's not nothing. The platform is likely at stage 3.