Thursday Thoughts - 08/03/2023
Here are my Thursday Thoughts, a short list of the most interesting things that I’ve read, heard, and/or watched over the past week.
pachinko by Stable Diffusion Dream Studio SDXL 1.0
What I Read:
Pachinko
Pachinko is a compelling novel that spans four generations over approximately 80 years. The narrative unfolds around a Korean family during the Japanese occupation, through World War II, and into the relatively modern era of the 1990s. This family epic encompasses themes of love, drama, ambition, and loyalty.
The historical context skillfully woven throughout the book intrigued me. I was previously unaware of the treatment of Korean nationals in Japan during this period. It was equally surprising to learn that the majority of Pachinko parlors are owned by Koreans.
What I Watched:
Barbie
Barbie holds the distinction of being the first movie my wife and I watched since the onset of COVID, and we felt it was certainly worthy of that title. The movie maintained an air of fun throughout. I particularly enjoyed the pop culture references and music.
There’s much to be said about the social commentary beneath Barbie’s pink facade. However, I might not be smart enough to unpack all of it here. For a deeper dive, I recommend this episode from the Big Picture podcast.
PROCREATE Drawing for Beginners - EASY Step by Step Tutorial
Art with Flo does an excellent job explaining ProCreate in this beginner’s tutorial video. She made it easy to follow along and recreate the landscape drawing. It felt like one of those wine and paint events from Painting with a Twist.
This was a great introduction to ProCreate. I managed to get comfortable with the interface and even picked up a few tricks. While not perfect, I must admit that my drawing turned out better than expected.
