Derek Guzman

Reconciling Power and Peace

The Leftist vs. Liberal Paradigm of Magneto and Professor Xavier in X-Men Reconciling Power and Peace: The Leftist vs. Liberal Paradigm of Magneto and Professor Xavier in X-Men0:00/556.5387761× * X-Men critiques real-world oppression through Magneto’s militancy and Xavier’s nonviolence. * Magneto echoes Malcolm X’s “by any

Decoding Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Half Time Performance

The Obvious and The Nuanced Decoding Kendrick Lamars Super Bowl Half Time Performance0:00/390.5306121× * Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was an unapologetically real and politically charged spectacle, outshining any other rapper who could have taken the stage. * Samuel L. Jackson’s Uncle Sam satire highlighted white America&

The Starving Artist Myth

Celebrating Creativity Without the Scarcity Complex The Starving Artist Myth0:00/566.0473471× * Romanticizing the starving-artist archetype, rooted in elitist patronage, perpetuates harmful stereotypes and inequities. * Glorifying suffering creates a toxic cycle of exploitation, gatekeeping, and elitism. * True creativity demands communal support and fair compensation, not heroic scarcity. I was

Rekindling the Flame

Restoring Love of Craft Through Self-Compassion Rekindling the Flame0:00/793.5477551× * As adults, we often abandon the spontaneous, joyful creativity of our childhood due to mounting responsibilities, external judgments, and the pressure to monetize or perfect our art. * Social expectations and fears of being “uncool” or “unproductive” push us

Origins of Accelerationism

Where It Came From and Why It's In Such a Hurry Origins of Accelerationism0:00/727.041× * Accelerationism, a philosophy originating from Nick Land, advocates for intensifying capitalism’s own mechanisms until it collapses, leading to varied political interpretations from both left- and right-wing groups. * Right-wing Accelerationists aim

Find Your Voice Like a Thief

How Stealing the Swag of Artists That Came Before You Builds on Art History Find Your Voice Like a Thief0:00/533.551021× * All great artists, from Da Vinci to Michelangelo, built on the ideas of those who came before them, transforming rather than merely imitating. * Leonardo da Vinci’s