Philosophy by its nature makes its practitioner a gadfly, someone who reminds those not engaged in it that there is something more than “this” and that “this” is not everything. They do this through their words, but most effectively do it through their actions, better yet, through their entire “way of life.”
I wonder how this affects one’s writing or visual voice. People I admire like Thoreau or 100 Rabbits are clearly gadflies. Through their words but more importantly through their way of life, they show us what they stand for, what is possible, and reminds us that there is not one way to live life.