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Artists are different in the sense that we typically employ our energies toward the visual and emotional impact or communication we can effect in others. This applies to the broad categories of fine and commercial art.
Most of the stereotypical descriptions of artists have no more value than those assigned to accountants, scientists, engineers, and others. It has been my experience as a commercial/ industrial as well as fine artist, that in fact there is a lot more in common than usually recognized. The general public has a notion that all artist are creative and those in the measured sciences not. I have found this untrue.
The term Artist, like other professional titles, is simply a broad brush (no pun intended) way of grouping activity and interests. How good you are and your area of specialty has not much to do with it.
The following quote by Robert Henri is one of my favorites. He has a larger definition of art/artist than is typically understood and I would not expect him to encourage a Bouguereau vs. Hockney argument.
"ART when really understood is the province of every human being. It is simply a question of doing things, any thing well. It is not an outside, extra thing.
When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows there are still more pages possible.
The world would stagnate without him, and the world would be beautiful with him, for he is interesting to others. He does not have to be a painter or sculptor to be an artist. He can work in any medium. He simply has to find the gain in the work itself, not outside it".
Robert Henri
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