What is an artist?

Recently two people have come into my life in varying degrees. Whether I have a single mindful conversation or strike up a lasting friendship with someone, time spent with anyone generally impacts my life in some way. I have never referred to myself as an artist, rather as a creative person. Recently these two newbies have not referred to me as a Pastry Chef, or as a creative quirky gal, but as an Artist. I know these are all just titles, and one can easily get caught up in titles for jobs, boyfriends and life responsibilities. Sometimes however a title can cause you to delve into things that matter to you. What is an artist? I have been pondering this question on my runs for the past week. Is an artist a creative person? Yes. Does an artist have to create visual art? No. Is writing an art? What side of your brain do you use when writing... your artistic side or your analytical side?
I am what one would call hyper creative. There are droughts in creativity at times, and then suddenly the floodgates open and I cannot stop. Idea after idea is flowing and the key to my life's journey is to channel this creativity into productivity. Call it the middle way if you will. Sometimes Buddha is the way to go. So my creativity turned productivity has steered me in some challenging directions. Hence becoming a writer and a Pastry Chef, rather than just hanging out in my kitchen dreaming up desserts and flavor combinations and getting lost in my mind, never transferring my thoughts on to paper. Writing can be self righteous, but rather than focusing on what people may think of my writing I just do. Yes I edit myself and no I am not the most interesting person in the world. Hey if this is therapy, it is pretty affordable and effective.
Back to the meaning of an Artist. I have come to this simple conclusion that really only brushes the surface of my craft(s) and focus. An Artist enriches someones life to whatever degree they want or are able to allow(losing yourself in art). Whether someone merely views a painting, a dish, hears a snippet of a song....their life is enriched by your creative channel. When someone purchases a painting, CD, or a tasting menu, yes they are supporting your art and you in turn are having an impact on their life whether they realize it or not. So simply an artists role in life is to enrich lives. Then I began to ponder what a businessman does, as a new one has popped into my stream of consciousness over the past several weeks. A businessman or finance man encourages success in others. Whether they are giving advice on how to better your life, or being living examples of success for others to aspire to, they are making impressions on lives. Even bad business, or whatever you want to call it... this can impact someones life by showing them something they should learn from or fight against.

Business exercises the mind, Artists enrich it