What does being an artist mean?

In a conversation with my husband recently it came to light that he really struggles with what it means to be an artist.  He does art because there is something about his art that touches the souls of others, and we request more.  His first training was not as an artist but as a social worker and if you look at his work you can see that this is still what he reaches for: a way to help others, only now he does it through his art.  He does it by bringing awareness to their plight whether that is the human rights violations done to political activists like Victor Jara, or issues surrounding the homeless on the streets of Memphis.  His art pushes you to think.  It pushes you to get involved.  Hopefully it pushes you to care.  I recently ran across this definition of an artist and I think it fits him well:  (n) artist, creative person (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination)