The Greeks had no word or concept like our “creative” so, instead, when discussing the mind of Man the Maker, Aristotle and Adler refer to productive thinking. This would be the generative thought that is associated with invention or innovation. In the creation of any thing, two phases of thought are required: (1) productive thinking and (2) know-how. The difference between the two is exemplified in the differing roles of the architect and the construction foreman.
Of course, one person might possess both of these capabilities, but they are separate nonetheless. The important thing to note, however, is that both are processes of the mind – the mind is the principal factor in human production; everything else is instrumental.
The Greek word techne (from which we get technique and technician) is equivalent to the Latin word ars (from which we get art) – both mean skill. In that vein, an artist is a person who has the know-how/skill/technique for making things. We could go further and call them creative artists if they also have the productive idea from which the thing can be planned and made.
In this sense, a carpenter is an artist. What about a doctor, though? Or a teacher? Obviously, they have SOME important know-how! There is a fundamental difference, though – the desk made by a carpenter would not have otherwise existed, whereas the learning effected by a teacher might have. Whereas the carpenter produces his desired product, the teacher and doctor must cooperate with nature to achieve theirs.
In the end, Aristotle draws all kinds of artists – productive, cooperative, and “artistic” – together by the goal of all art: to create something that is well-made. How else can we explain the appreciation we might feel for a “beautiful” car or dress or, hell, the latest Apple product. Man the Maker is an artist, in one sense of the word or another, because he appreciates beauty and craftsmanship.
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