The work I do includes drawing, but I think of myself as more of a communicator than an artist. Others say I *should* call myself that -- but for some reason, it's hard!
Interesting! Well you know, artist can be used to describe creating art, demonstrating and practicing a variety of different things. 
Well, and by that definition I am an artist ;-) How about you -- are you creative? Do you have a favorite artist or type of art?
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only. The term is often used in the entertainment business, especially in a business context, for musicians and other performers (less often for actors). "Artiste" (the French for artist) is a variant used in English only in this context; this use is becoming rare. Use of
hip-hop itself a genre? If it is then I want to transcend hip-hop too, and in that case- I'm not a hip-hop artist, I'm more. But if, as I think, hip-hop is something bigger than genres, then I'm comfortable with it, and calling myself a hip-hop artist is fine in that case. It's all about people's different perceptions. But I listen to all music, so I am all music, you know? Man