> Exactly, ultimately we are craftsmen, not artisans. They are two very distinct things. The difference being that the value of our output is directly tied to its' functional utility, not any sense of aesthetic or artistic expression.
That's the usual definition of an artisan as opposed to an artist. (Artisan vs. craftsman is a fuzzier distinction.)
An artisan uses artistic techniques and their own intuitive judgement to produce a practical good. Think bakers. No one would be upset that their local bakery was using tools and techniques from a thousand years ago to make their bread. But a carpenter, for example, is a craftsman. He may take an aesthetic pride in the finished result of his work, but it must match all technical specifications and building codes. And the customer would be pretty upset to see them using wood planes and hand saws to frame their house.
That's the usual definition of an artisan as opposed to an artist. (Artisan vs. craftsman is a fuzzier distinction.)