[rivalis]

Not always. Sometimes "outsiders" just want some kind of insight as to why you do what you do all day; they're curious. A mathematician interested in engaging with the public has to try and identify which question is being asked. It's actually slightly dangerous to assume that your interlocutor is only interested in utility, because this type of answer can come across as disingenuous or dismissive.

I don't think that whenever someone asks an artist or writer what the "point" of their work is that they're looking for a justification for allocating public funds to it. They might want that, but they also might want some kind of insight into or identification with the intrinsic motivation for the work.