"Data is what distinguishes the dilettante from the artist"

This quote by George V. Higgins speaks with the value of data in the creative process. It suggests that data is what separates the amateur from the professional. The trifler is someone who is not fluent in a specific field, and hence lacks the data required to produce something of quality. The artist, on the other hand, has the information to support their creative choices. They comprehend the subtleties of their craft and can utilize data to notify their decisions. Data is the structure of the artist's work, and without it, their work would do not have the depth and complexity that makes it really fantastic. Data is the crucial to unlocking the artist's prospective and developing something truly special.