paraphrasing of more serious version of LitTheory prof's metaphor for English major:
You see the English major standing in front of a mountain of almost-chaotic information, like a giant technicolor fractal. After studying it, she promptly sets to work, scanning for nodes of information, dissecting rough-hewn gems from the the semi-fluid meaning and beginning to manipulate them with subtle waves and gestures of her hands, a conductor and sculptor of intangible tangibles. She cuts and polishes each, fitting them together in a crystal lattice of transition and explanation, and turns to present the finished piece upon the palm of her hand, bowing with a small smile on her face.