[ Data takes the interruption as a matter of course. Knowing when it might be better to stop talking is an ever-developing process-- this is a flow that most of his conversations follow.

He finds both his companion and the slight shift in subject intriguing to boot, absorbing the information with rapt attention.

Species: unknown, humanoid.

He's met more than a metaphorical handful of life forms who fall outside of his range of knowledge. Which is saying something, as a Starfleet Academy graduate with honors in xenobiology. ]

Creativity and progress, whether in the arts or in the field of scientific experimentation, are often inextricably linked. You cannot create something new without the capacity to find or invent new possibilities, however remote, in the pursuit of transformation. Without first-- seeing beyond the truth of what exists in front of you. The potential for a mountain range, perhaps, where there is only blank canvas.

[ He tilts his head briefly towards the screen for emphasis, a movement somewhat stilted but very deliberate. ]

I believe pure creativity is one of humanity's greatest attributes.

[ Hence his tendency to engage with it through as many mediums as possible. ]