"The successful scientist thinks like a poet but works like a bookkeeper." E.O. Wilson

First, good read today (From E.O. Wilson's _The Social Conquest of Earth_ page 275-276  Liveright publishing, 2012 )

"The successful scientist thinks like a poet but works like a bookkeeper.

I have not finished the chapter, but I wonder if Wilson will say somthing like:

   ... The successful artists thinks like a bookkeeper, but works like a poet ...

Well,I guess if the artist is going to make any money but is that the most important measure of success. If you are hungry, maybe.

Anyway, with the slant toward the scientist, I'm guessing he will not go there.

Okay, but what about engineers? This book is about eusociality, so maybe he'll say something like that.

But what does a poet think like?

The bookkeeping I get, that record keeping, logging, watchfulness, but what about the poet.