Programming is a creative act whereby a programmer applies their mind to a problem and produces a work that addresses that problem.  In this sense it is more like authoring a poem than it is like laying a brick wall or transcribing a conversation.

Some common problems have been dealt with; their solution often is rote.  Few real-world problems can be couched entirely in terms of past solved problems, meaning that programmers must employ more inventiveness than process to practice their craft.

'''But''' programs and data are the same thing.  ''They're ''homoiconic'', you mean? '' ''';)''' So CodingIsJustDataEntry. DesignIsCreative.  ''But, TheSourceCodeIsTheDesign.''

'''However''', data entry transcribes data.  Programming creates data.

See also ProgrammersStone for a good exposition of this idea.