1. A method of providing visual feedback to illustrate a data editing operation, the method comprising: displaying a first visual representation that represents data that is in a first state; and in response to user input that specifies a cut operation that has an effect that places the data in a second state that differs from the first state by removing, from the data, a particular portion of the data that is currently user-selected, performing steps comprising: displaying a second visual representation that shows the data as being modified by removing, from the data, a portion of the data that is of a same size as the particular portion but is not the particular portion; generating a third visual representation that represents the data in the second state; and displaying one or more intermediate visual representations of the data in one or more intermediate states that are interpolated based on (a) a state that corresponds to the second visual representation and (b) the second state; wherein each of the one or more intermediate visual representations differs from the first and third visual representations.