I don't know that it's a right-brain vs left-brain thing so much as a preference in learning style: do you prefer to get the big picture first and then make it

I don't know that it's a right-brain vs left-brain thing so much as a preference in learning style: do you prefer to get the big picture first and then make it real with small chunks, or do you prefer the small chunks first and building the big picture afterward? Although I prefer the big picture first, I've learned it's really useful to bounce between the two modes on a given chunk of learning to make sure I really understand what I thought I understood. Of course, when you first begin programming the computer is annoyingly finicky about those small chunks; unlike IMs, picky little details like punctuation, spelling, and syntax demand your attention before you can get experience with the big pictures.