Is Programming Left Brain or Right Brain

I’ve been a bad blogger.

Last week was a blur. I remember doing a lot with live API’s and some custom API’s. I also remembered that group projects can be very challenging. I remember that I’m still having PTSD nightmares from trying to use the Flickr API.

We were put in groups of 4 and had to come up with a fake restaurant website using custom API for the menu, daily special, and blog. Plus, the google maps API and the aforementioned evil Flickr API. It was a doozy, mostly because it was the first time we have had to collaborate on a project.

Merge conflicts on merge conflicts on merge conflicts.

But, we learned a lot and survived. Which is really the overrall goal of this entire front end course, if I really think about it.

Something else I’ve been thinking about: whether programming is a left brain or right brain activity.

I know that I have always been a creative/right brain type of person. I love art, music, dancing, reading, writing, creating, I’m a very visual learner, I’m good at communicating. Usually. My boyfriend might say different.

But, I think programming has a stigma of being a left brain/analytical activity. Engineers and developers are supposed to be socially awkward, introverts that avoid people at all costs. Right?

WRONG!

I really think it’s both. Well, I think it’s a combination of both and some people utilize more left brain or right brain logic depending on which they favor.

With Front End, we really do a lot of design. And seeing the results in the DOM is really helpful and gratifying. But all the building and strucure is incredibly left brain. Thinking through the JavaScript is exhausting. And the syntax has to be PERFECT. Do we use jQuery? Or underscore? Or handlebar?

No wonder I’m so mentally exhausted every day, I’m using BOTH left and right brain.

Today was a good day. We had to build a blog timeline using a live API. And then we had to make it responsive and mobile compatible. It was the most independent project I’ve built in the quickest amount of time. I’m really happy that it makes sense.

I’m sure tomorrow will have me back to bashing my head against a wall. But for tonight, I’m enjoying the feeling knowing what’s up. Kind of.