Suggest you stick with only Carrara at this point.(Very lttle that can not be done in Carrara--you dont need other apps while learning--they confuse you)

Have you tried opening a cube in the vertex room and said to yourself "I am going to make an elephant (say), then just played around trying to--at least roughly--create one?

Do little exercises day by day, without tutes, gradually you will build up an expertise you didnt think you had. You will have to make three steps forward and two steps backwards, but you will be doing things with your ideas at your pace.

Simply experiment.

bwtr