The suggestion to start small and work your way up is good.

I understand you were looking to create a specific map for a specific project. So try that. Pick just one tutorial and stick with it. follow it word for word, right to the letter. Post your work as you go and ask for suggestions or clarifications. Speaking from experience, the tutorial authors are active on this site and seem very willing to share their views and help clarify points. Plus a number of others on the site have gone through the same tutorials a number of times and can offer helpful suggestions.

So go ahead, start it from scratch, toss something up here after you get a few steps in when you seem to lose track of what's going on, and let's see if you can't make a masterpiece by the time you're done!