1. Well, I was kind of a child when I first began. My grandmother was a witch and she thought me many things, taking me out for walks, getting plants, teaching me what they are used for. And everything I would do, I would do with her. When I first started practising alone, I was in secondary school and it was because I was doing something I knew she would disagree with. So I would say I was rather stupid when I first began and poorly informed and not aware of the consequences of my actions. I created a potion to change my eye colour that contained belladonna and I put too much belladonna in it and luckily I got to the hospital soon enough and the doctors washed my eyes and kept me under supervision, as there were chances I could lose my sight. I didn't, after all, but for sure it was a scare. And since then I have started informing myself a lot and be very careful with everything that I say or do.
2. Read a lot, but read from good sources. If something doesn't make sense to you, you shouldn't try it just to see if it works or not. Check the quantities for potions as many times as possible.
3. I have managed to correctly brew almost all of the potions from my grandmother's books. And the ones that I didn't were because I simply couldn't find the ingredients I needed, no matter where I looked for them. Maybe in future? Hopefully :D
I was originally focused on hate and cursing. I had this idea that magic was like what it is in Hollywood. Its evolved and adapted many times over because the perspective changes with new information. I've learned that just because I can do something, doesn't mean I have to, and just because I have the opportunity to say something in conversation, doesn't mean the recipient is able or willing to understand in regards to my beliefs and the things I've studied.
Don't give up. It's a twisting, winding path, for some. Your pursuit will endlessly teach you new things. Roll with the punches and fight distraction and procrastination. Remember that no matter how much you read and study, all the resources you have at your fingertips, or thumb tips, mean nothing if you're unwilling to apply yourself and what you learn.
Shielding my home and friends then feeling the drain. I was much younger looking to experiment with shielding and I found I could place one not just over my house, but the entire property which on an acreage. So I wanted to push it and begin shielding and "filtering" negativity out of people who came under my shield lest they be repelled by my company or have to leave unexpectedly. Shortly thereafter I would feel drained with every person who came through. I performed a cleansing, adjusted my shield, and moved on to the next pursuit.
