Create fantastic artwork using Photoshop

I can see these fantastic works of art in my minds eye – melding elements of various photographs together to create mystical portraits of people and animals. However – when I go to do this, I get so frustrated!!! I bought Photoshop Elements, thinking it would be easier to learn than regular Photoshop. But so far, I just feel like a complete idiot, and I’ve come nowhere NEAR what my mental picture is. Very frustrating….