Heh... ok.... first of all... people who wear shirts that say "SQL is Cool", aren't. 😉

If you must wear a shirt on the subject, step it up a couple of notches...
https://www.sunfrog.com/Data-Base-Administrator--SOLVE-192312050-Black-Guys.html?15435

As for learning, I found that I need either good material with good examples written by a thoughtful author or same thing but with a good instructor, both of whom understand the arts of thoughtful repetition (here's what we're going to do, here's how to do it, here's what we just did) and appropriate revelation.  If I can't find much on a given subject that I need to learn, then I try to learn it in the same fashion that I'd like someone to teach it.

"Sub lessons" are important, as well.  In other words, instead of trying to eat the elephant all at once, it's important to eat it one bite of a time and know where each bite is coming from.  After all, there are some parts of the elephant you should be taught not to eat... at least not raw 😉