This from an old timer who’s trying to make a living using mostly AE.
The best learning I have ever done for AE is taking the project that people use as a part of tutorials and reverse engi neering them.
In other words taking them apart and try seeing how they work or just trrying to use my content instead of theirs.
Other than that AE is like everything else. Lotsa work before you see and positive results at all.
I am still attempting to put together my toolkit of effects that I can haul out for any occassion but I know of only 1 essential that you “MUST” have. You must be able to take 2-d images and create the illusion of depth or you won’t be taken seriously.
Best
Dan