[ART] Learning How To Model!

[JenniferOrange]

[I ADDED A POLL FOR YOU GUYS TO PLAY WITH!]
I have quite a few ideas in mind for models, but the problem is simple: I don't know how to model. I own Blender, but looking at all of the different options seem as though they're in a foreign language. I want to add more 'modern' furniture models to Amnesia, for modern-day custom stories. And people, we could always use people. I am also happy to say I have a pretty decent skill of copying pictures, especially if there's a grid involved, then I can get it almost exact. But I have a few questions..

• Do you prefer Blender, Maya, 3DS Max, or another program? Which is easiest to learn from? (And won't blow up my laptop?)
• Where did you learn how to model? Any tutorial links or articles/books would be helpful. (I am a visual learner and learn best from videos, by the way.)
• Any tips and tricks you have to be successful?
• What do you do when you get frustrated and can't think of any ideas? Do you start a new project or push through?
• How long did it take you to get your first model 'just right'?

Thank you for checking out this thread, and hopefully I can be apart of the modelling community too! I'd love to give back to all of you hard-workers who spend months creating custom stories. :]