Dennis,
I'm self taught. I learn by experimenting (as far as software goes, anyway) -- there's nothing I can screw up.
I did the same with 3D software such as LightWave and Maya.
I feel that this way when I work on an image, I'm giving it my all. I'm not applying something which has been shown me. It's all me. If it doesn't work, no problem, I scrap it and start again.
I guess I'd just like my work to be unique, and, my hope is that it shows in my output.
Also, CS4 looks awesome. I'll be building a new machine in the next two weeks as my wedding photography is really putting a strain on my poor old 4 year old notebook! Once I've got the hardware set, I'll invest in CS4.
Cheers.
Regards,
Humayun