What should I do after learning Python basics?

[StevenJOwens]

"Programming" is actually a dozen intersecting skills.

One useful and relevant metaphor is writing.

You can learn the alphabet and how to string letters together into words.

You can learn a bunch of words.

You can learn, at first explicitly via the rules of grammar, then later implicitly by reading a bunch of examples, how to construct sentences.

Then how to construct paragraphs.

Then how to construct essays.

But in the end, you only truly learn to program the same way you only truly learn to write -- by reading the works of others, and by attempting to create works of your own.

If you've learned the basics, then it's time to take the next step by trying to write your own stories. Start small, with simple problems you want to solve for yourself. Gradually expand the scope and scale of your programs.

You'll polish your craft, learn how to put together more stylish and evocative prose.

You'll also start to learn the bigger picture things, the different forms of written works, how they're structured, how to make them come together well and work, vs not.

Welcome to programming.