[jwarren]

I can only assume that you're trying to run before you can walk. Remember that you're just defining a set of layout rules. You're not giving the browser specific instructions to follow. It seems that there's the temptation to assume that CSS is easy and simple, because it's for the web and isn't a proper programming language.

That is clearly not true. CSS describes a complex set of interactions which evolved over many years. You'll have to refer to MDN, experiment in your browser dev tools, etc.

Start in small and isolated chunks. Open a codepen with just a couple of divs and work out how their layout interacts.

I firmly believe that you can write beautiful CSS. Your list of languages shows that you are clearly interested in learning, and in expressing your needs in varied ways.

As an aside, I would recommend having a design on paper/on screen to implement before starting to write your CSS. Until you become relatively fluent with it, I think CSS relatively counter-productive as a design tool. Thinking about the target result as a separate step from implementing that result is going to be a much better approach.