I certainly do encourage you to find a "seasoned" angler and go with them, it will speed the learning curve. This site is a good place to do that.
That said, I myself am pretty much self taught. Oh, I had a background of baitfishing and knew how to read water and such. I had some influences along the way. But by and large, I spent a lot of time on the water. A true passion for the sport will turn you into a seasoned angler quickly. A few points:
1. Vary your experiences. This sport is really regional, and one shop, guide, or geographic area will teach you one method and ignore others. Even experienced anglers get in ruts, where they're fishing the same 3 or 4 streams over and over and they tend to not be very rounded, and struggle to translate skills to new streams and conditions. Rather, go to a bunch of different styled streams, fish with a bunch of people, fish different stream and weather conditions, etc. You'll be better for it in the long run.
2. There are no "right" answers. One danger of going the "seasoned" angler companion method is falling into whatever rut they're into. They're going to tell you "the right thing to do in this situation is ______". I mean, certainly, take that advice and give it a shot. But be willing to be your own person too, try stuff. The "expert" just might learn a thing or two.
3. Cover water. I'm huge on this. Keep moving. Your most effective cast in any hole is your first one. Unless I'm hemmed in by people, I throw 3 or 4 casts to a spot and move on. On small streams, I can cover miles in a few hours. On large streams, you often get hemmed in by people, and may have 100 yards or so to yourself. In those situations, I start at the bottom and fish the whole thing, and then, if going further is problematic, I go back to the bottom and fish the same water again. Just that 10-15 minute "break" for any fish makes you much more successful than standing over the fish and casting repeatedly to him.