Two easy steps to begin learning Flash:

1. If you haven't purchased and installed your own copy of Flash 5 (available in the Sinclair bookstore), download and install the 30-day trial version of Flash from the download area of Macromedia's Web Site -- look for the "try it" button. You can't go on to step two until you have done step one (Aristotle, we love ya).
2. Open Flash and use the tools palette to begin drawing -- the tools palette will be a tall, skinny palette on the left side when you open Flash.