You really don't have to be a pro to make absolutely outstanding fractals with this free program from Apophysis.org.  Makes ya just wanna grab a bong and stare at the beauty that is color and chaos.  I made a set on Flickr several years ago, and tonight I found the program again and downloaded it.  Good fun, I tell ya.  I would love to see some you make.

Fractal: 

1. A geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smaller scales to produce irregular shapes and surfaces that cannot be represented by classical geometry. Fractals are used especially in computer modeling of irregular patterns and structures in nature.