it's all pretty well put together nowadays honestly.
here's a dead simple way : (1) download LM Studio, install it[0] (2) download a model from within the client when prompted (3) have a ball.
the program is fairly intuitive, it takes care of finding the relevant files, and it can even accept addendum prompts and various ways to flavor or specialize answers.
Learn the basics there, take what you learn to a more 'industrial' playground later on.