Wizards of the Coast is usually very careful about how fast they let players generate cards and mana, but they are far less strict about how fast you can generate, say, Clues or Squirrel tokens
Artifacts arent a creature type, but a separate card type
If you only want to pick up a few cards, booster and starter packs can put your foot in the door
Red is one of the best, and having access to green gives you the ability to ramp and help fix your colors so you are always able to cast your spells
I cant leave behind the Lorwyn block without a brief shout-out to (technically 2008s) Slippery Bogle
Thats why, in honor of Mothers Day in the USA, were showing our appreciation for all the moms out there in the only way we know how: with esoteric Magic: The Gathering references