Can someone explain layers in photoshop or procreate for me?

I can not help you lol. I have not been able to figure it out...but...If you have an apple store nearby they have free workshops. I have made a playlist on Youtube of beginning procreate videos, I am hoping those will be helpful to me.

Procreate! I love this program!

Layers....when you open the layers panel the check mark in the box shows a layer. If you uncheck the layer it is hidden, but still there.
--When I write I put a line of words per layer so I can edit each layer on it's own.
--When I add color I sometimes add them separately unless I want he colors to blend with each other.
-------Layer 1: I have a layer that is dark blue at the bottom to lighter at the top (all one layer)
-------Layer 2: stars
-------Layer 3: word that I enlarged/blurred
-------Layer 4: word
-------Layer 5: where I added blurred highlights to accent letters

Procreate has their own site. Lots of help and information there.

Thought---
Layer 1--Draw an X lower right corner
Add a layer
Layer 2--Draw an O in the upper left corner
Add a layer
Layer 3 -- Now erase your O. You won't be able to, same with X as you are on top of those layers, but can see them. You can turn off a layer(s) if you need to.

Actually layers is EXACTLY like that. Each layer starts out either with a solid or transparent background, depending on what you pick. I almost always use transparent so that I can see what is underneath each layer.  

When you want to erase something on one layer so it coordinates with something on the next layer, lower the transparency of the layer you are working on and you will be able to see underneath it and you'll know exactly what to erase and what to leave in.

Also be sure to label (bottom right) every new layer you create so you know what layer you're working in and how to go back to it.  

Make sure you click on the layer you are wanting to edit. Sounds logical, right? But in the beginning I would try to edit a layer and get frustrated because it didn't work, but it was because a different layer was active than the one I thought I was working on.

Label each layer! It is so hard to figure out if shape 3 is the square you drew or the thick line.

I usually make a copy of a layer before I start editing it so I have the original to compare it to, especially for photos. Sometimes I mess it up so bad I want to start over. You can turn the original layer on or off or delete it entirely when you are done.

I also remember having trouble with the background layer. If you want to move items on that layer, you have to copy the layer and edit the copy because the 1st layer is "stuck" down. You can then delete the background layer or turn it off from view.

If you want to move an item/layer (such as a person you cut out from one photo and want to add it to another photo) from 1 document to another be sure both documents are set at the same view (50% or 35% or whatever) or the item shows up smaller or bigger in the document you paste it into. The only way I've had good luck doing this is to use the "place" command (under file). I think you have to save the layer as a jpeg to use place, but you can probably read about the place function somewhere if you need to do this. This was one of the most frustrating things for me until I figured it out!

Hope these suggestions make sense. Keep working at it because once you understand how to use layers editing is so much easier!