Programming is the process of putting instructions down on paper for a computer to follow. You program in a programming language (like Python or JavaScript) to tell the computer what to do. These instructions could be anything from adding numbers together to printing out a message or repeating something again and again. It's like giving the computer a recipe to follow, step by step. 

Python is a readable programming language used in web development, data analysis, automation, and more. It's simple to learn, powerful, and has a large community with lots of helpful resources for beginners.