It's definitely been idiosyncratic (if not solipsistic), and still has IMO some maddening features. And it still [0] has a core flaw that is being mitigated.
OpenSCAD is actually very limited in ways that don't become obvious until you get into a bRep CAD system at least. But it's how I also got into CAD. I wanted to know there was at least something I'd be able to use for my own ideas, and the fact that OpenSCAD exists is definitely a blessing.
If you like it, you might find Build123D [1] interesting: this is a Python (and very pythonic) environment built around the same kernel as FreeCAD.
But I got from OpenSCAD to FreeCAD and I am very glad of it; it's an amazingly capable bit of software once you get past the pain (in the same way Blender is, I gather).
FreeCAD 0.21 has many nice new things in it. 0.22-dev has more, and 1.0, due at some point in this year now, is going to be a pretty major leap forward.
And at least now we have the amazing Mango Jelly Solutions videos on youtube. I recommend them; you'll learn the right way into FreeCAD.
GIMP is not an amazingly capable bit of software for typical designers. It's broken and hobbled.
[0] the topological naming problem: being corrected in the core distribution at the moment as they head to 1.0