I've managed to craft a bare-bones script for create and read (in case it helps any other noob).

import { Directus } from '@directus/sdk';
const directus = new Directus('https://domain/');
await directus.auth.static('static_token');

const test = directus.items('test');
await test.createOne({
    status: 'draft',
    name: 'Jo',
    age: 20,
    points: 5,
});

const tests = await directus.items('test').readMany();
console.log({
    items: tests.data,
//      total: tests.meta.total_count,
});

The "total: tests.meta.total_count" is straight from web docs, but doesn't work, so investigating. Probably my error as usual.

So now I know calls to Directus work fairly easy.
I guess where my knowledge is failing (apart from this being the very first Node script I've done) is linking CRUD functions to a front-end. But I will keep looking.

The intended app is also v.simple.

• Users self-register
• Users login
• User then views available events
• User registers for event and buys tickets to event (probably handle that through a Stripe call)
• Email ticket confirmation and receipt to user
• User can reset their password

I guess I will figure out, just always prefer to use a library or framework for the heavy lifting and reduce scope for errors in my DIY coding.