try this exercise...strum all the way downstroke, slowly...and make sure u hit every string...just play it open as of now...and when u pick past the 1st string, do the same thing, but this time upstroke...that is start from the 1st string and strum upwards all the way to the 6th..keep practising that and eventually ull get used to it...strumming up and down is important...patience is always prevalent in guitar learning...

rock on :cool: