Making my text curve

I am a lucky novice, in the fact that I am winging it as I go. I learn by experimenting, not watching others, even though sometimes it definitely helps.

I'm trying to make some text curve, but I keep getting an error when I choose the "Type on a Path" tool and try to enter text. The error reads "you must click on a non-compound, non-masking path to create text along a path"

What does this even mean? I'm in a new, blank project.