Concerns & Hopes for Art 7A

I wasn't really sure what I was getting into with a class as vaguely titled as "Art & Life," but considering it's a prerequisite for art majors, I had to sign up. I came to UCSB undeclared yet already knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to pursue art, mainly photography. I love taking photos in my spare time and using editing programs, but I've never taken an actual photography class. Everything I know about art I've either learned from my dad, who does real estate photography, or I've just picked up via the internet/experience. I get anxious about taking "real" art classes because I'm overly concerned with getting good grades. I feel like being creative and artistic doesn't work well with structured academics--it seems strange to receive a letter grade for something so subjective and personal.

This is one of my concerns. I'm afraid I'm going to get too wrapped up in creating something wild from my imagination that no one else can appreciate or that I'm going to only fixate on getting an A without finding the right balance between the two extremes. I want to improve my photography by learning about new perspectives and styles, yet I want to keep my GPA up at the same time. I also recognize that this isn't strictly a photo class--our assignments and lectures will not be so narrowly tailored to my interest. And to be honest, thinking about how to visually create a pun has been on my mind ever since lecture. I have a small anxiety attack at the thought of presenting my pun to the class and being answered with confused silence. The idea of improvising an infomercial is equally terrifying. I'm usually shy and introverted, and these assignments are definitely going to push me out of my comfort zone. I'm afraid I won't allow myself to fully enjoy the class experience or put a deep and sincere effort forth because of personal inhibitions. I hope to overcome such insecurities and broaden my artistic breadth because I know succeeding in doing so will make me a better person in all aspects of life.