Whose point of view?

Yes, as you'll see from this post's accompanying images, it's a flower arranging day. Despite our tutor's modelling, as usual I started off today's arrangement with no particular design in mind (shame on me, I know!), but it usually works for me, as flowers, like us girls' hair, tend to have a mind of their own when it comes to which way they want to go. Want something curly, that lovely leaf you carefully so picked for its curves, will stand up straight; want a flower to turn its head right, it'll twist around to the left, and so on.

Moving on to the point I'm really trying to make, when I'd finished my composition, on a whim I turned the vase to face diagonally instead of square-on and thought: 'Wow! That works too!'. When I got home I took the usual photos of my creative attempts turning the vase this way and that.

So, as with writing, not only can a piece vary depending from whose viewpoint we are writing, but it can also be interpreted differently depending on what angle the reader takes on the work. I was also strongly reminded today of our Advanced Practice tutor's first lecture, when he referred us to different paintings, which all told a different narrative, and which changed or anamorphed and exposed other details depending from what position you viewed the paintings. Holbein's The Ambassadors is a prime example of this. If you're not familiar with this painting, see if you can find the skull depicted in it.

Editing assignments getting you down?

Who likes editing? The answer to that is probably editors! Editing can be the bane of a student writer's life (and I suspect an established writer's life). Having just completed a particularly onerous assignment, where I and my peers were required to edit a book project about the humble apple, I can honestly say this took the prize for being the pits! I never want to see, smell or eat an apple, or anything remotely to do with apples again(oh, except maybe my new I-phone!).
So how do you relax, wind down, come down or whatever after a particularly gruelling and frustrating period of edting, re-writing or just plain writing that didn't go so well? Would love to hear from you!
What works for me?

Going for a swim at the beach.

Listening to music, and last but certainly not least

Going to flower arranging!

When I walk in the room and hear my tutor's soothing, calm voice; see, smell and touch the gorgeous blooms and foliage he has chosen for us, not to mention coming out with something half resembling an arrangement, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling and all the tension disappears. If only the writing process were that easy. But do you know what the trickiest bit is? Getting the flower arrangment safely home in the car, or even just into the car, not to mention up the stairs to my flat!

If you're interested, today's effort (pictured) consists mainly of white and purple-pink orchids, a special type of baby's breath, Albany woolly bush from Western Australia, Philodendron leaves, Leucandron from Argentina (it feels like stroking a pussycat!), Nandina, and I've forgotten the name of the silvery-grey leaves at the front. The professional florists among you may despair, but I feel good!