Yesterday I met up with a friend visiting from Australia and we decided to do the Oscar Wilde walking tour of London. I used to be a huge Wilde fan and my Aussie friend is also no stranger to his works. My only compliant about the tour was it was too long – 2 1/2 hours. It could’ve been an hour shorter and still give all the information about Wilde that one can remember. However, the tour was also interesting as I learned more about Wilde than I ever knew before.

Our jolly tour guide in action

The tour opened with the little known fact that women were more attracted to Wilde’s company than men! The tour guide joked that while he’s doing this tour for 20 years, never once has he had more men in the group than women. So even in death, women are more partial to Wilde.

One thing I learned about Wilde is that he was more of an excessive spender than I thought! He managed to spend over £5,000 at the Cafe Royal during his life. £5,000 may sound like a reasonable amount to spend over a lifetime at your favourite place, but this was the late 1800s. The average working class person made £2 a week. The most expensive gourmet meal for two was under £4.

One of the former hotels where Wilde stayed. One of the few where the original building is still there.

Wilde artifacts on display at Fox of St. James

The Royal Arcade. This place held the florist where Wilde bought many dozens of green carnations for his lapel. The green carnation became the symbol for queer men to recognise each other in Victorian times.

Overall, the tour was informative, as you can imagine. If you are really into Wilde, it’s a nice few hours out. However, by the end I was so hungry and tired, when we got to our afternoon tea at Drink, Shop & Do, I was really, really glad to be warm and indoors.

Art and a book made by one of my godchildren.

Well, it turns out, I may be making a friend in the class. We go on our tea breaks together and she’s very nice. I had her laughing when I said “I hate painting noses!”. She understood. She also told me to forget the pressure, and to paint like you’re a kid again. She made some really great points about how it’s unfair how artists put pressure on themselves to create something great from the first brushstroke, and that instead you should be having fun. Remember what it is like to be a kid, and approach art this way. Also keep in mind that your painting is going to be ugly before it even appproaches beautiful, and even your favourite artists have not always produced great work. Also, by the way, what is considered great? Great art is in the eye of the beholder.

So after our tea, we went back upstairs and I painted like I didn’t care…and guess what? The frustration went away and I was back on track with my project. So, whatever you do, whether it’s painting, photography, scrapbooking, etc… Remember: don’t take it so seriously! Just have fun.