By Peng Wei. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Full-time journalist, part-time painter

However, she did not make a living as a painter after graduation.

"No one can feed themselves by painting at the start. I also needed to find a job in Beijing, or I had to rely on my parents," Peng said.

Her first job was as a journalist for Art, a journal published by the China Artists Association. Being a reporter did not stop her painting. She often picked up her brushes after work.

"I was young then and had endless energy to go on painting after work," she recalled.