Xiong Qinghua's oil painting work. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After getting married in 2004, Xiong also worked at city factories to make more money. He quit soon because doing same things on the assembly lines every day "almost drove him to a breakdown". He later looked for jobs at the Dafen oil painting village in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. He was turned down for "not having a diploma of painting and unwilling to produce artistic goods", he says.

He "ran back home", continuing to paint and perform odd jobs to make ends meet. He was a stranger to fellow villagers who never heard of oil painting and wondered why he didn't stay in cities like other migrant workers.

"In their eyes, I was a grown-up with a willful child living inside, I was disapproved, and I was a loser. But I believe there are always things more important than eating," Xiong said.

"I can endure any suffering. I just can't stand a life that is neither creative nor interesting. Even when I fail one thousand times, I still see the hope will come next."