Ah Lan has a bright smile, just like the Chinese character in her name suggests. She moved to Beijing in 2014 and found herself lost in the metropolis. The strangers she saw there did not smile; in fact, they seemed to show no expression at all. One day she got up at 5 o’clock even though she had nothing to do. She picked up a brush and started painting. Ever since then, painting has been an integral part of her life. In 118 days, she did more than 200 paintings. People have told her that they see themselves in her paintings.

With little money, Ah Lan still managed to hold an exhibition in Song Zhuang, a suburb of Beijing and home to a vibrant artistic community. “Most of the time life is boring and uninteresting,” she said. “You have to find some way to make it fun. So no matter what you want to do, do it, and keep doing it. Make yourself happy and let others enjoy it, too.”

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