The life of a domestic worker from a remote part of China has taken an unexpected turn as her surprising array of artistic talents have propelled her to stardom, with her skills as a writer, painter, and even a stage performer serving as an inspiration to many of her rural peers.
Li Wenli, a seemingly ordinary 56-year-old from a farming community in Pingliang City of northwest China's Gansu Province, has shown why it's never too late to give up on your dreams, as proven by what she has achieved in a short space of time after seizing the opportunity to work in Beijing.
During the span of some six years, Li has produced volumes of literary work, created hundreds of paintings, and even graced the stage as the lead dancer in an acclaimed drama show in the Chinese capital. What's even more remarkable is that Li had never even ventured beyond her hometown in the first four decades of her life. Although she loved reading, singing and dancing from a young age, these passions were unattainable in her rural environment. Like many women in her community, her life revolved around farming, marriage, and raising children.
In 2005, tragedy struck, when a horrific car accident resulted in Li's husband losing a leg, leaving the household without a primary income. Faced with this hardship, Li had to step up to support her family.
The major turning point came in the spring of 2017, when the local Women's Federation offered a domestic service training course, which Li eagerly joined. She was trained as a maternity matron and soon moved to Beijing.
With her interest in writing, Li joined a literature group in the city and began to explore her creative side. Encouraged by her fellow group members, Li soon started to see new possibilities in herself.
"I see painting as a healing process, so is writing. When I experience something that others don't know about, I feel compelled to write it down and share it with others," she said.
After finishing her domestic work, Li often recorded her daily experiences on her phone, sometimes staying up until midnight. She and eight other members of the literary group published a collection of their works titled The Laborers' Stars, which received a rating of 7.8 points out of 10 on the popular review platform Douban.
Li's new life in the bustling capital Beijing also made her reflect on her upbringing, where her family emphasized obedience to seniors and reinforced traditional gender roles, and she said she started to gain a new perspective.
"When I was at home, my family would say how the elders should be treated. They would say that children must listen to the elders, and then they would talk about how women should behave and how men should behave. They always said that I am obedient. But now I think to myself: why should it be this way?" she said.
Li went on to devote most of her free time to writing, painting, singing and dancing, and said she was like a seed finding warm soil, where she could grow and thrive while pursuing her dreams.
Li's creative journey culminated in an extraordinary moment towards the end of last year, when the French choreographer Jerome Bel sought to cast 20 people of varied backgrounds for a dance drama in Beijing.
Sensing a unique opportunity, Li recorded a video of herself dancing and submitted it to the director. Incredibly, she was not just selected to appear in the show but was in fact chosen to be the lead dancer in the dance drama "Gala", making her debut after completing an intensive series of rehearsals.
"This moment is my dream coming true. I have become the shining star on stage. Even if I were to die right now, I would have no regrets," said Li as she spoke of her pride at winning the role.
During six years as a domestic worker in Beijing, Li painted more than 500 paintings and wrote nearly 200,000 words of literary work in her spare time. All of this has made her appreciate the finer things in life.
"I have come to realize that life is not just about eating well, dressing well, or making a lot of money. It's also about pursuing one's passions. For the first half of my life, I lived for others -- my family, my children. As there is not much time left, I want to live for myself in the second half," she said.
News of Li's stage stardom has also traveled far, winning her plaudits from those back home.
"She is like a superwoman in our village. I really admire her," said a local villager from Li's hometown.
However, for all the success she has enjoyed, Li remains deeply in touch with her humble roots and insists she hopes to win respect not just for herself but for all the hard-working women out there who are equally capable of achieving great things in their life.
"I want to show all those who look down on us domestic workers, who look down on us women, especially rural women, that we are not just rural women who are uneducated, we are not just domestic workers; we are people with dreams and aspirations," said Li.
Humble domestic worker from rural China unveils artistic talents to become stage star in Beijing
