The Interview series: Fu Tiepeng in China working as a teacher and using CorelDRAW

My Interview series continues with Fu Tiepeng in China who work as a teacher in Chinas second largest City. I interview people I have come to know through Corel forums, and who are fellow beta testers of and fellow CorelDRAW Graphics Suite users. And some of us have met in real life.

Your Name: Fu Tiepeng

Website:I dont have a website

You like myself is a user of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. What was it that made you discover, and drew you to CorelDRAW Graphics Suite? 

I was 20 years old, and I was a freshman at the university. At that time I received a CD from a friend of mine containing several different computer program, and one of the programs was CorelDRAW 9.0, I instantly felt drawn to it and thought it was as a very interesting program, so I installed it on my computer.

What year was it? 

1998

Which Programs do you use, Corel and none-Corel programs? 

Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop CS5 have lots of new features of which some is missing in Corel Photo-Paint, such as smart fill. It really is a very useful tool, and which I use quite a lot.

Do you use any analog tools in conjunction with your work? 

No, I dont feel the need for any analog tools in my work.

Which year was it you started your work? 

I become a teacher in 2001. During 2009 and 2010 I runned my own small print shop.

Would you recomend CorelDRAW Graphics Suite? 

Of course, absolutely.

What, more importantly, made you begin working with the work you do today? After all you could have made a career as a hairdresser or something in that line instead, like any other human being. 

We have a saying in chinese tradition which says: Don’t stray far from home when your parents are there. I follow that principle. Maybe its my fate I become a teacher.

What is that you like with your work? 

I love my work as a teacher. It get a lot of satisfaction when I see how my students improve. Furthermore as a teacher I have the posibilty to get time for my own research. To improve my self. But a teachers salery in China is not so high, especially if you are amale teacher in a second vocational school. Therefore my income is´nt so high.

In an interview in the Digital Artist Magazine, who interviewed me a few years back, I was asked what I would like to see in future versions of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. Is there anything you would like to see? 

There is a vector feature I like to have in CorelDRAW, but I have waited for ten years now, and it doesn’t seem to happen.

Do you drink coffee or tea in the morning? 

I prefer to drink tea, because tea is more clear, and tea have more aftertaste than coffee.

What do you think is important to think about running your own business or in your line of work. Is it discipline or something else? 

We must first decide if we like to work as an employeed and make a career that way, or if we like to start our own company. Then if we meet difficulties along the way, we have to make proper adjustments in the right direction. In any case we can not simply give up when we get obstacles on the way, which is normal.

Again there is a chinese proverb I like: “With time and patience the leaf of the mulberry becomes satin”

Is there any big change in how and what you worked with when you first started out. Have the business changed in any way? 

No not particularily. I need my own life like everyone else I guess.

Thank you!