Creativity through the lens of an author and illustrator

"Being a creative person, you can just do whatever you want."

I’m Regina, a Taiwanese American author and illustrator specializing in contemporary Chinese gongbi-style painting, an ancient form of brush painting that depicts narrative subjects in colorful high detail. Using traditional ink and wash techniques in digital painting, my illustrations deliver classic subjects through a modern lens.

I did not go to art school! Born and raised in Texas, I’ve always enjoyed the creative arts, but I didn’t learn traditional Chinese painting until after I moved with my young family to Taiwan in my mid-thirties. Holding management degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and Cornell University, I’ve worked in marketing technology and information systems for the travel and tourism industry. Now, I create stories that celebrate East Asian folklore and philosophy in an accessible way.

My most notable creations are the characters from The Oxherd Boy, an inspirational webcomic that started on Instagram. A young boy, his family ox, and a rabbit living in his garden convey the three core schools of Classical Chinese thought: Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. The collection of these inspirational pieces called THE OXHERD BOY: Parables of Love, Compassion, and Community released as a bestseller in 2024, and was followed in 2025 by an award-winning original story for children called Big Enough. Its companion book Little Helper, which expands on the themes and message of community, comes out in May 5, 2026.

I’m currently working on The Tao of Nature, an illustrated collection of meditations sharing examples of Taoism found in the natural world.

I’m happy to live in Rhode Island with my husband, kids, and our rescue, Yuki.

https://reginalinke.com/

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/regina-linke/little-helper/9780316531252/?lens=little-brown-books-for-young-readers

https://www.instagram.com/reginalinkeart/

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Helper-Regina-Linke/dp/0316531251/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BIG0S5LGH86Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.StdbX6LzRDwysizeKRnaicEFd1iO9FRyTxknbwF7KBwuWWUve1--byqyGluwDPSHZQ6Og5bbopJVAt7nBQEMY3midUZk3kMGWIJmhkaaWXDqIVGRIqmxod3tFkZpke6eHZGx2OHPQBsf7xOMBA1CeQm2dPafZ7bn4ODkUluJQnH07_VkwSsU0boGG92i0iGJVPwcnFXktKzqfFmHglHiOUvqjwcZXVfJOkEE6ZQDbSs.ronwEfZ7Y_a-A6_K6_K6ud3WIWO6CQ039gQsG1efabU&dib_tag=se&keywords=linke+little+helper&qid=1780427700&sprefix=linke+littl%2Caps%2C974&sr=8-1

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