Social media can feel like a drain—the pressure to post, the endless scroll, the comparison game. But what if it could become a creative lab instead?
That’s exactly how author and illustrator Regina Linke transformed her career. After years in nonprofit marketing, Regina and her family moved to Taiwan where she discovered Gongbi, a traditional Chinese brush-painting style once favored by emperor. She began experimenting with characters—a boy, an ox, and a rabbit—sketching them for her young son.
And realized, this could be something.
So she did the next right thing: Validated her idea.
Instead of creating a personal “author account,” Regina did something unexpected: she gave her
characters their own social presence. Through short, illustrated dialogues posted on Instagram, she tested ideas, built an audience and proved that her stories resonated. By the time the account passed 10,000 followers, agents and publishers were paying attention. That experiment became
The Oxherd Boy—first as an adult illustrated gift book and later as children’s picture books blending Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian wisdom with stories accessible to kids and adults alike.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
• How Regina reframed social media from an energy drain into a creative playground
• The moment she knew the “safe” corporate path had go to make room for her art
• Why building accounts for her characters—not herself—was the breakthrough that got her published
• The practical habits that helped her balance family, creativity and the uncertainty of starting over
• A first look at her 2025 picture book Big Enough, and why its message of courage and compassion is one we all need
This conversation is about creativity, risk, and finding ways to make the tools we resist work for us. Whether you love or loathe social media, Regina’s story shows that sometimes the most unexpected experiments can become the path to a writing life.
👉 Explore Regina’s work and sign up for her newsletter at oxherdboy.org
👉 Follow her characters’ journey on Instagram at @OxherdBoy
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