“Life is the fuel of art and art is basically what grows out of it.” - Regina Linke

The Boy, the Ox, and Questions That Shape Life

In this thoughtful and luminous conversation, Jim Wills sits down with Taiwanese American author and illustrator Regina Linke to explore the unlikely journey that led her from nonprofit technology work to creating a philosophical children’s book series rooted in ancient wisdom. What began as a personal art practice in Taiwan soon blossomed into The Oxherd Boy; a contemplative illustrated world inspired by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and sparked by the profound curiosity of her young son.

At the heart of the conversation lies a deeper question; how do we help children navigate fear, compassion, responsibility, and belonging without handing them easy answers? Through the gentle adventures of a boy, an ox, and eventually a rabbit, Linke’s stories invite young readers to wrestle with life’s biggest ideas in the spirit of ancient philosophy; patience, humility, and the quiet power of small actions. Part creative origin story and part meditation on culture, parenting, and artistic devotion, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the most profound wisdom arrives in the simplest form: a child’s question, a brushstroke, and the courage to follow curiosity wherever it leads.

images: ©regina linke

regina linke website

oxherd boy instagram

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