Civil Service Newsletter Editorial Board
Ms Lin joined the Hong Kong Police Force (the Force) in 1985. During her career spanning over 36 years in the Force, she had been posted to the Commercial Crime Bureau, Airport District, and Police Recruitment Division, and had also undertaken training duties in the Police College. She said, “Joining the Force had completely changed the trajectory of my life. This profession had not only broadened my horizon, but also made my aspiration of serving the community come true.” Policing duties are challenging, wide-ranging and ever-changing. While fully aware of the importance of frontline experience in policing, Ms Lin regarded professional knowledge as equally indispensable. Therefore, she availed herself of every opportunity to pursue continuous learning and kept upgrading herself in such aspects as English language and psychological study. “In return for the valuable learning opportunities offered by the Force, I am resolved to put what I’ve learnt into good use both for its benefit and that of the community.”
During the 20-plus years of her service as an instructor in the Police College, Ms Lin had compiled teaching materials on her own, and introduced a programme on positive psychology for providing frontline police constables with relevant training, thus embarking on a new approach to teaching. She said, “In order to make this programme more professional and practical, I studied a master’s course in counselling. With the ever-increasing work stress experienced by police officers and civil servants, it is essential for them to learn how to develop a positive mindset and an optimistic attitude, because this not only enhances their work efficiency, but also strengthens their psychological resilience, enabling them to achieve a work-life balance.”
“Happiness is a choice”, one of Ms Lin’s mottos in her teaching, has been her philosophy of life. To Ms Lin, art creation is a source of sheer happiness. She has been keen on drawing since childhood. As it happened, she was approached by the Hong Kong Christian Service to create the picture book The Diary of Famui in 2009, which depicts the life of the young protagonist, Famui, as she interacts with her parents suffering from depression, bringing home to children what it's like living with mood disorders. Since then, Famui, with her round eyes and hair in bunches, has taken centre stage in Ms Lin’s interesting collection of pictures, always conveying positive energy with a pure heart.
Ms Lin is adamant that “creative work is meant to carry a message”, and with that in mind, she has sustained her drive to create illustrations under her self-given, meaningful pen name – “Littleink”. And “Littleink” was adopted as the name of the character which debuted in her later works. Wearing short, sleek hair and with a strand of grey hair adorning her right-side fringe, this character is in a way a self-portrait of the illustrator. Through “Littleink”, Ms Lin’s insights into life and memorable travel experiences have been captured in her vivid illustrations.
Ms Lin’s journey of artistic creation first emerged as a recipe for self-healing, allowing her to express her feelings, organise her thoughts and find solace in drawing at will on a mobile phone or tablet whenever she felt flustered or dearly missed her departed family members. “Engaging in creative works always gives me peace of mind,” she said, “and I can draw non-stop for hours.” These creations not only enable Ms Lin to communicate her feelings with readers, but also serve as “chicken soup for the soul” that brings them comfort. She is deeply touched by every single message or reassuring word in response to her works shared with friends or through social media, which motivates her to continue her endeavours in illustration drawing. “I’ve always valued close interactions among people, which will make the world a better place.”
“The power of art sometimes goes far beyond our imagination.” Ms Lin shared with us a story that has lived in her memory. A friend of hers once gave a postcard featuring Famui to a terminal cancer patient, who then kept it beside her bed as a kind of self-encouragement. “We may not be able to ease the physical suffering of patients, but it would be most meaningful if we could let them feel the warmth from others through a small piece of artwork,” she said. Such a profound realisation has strengthened Ms Lin’s belief in artistic appeal and charm, leading her to focus on creating illustrations with positive, soul-nourishing messages for giving her readers an emotional uplift in difficult times.
Since retiring in 2021, Ms Lin has devoted herself to artistic creation and contemplated the idea of holding exhibitions to showcase her works. Her first exhibition with over 80 pieces of drawings was staged at the Police Officers’ Club in end-2023, with loads of close friends and former colleagues turning up to show their support. And the increasing popularity of her works has brought about opportunities to partner with different organisations.
Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) is one of the collaborating organisations. As invited by the HKHS, she held exhibitions and art workshops at the Exhibition Centre of the HKHS located at Prosperous Garden in Yau Ma Tei. The workshops, with elements of “positive psychology” incorporated, inspired participants of different ages to stay positive, kind and joyful, and to enhance their resilience through art therapy and interactive creation. “I found it gratifying when participants told me at the end of each workshop that they had become aware of the importance of physical and mental health, and that they could not wait to convey the positive energy to their family members and friends.”
At the invitation of a primary school, Famui, the cheerful and optimistic character created by Ms Lin, appeared in the education setting through a mini-exhibition of her drawings held on the school’s open day. To enrich the interactive and creative elements of arts education, students were invited to take part in creative work, so that they could showcase their artwork to their parents on the open day while fostering a positive mindset. She added, “I hope that children can develop an active and positive attitude towards life through experiential learning in art, enabling them to end up more resilient in overcoming various challenges in life.”
During the interview, Ms Lin drew an impromptu picture to encourage civil service colleagues. In the drawing, Famui wears a smile and holds a sun-like balloon in her hand, with a warm reminder which reads “We should learn to cherish ourselves. Wherever we go, shine like the sun!” Ms Lin elaborated on the message behind her drawing, “This piece of work echoes the idea that I have been putting across – we have to strike a delicate balance among many aspects of life. Amidst the hectic work schedule, remember to love yourselves, spare some time for your families and develop your interests. Instead of struggling with stress to the point of feeling as if a cloud were hanging over us, why not work out a formula for happiness, brightening up the day with a splash of warm colours, and sharing joy with people around us?”
She also advised civil servants to make early planning for retirement life. “While retiring from work may seem to be something of the distant future for many of us, we’d better get prepared for the next phase of life as early as possible, and shouldn’t wait till retirement to pursue any activities or hobbies. Rather, we should explore our interests, and in this way we can continue to lead a fulfilling, purposeful life even after our career comes to an end.” Ms Lin emphasised that colleagues should be mindful of their physical and mental health while still in the workforce instead of leaving the health issue unaddressed till retirement.
Ms Lin, who is always on the go, waxed lyrical about how rewarding and enjoyable her retirement life has been. Aside from occupying herself with projects on holding exhibitions and workshops jointly with various organisations and schools, she also spares some time to travel and relax herself. What she saw and heard during her pleasurable trips has given her much inspiration for her creation works. One example is her tour to Xizang, on return from which she made postcards for people close to her, using the drawings she did on the trip to share with them the unforgettable episodes and enlightening moments all along.
From a law enforcer in the Force to an illustrator in the art arena, Ms Lin has been serving the community wholeheartedly and fond of portraying eventful chapters in life. Caring and enthusiastic, she is committed to instilling positive energy in society through her drawings, bringing brightness and hope to her readers.
