Meet Linghe(Michelle) Jia of Las Vegas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Linghe(Michelle) Jia.

Hi Linghe(Michelle), thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi my name is Linghe Jia, you can also call me Michelle. I think a lot of people have heard stories about international students — most of them begin in college. Mine started a little earlier. I came to the U.S. during high school because I had a dream: to one day work in the world of animation.

My first stop was Lancaster, a small city in Southern California. The school I attended was tiny, but it had a warm and close-knit atmosphere. One day, during a chat with my teacher, he learned that I wanted to study art. He told me, quite honestly, that our school probably couldn’t give me the art education I needed, and suggested I transfer somewhere that could. With the help of my relatives, I moved to a high school in Las Vegas — and maybe that teacher was right, because two years later, the Lancaster school actually closed down.

In Vegas, I met the Feelys — a couple who completely changed my path. Mrs. Feely helped me sharpen my drawing skills, and in Mr. Feely’s class, I touched 3D Max for the very first time. That was the spark that lit everything. After graduating high school, I returned to California and began my four-year animation journey at Otis College of Art and Design. The environment there was both strict and diverse, pushing me to grow fast. I learned how to bring to life the worlds that had only existed in my imagination.

Since I had practiced traditional Chinese painting from a young age, I later pursued an MFA in Animation at the Academy of Art University, where I focused on creating 3D animation inspired by Chinese ink painting — blending Eastern and Western styles. Now, I’m learning game animation and exploring new ways to express my creativity.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anyone’s journey toward their dreams is completely smooth — mine certainly had its ups and downs. If anything, it started with a bit of chaos. I graduated college in 2020 — yes, that year. There were no on-campus recruitments, no senior shows, no celebrations. Many of my classmates in animation eventually left the field altogether.

Even after finishing my MFA, the job market was still slow. To make ends meet, I worked as a loan processor for about six months. But it turned out to be an unexpected blessing. That experience made me realize just how much I missed animation — how deeply I loved it. It reminded me that no matter how tough things got, this was still the path I wanted to follow.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Blending Eastern and Western art traditions has always been at the heart of my work, deeply influenced by my background in traditional Chinese painting. My strength lies in character animation, and one of my proudest projects was a 3D-to-2D animation inspired by Chinese ink painting, where I used 3D techniques to capture the look and spirit of traditional 2D art; lately, I’ve also been improving my skills in visual effects alongside learning new software.

Right now, I’m based in Las Vegas, where I’m expanding my skills to include game animation. I’m particularly interested in working in the slot machine gaming industry, where animation plays a big role in player experience and storytelling. I believe this field needs artists who understand both emotion and motion — how a small detail, a gesture, or a color can make something feel alive — and that’s exactly what I aim to bring to my work.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
As I mentioned earlier, many of my colleagues and peers don’t know that I worked in a completely different industry for a while. I believe that being an artist isn’t just about constant creation, it’s about accumulating life experiences. Without stepping away occasionally, nonstop work can slowly drain inspiration and trap you in a creative loop. On a lighter note, I love cats — I often post my cat drawings on Instagram, and this year I welcomed my very first kitten into my life.
I’m open to new opportunities — if my story or my art connects with you, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linghejia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Michellestoffy/

Image Credits
All images created by Linghe(Michelle) Jia