46: Ariel and Stef are joined by Dr. Jinxi Caddel for a heartfelt and art-filled dive into the world of tattoos, identity, and Disney fandom. From full Alice in Wonderland back pieces to tiny churro flash tats, this episode celebrates how ink becomes a personal archive of memory, culture, and connection.

Jinxi shares her journey from tattoo publishing to mental health, co-owning a tattoo shop, and running a private practice for those who color outside the lines. Together, they unpack stigma, nostalgia, and the healing power of self-expression—through Disney and beyond. Whether you’re tattooed, tattoo-curious, or just love a good Dole Whip, this one’s for you.

Summary
 
00:00 Hosts and guest introductions
02:00 Childhood Disney memories and first tattoos
04:00 Jinxi’s journey from tattoo publishing to psychology
08:00 Stigma, acceptance, and professional visibility
13:00 Tattoos in families and intergenerational storytelling
16:00 Favorite Disney tattoos—characters, quotes, and food!
20:00 Fandoms in ink: Star Wars, Marvel, and park icons
24:00 Flash tattoos and memory markers
28:00 Permanent makeup and cultural ties
32:00 Tattoos as affirmations and emotional touchstones
35:00 Therapeutic meaning behind body art
40:00 Building safe, expressive spaces in education and therapy
46:00 Final reflections and where to find Jinxi’s work 

Transcription
 
00:00:03:20 – 00:00:05:01
Hello, everyone. 
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Welcome to the Happiest Pod on Earth. 
00:00:07:01 – 00:00:07:18
I’m Stef 
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I’m an educator who uses passions 
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and fandoms to help 
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my students grow 
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and learn about themselves 
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and the world around them. 
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And I’m Ariel, a licensed therapist 
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who uses clients passions and fandoms 
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to help them grow 
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and heal from trauma 
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and mental and wellness. 
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And I am Jinxi 
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and I’m a mental health therapist 
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and a book publisher. 
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And the tattoo shop owner, 
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in Eugene, Oregon. 
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I have a practice called Black 
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Sleep Therapy, 
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where, I like to help people who, 
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like to color outside the lines. 
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That might be black sheep 
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or unicorns themselves. 
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So I’m happy to be here. 
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Wonderful. 
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And here at Happiest Pod, 
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we dissect Disney mediums 
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So the critical lens. Why? 
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Because we are more than just fans, 
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and we expect more from the mediums 
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we consume. 
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So, what are we talking about today? 
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Well, we have another very 
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special guest on our podcast. 
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Welcome, Dr. Jinxi Right? 
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It is. 
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Thank you so much. 
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I appreciate it, 
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but I’m so happy to be here. 
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Yeah, absolutely. 
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And we’re we have a really fun topic 
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to talk about. 
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And, 
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we talk about Disney art on many levels, 
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but I think this is a level of Disney 
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art that we haven’t quite talked about, 
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which is body art and tattoos. 
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And, 
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I think with the recent, 
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I think resurgence of tattoos 
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and the accessibility 
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to getting tattoos 
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has been widely seen and respected. 
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And, we just love 
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especially going to the parks 
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and seeing different 
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interpretations of Disney art. 
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And also, 
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you know, 
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we were really curious for you, 
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Dr. Jinxi 
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you’re kind of journey into your 
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amazing life, I think, as a therapist 
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and as an artist. 
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I think it’s a very unique, 
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perspective 
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that not many people know about. 
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Yeah. Well, thank you so much. 
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I, you know, it’s funny because 
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as a child, my very first experience 
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with a tattoo was at Disneyland, 
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and I was behind a girl in line 
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who had a Cheshire 
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cat tattoo on her back. 
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And I thought it was like, 
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the dreamiest thing I had ever seen, 
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and I. 
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I can’t remember 
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how old I was, but I just 
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it was locked in and I just knew 
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someday I wanted tattoos to, 
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And, I 
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actually didn’t get 
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my first tattoo until, 
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like, 
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my mid to late 
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20s, after 
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I had had all of my kids 
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and, I was working as a, an editor 
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and a writer 
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for several, 
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tattoo magazines at the time. 
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And so that just opened 
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my world 
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into all of these incredible artists. 
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And, 
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my very first tattoo 
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was a tiny little cherry on my ankle. 
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And, 
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and that has since grown into pretty much 
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I have my whole head 
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tattooed, down, down to my toes. 
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Most of it’s covered. 
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I have a couple little spo...