Magical Ink

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. 00:00:05:01 – 00:00:07:01 Welcome to the Happiest Pod on Earth. 00:00:07:01 – 00:00:07:18 I’m Stef 00:00:07:18 – 00:00:09:12 I’m an educator who uses passions 00:00:09:12 – 00:00:10:09 and fandoms to help 00:00:10:09 – 00:00:11:15 my students grow 00:00:11:15 – 00:00:12:19 and learn about themselves 00:00:12:19 – 00:00:14:07 and the world around them. 00:00:14:07 – 00:00:16:01 And I’m Ariel, a licensed therapist 00:00:16:01 – 00:00:17:20 who uses clients passions and fandoms 00:00:17:20 – 00:00:18:15 to help them grow 00:00:18:15 – 00:00:19:11 and heal from trauma 00:00:19:11 – 00:00:21:19 and mental and wellness. 00:00:21:19 – 00:00:23:14 And I am Jinxi 00:00:23:14 – 00:00:25:19 and I’m a mental health therapist 00:00:25:19 – 00:00:27:12 and a book publisher. 00:00:27:12 – 00:00:29:10 And the tattoo shop owner, 00:00:29:10 – 00:00:31:11 in Eugene, Oregon. 00:00:31:11 – 00:00:33:01 I have a practice called Black 00:00:33:01 – 00:00:33:20 Sleep Therapy, 00:00:33:20 – 00:00:36:20 where, I like to help people who, 00:00:36:22 – 00:00:39:02 like to color outside the lines. 00:00:39:02 – 00:00:40:09 That might be black sheep 00:00:40:09 – 00:00:43:05 or unicorns themselves. 00:00:43:05 – 00:00:45:02 So I’m happy to be here. 00:00:45:02 – 00:00:46:04 Wonderful. 00:00:46:04 – 00:00:47:11 And here at Happiest Pod, 00:00:47:11 – 00:00:48:19 we dissect Disney mediums 00:00:48:19 – 00:00:50:05 So the critical lens. Why? 00:00:50:05 – 00:00:51:15 Because we are more than just fans, 00:00:51:15 – 00:00:53:06 and we expect more from the mediums 00:00:53:06 – 00:00:54:07 we consume. 00:00:54:07 – 00:00:56:15 So, what are we talking about today? 00:00:57:21 – 00:00:59:09 Well, we have another very 00:00:59:09 – 00:01:01:04 special guest on our podcast. 00:01:01:04 – 00:01:03:04 Welcome, Dr. Jinxi Right? 00:01:03:04 – 00:01:04:05 It is. 00:01:04:05 – 00:01:05:17 Thank you so much. 00:01:05:17 – 00:01:06:11 I appreciate it, 00:01:06:11 – 00:01:08:09 but I’m so happy to be here. 00:01:08:09 – 00:01:09:15 Yeah, absolutely. 00:01:09:15 – 00:01:11:22 And we’re we have a really fun topic 00:01:11:22 – 00:01:12:15 to talk about. 00:01:12:15 – 00:01:13:18 And, 00:01:13:18 – 00:01:16:11 we talk about Disney art on many levels, 00:01:16:11 – 00:01:18:09 but I think this is a level of Disney 00:01:18:09 – 00:01:20:21 art that we haven’t quite talked about, 00:01:20:21 – 00:01:23:14 which is body art and tattoos. 00:01:23:14 – 00:01:24:13 And, 00:01:24:13 – 00:01:26:11 I think with the recent, 00:01:26:11 – 00:01:28:14 I think resurgence of tattoos 00:01:28:14 – 00:01:29:17 and the accessibility 00:01:29:17 – 00:01:30:19 to getting tattoos 00:01:30:19 – 00:01:33:15 has been widely seen and respected. 00:01:33:15 – 00:01:35:17 And, we just love 00:01:35:17 – 00:01:36:19 especially going to the parks 00:01:36:19 – 00:01:37:15 and seeing different 00:01:37:15 – 00:01:40:00 interpretations of Disney art. 00:01:40:00 – 00:01:40:16 And also, 00:01:40:16 – 00:01:40:21 you know, 00:01:40:21 – 00:01:42:17 we were really curious for you, 00:01:42:17 – 00:01:44:02 Dr. Jinxi 00:01:44:02 – 00:01:47:02 you’re kind of journey into your 00:01:47:02 – 00:01:49:17 amazing life, I think, as a therapist 00:01:49:17 – 00:01:51:02 and as an artist. 00:01:51:02 – 00:01:52:18 I think it’s a very unique, 00:01:52:18 – 00:01:54:01 perspective 00:01:54:01 – 00:01:55:10 that not many people know about. 00:01:55:10 – 00:01:57:11 Yeah. Well, thank you so much. 00:01:57:11 – 00:02:00:11 I, you know, it’s funny because 00:02:00:17 – 00:02:03:14 as a child, my very first experience 00:02:03:14 – 00:02:07:03 with a tattoo was at Disneyland, 00:02:07:03 – 00:02:10:05 and I was behind a girl in line 00:02:10:05 – 00:02:11:16 who had a Cheshire 00:02:11:16 – 00:02:14:08 cat tattoo on her back. 00:02:14:08 – 00:02:15:20 And I thought it was like, 00:02:15:20 – 00:02:18:08 the dreamiest thing I had ever seen, 00:02:18:08 – 00:02:19:01 and I. 00:02:19:01 – 00:02:19:23 I can’t remember 00:02:19:23 – 00:02:22:05 how old I was, but I just 00:02:22:05 – 00:02:25:05 it was locked in and I just knew 00:02:25:05 – 00:02:27:05 someday I wanted tattoos to, 00:02:28:16 – 00:02:30:07 And, I 00:02:30:07 – 00:02:31:16 actually didn’t get 00:02:31:16 – 00:02:34:01 my first tattoo until, 00:02:34:01 – 00:02:34:08 like, 00:02:34:08 – 00:02:35:13 my mid to late 00:02:35:13 – 00:02:36:22 20s, after 00:02:36:22 – 00:02:38:17 I had had all of my kids 00:02:38:17 – 00:02:43:23 and, I was working as a, an editor 00:02:43:23 – 00:02:44:17 and a writer 00:02:44:17 – 00:02:45:18 for several, 00:02:45:18 – 00:02:48:18 tattoo magazines at the time. 00:02:48:21 – 00:02:51:04 And so that just opened 00:02:51:04 – 00:02:51:19 my world 00:02:51:19 – 00:02:54:04 into all of these incredible artists. 00:02:54:04 – 00:02:55:09 And, 00:02:55:09 – 00:02:56:18 my very first tattoo 00:02:56:18 – 00:02:59:18 was a tiny little cherry on my ankle. 00:03:00:00 – 00:03:01:00 And, 00:03:01:00 – 00:03:04:03 and that has since grown into pretty much 00:03:04:03 – 00:03:05:06 I have my whole head 00:03:05:06 – 00:03:08:05 tattooed, down, down to my toes. 00:03:08:05 – 00:03:09:08 Most of it’s covered. 00:03:09:08 – 00:03:10:21 I have a couple little spo...