Ep. 191 ”Boobs and Tattoos” (Diary Entry 2:2 with Lita Edwards)

[00:00:00] Hello and happy Tuesday diary listeners.

[00:00:04] This is part two of our time with Lita Edwards of Metamorphosis Inc. in Florida.

[00:00:12] She is an amazing person, does a lot of healing work and tattoos.

[00:00:18] Specifically what we're going to be dubbing the second piece of her diary entry, boobs

[00:00:24] and tattoos. And I don't know how they can get that. I once confronted here, it was a different kind of topic, but it kind of had the same notes. It was a prison personnel, and she was trying to push for the state of Minnesota

[00:01:43] to have basically attached to my name, but it asks if you had a felony under the law. And I wonder how much that would weigh as to whether or not you actually got a license or a temporary license or any of those things. But like's the thing is that I that's why I was really against it was because I was like, you know, you got you got so many earnest people out there working schlep jobs just to get into apprenticeship, they're paying taxes. And then you've got somebody who's already

[00:05:41] walked away from their obligation towards society. know, your guards more to stop them? And I was like, you know, how about how about paying the people who are risking their lives and inside these facilities to enforce the laws that you are actually putting forth? And they're like, well, you know, it's a hepatitis risk. I was like, why do I, you know, why do I care about something that's happened in Minnesota? But I just guest spotted in Minnesota and I know people there and I care about them and I care about their businesses and they weren't for it either. And I always that too. And you're not going to be where you are forever. I mean, if you're rehabilitating, then you have to have some forward thought about where you will be. Part of the thing that I really want to, whether it is my clients that walk in and they're not

[00:09:25] I can go ahead and get that tattoo certificate like I wanted and then I can come out and open my own shop and screw everyone else.

[00:09:31] I could see that happening because that's what's happening with the tattoo schools, you know, and up here.

[00:09:36] And unfortunately, there's a thing now called Salon Suites. Have you heard about this? Do you guys have them up there?

[00:09:39] No, tell me about it. So this

[00:09:41] Your face you're kind of like oh my god

[00:09:43] I'm so aggravated with this because they're making it so easy and the problem is that

[00:10:45] the kids that are coming out of the tattoo schools and even say if they were to do this prison system thing, they would have the opportunity to go over here to a salon suite with their own room.

[00:10:50] Now they got their own business. And there's so many of them here that are doing that. And sadly,

[00:10:56] they're shop hopping because they don't want to commit to having to get along with other

[00:11:00] personalities. They get their panties into water the first time and they run like little cry babies.

[00:12:06] big facade of like, oh, we're trying to look out for you. But at the end of the day, what it does is, as you're saying basically, is that it creates an unequal playing field for people who are going

[00:12:12] to actually follow things and who do actually care about not only what they do, but how they do it,

[00:12:19] how clean it is, how much they care about people. And the issue then becomes is you simply can't We don't pass a single test. We take it on Joe's signature over there that he says, I'm good to go. Yes. One, and that's a thing that I just, I don't really,

[00:13:42] I don't know what the answer is because I think that once you get,

[00:13:45] you know, like you said, to work through issues or whatever the case may be, which that's okay, but instead of they're by themselves, I guess, hopefully one day they'll get wind in there, so. It's so weird to me because I was putting myself up on that panel because I'm in a private studio right now. I am pretty much my own entity, but I don't like it.

[00:15:00] I hate it.

[00:15:01] I was like, yeah, you get bored.

[00:15:03] Yeah.

[00:15:04] I didn't know what to talk to.

[00:15:06] When you're, I your town, you know, you're accessible, but like you go someplace else, they don't have anybody that does what you do. So in that kind of respect, yeah, I'm definitely not. I think that I do good art and I think that I always put my best two things,

[00:16:22] but I think the thing that I'm best at

[00:16:27] is imbuing trust from my clients Yeah, yeah. And to your point about, you want to always learn and things like that, but part of it too is the ownership of what look around to the people that are at our level or this many years in the industry, all the others fell away. Mm-hmm. You know, how many did we come up with that aren't there today?

[00:19:04] Eventually it will get them.

[00:19:06] Yeah.

[00:19:07] Well, in Paradise too. What made you really keen on the mastectomy part of things? Like what was the hook there? Do you remember the first? Oh, it's the whole point of the story. Let's see, I'll shortline it. It's about four years into my career and I'm in the South,

[00:20:22] so women are very conservative and proper.

[00:20:25] A lady, 68 years old most important things is you never have a reaction. It doesn't matter how bad it is. And I didn't have a reaction with the exception of just a few tears. And then I kind of cried together with her that day. And I said, Alice, you know, I don't know what we're going to do, but we're going to do something to make you feel beautiful again.

[00:21:42] And it was the transformation, I love it. It made me really happy when you like looped it around to the voice and you had said when you back then that it was divine.

[00:23:00] And I do think it's divine when that happens. in this industry. You can be good, you can be half ass. But if you approach it with confidence, you will be successful. So I always didn't matter what I was, I approach everything with the utmost confidence. I can be in the bathroom praying 30 seconds prior, hoping to God calling on

[00:24:20] everything, you know, I can possibly do to come in and be

[00:24:24] with me on this day because I'm so nervous. But when I come out yourself too and what your boundaries are. I think that's the truth in any business really is that we come to play and if you're not ready to play, man, get out. Get out now. I think that's great advice know. Like that's the worst. I don't ever want to be that person. I want to be I want to have a reason. I want everything that I do. To have a reason. Yeah, I'm too frickin old to not have a reason. Yeah.

[00:28:24] I feel that about you hard. And you're one of the things that I had to go through with one of them at least was he had said something about something being sexy and I was like, nope, no, don't ever say that. Yeah. Don't ever say that. Professional people. Yeah. I was like, now, if you're doing a certain kind of shoot, that's what you want to give people is this liberation this this feeling like they can they can be a part of something like that to this embracing of, you know, their, their bodies and their expression and all of these things.

[00:29:42] So yeah, I just everything you said is amazing. That's awesome.

[00:30:46] I think so I you know for a while. She has been on me about wanting an apprentice for two years. Because with my studio

[00:30:51] with our studio, it's a it's a teaching studio. If you come in

[00:30:57] under me and I teach you everything that I know, and then

[00:31:00] somebody new comes into the studio. It's not expected, but

[00:31:04] it's respected. That your knowledge goes into that person with her, that's on her to deal with it. And she will more than likely consult me as she still does today on any issues before she could print them, and how they should be handled. For this for the sanity of the studio and the other artists in there and the client. You know, there's a fine line, you still have to weigh

[00:32:20] balance of you can't just get hateful with people, you got to be

[00:32:24] professional. So I'm going to step aside and let her do that.

[00:33:25] hustling, basically doing everything that we're doing here on this podcast, pursuing passion. I got two for you. Both of them have actually been on the podcast. There's Tara Bell, and you can

[00:33:32] find her at Tara Kendall Creations. That's where you can also find her in Etsy. She has wonderful

[00:33:38] merchandise there for sale. And like I said, she puts so much love and care into the creations He sells t-shirts there coasters all manner different things that you can have for that gearhead again in Your family that would love something like that It's beautiful work everyone both of them have stunning artwork. So go check them both out Try to buy from whoever you think is small and local these these guys

[00:35:03] I mean Tara's local to Maryland Ken's out there in

[00:36:05] up your game, scale what you know, and don't feel the pang of the season so much. Rededicate to your education. If you are a studio owner, I can't think of a better

[00:36:10] gift to give your studio than a subscription to Reinventing the Tattoo.

[00:36:14] We can't get any better than Guy Acheson really, in the amount that he gives us

[00:36:20] and what he explains through Reinventing the took an apprentice under someone else, and under their shop. And I charged for this, but unbeknownst to me, the owner like kind of snaked in

[00:37:40] and wanted to have the apprentice sign a contract saying

[00:37:45] if they hadn't finished their apprenticeship,

[00:37:47] that they would owe him money. and is integral, I think you can fully like kind of let go and know that it will bring back all the awesomeness that it's supposed to and that you don't have to control things from that place of fear or needing to control. So that's really cool. That's awesome. It feels divine. Yeah, her grandmother however hates tattoos and thinks we're all going to hell. So, I'll pray for her.

[00:40:21] I'll pray for her. She's in good hands, grandma. I'll take over from here.

[00:40:24] Yeah, well, I mean, that's a funny thing because I mean, you guys are awesome. She is beautiful. Yeah. I love your hair. She loves your hair. Epic. Like the Amazon lady. I love it. I'm so jealous. But God bless.

[00:41:40] Yes, right.

[00:42:45] shop working with bikers, smoke and dope out the back door, which is usually me. None of them smoke. I smoke like great drink. That's all I do. I mean, it's a very important part of my process.

[00:42:57] Like most artists though, I'm very, very bipolar, bipolar one. I am medicated and that is just kind

[00:43:02] of keeps me at a normal function for the day. Yeah. Yeah. I can really get out there when I have be a mentor for somebody, you have to stand as an example. So, you know, when you know those things about yourself, it takes, what are you passing on if you're not passing it on, you know, I'm raising you to be an independent, successful business owner, and tattoo artist and tattoo

[00:44:21] artist, you know, there's two parts to that. It took a lot, but I know how to regulate it and I don't make it a reasonependency. I've adult ADD. I'm fairly certain I have narcissistic tendencies that I'm aware of, but I try to manage they're there though. And I was like, I got food addiction. I got people addiction. I got, I got like all these things, but I still make a good living and

[00:47:03] I'm still a successful human being.

[00:47:04] It's like you said, you I I have had When we so it all started I Host art nights every now and then and basically we just invite other shops or closer shops that were you know, really

[00:49:29] a good boost in opening a studio. But she showed somebody at work. And they were like, Oh, I got a birthday coming up at 11 astronaut. And when we did that one, I had just gotten

[00:49:36] just drunk enough to say, let's go live. This you're gonna cry. And the best is if you can laugh and cry at the same time. Like if you're laughing so hard, you just can't. You can't not cry. So that kind of joy, it just, and in our industry it does, it gets so serious

[00:51:01] that it's wonderful if you can loosen it up

[00:51:04] and do something like that. item that nobody else will get this. I get this and I want it. And of course, it might not be perfect, but I really don't think it's going to be that bad. And it's also going to be something. I love Dawn now too crap. Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna get one. I will get is such a common one, such a common one. Oprah, it's hard though, because there's been a lot. Yeah, Oprah Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey, when she started doing those Super Soul Sundays

[00:55:00] and masterclass episodes.

[00:55:02] I don't know if you watch those or not. I always came to the table with anything and I would be like, how would the woman I want to be react to this? And then I would go do that. And I learned a lot of that through her classes because I learned about the woman I wanted to be through the profession and the people that she had taken upon herself to interview

[00:56:22] or felt like how that contribution to society.

[00:56:25] So I have to say, she Tyrell, Nico Hurtado. I've learned from all of them, I've taken their seminars and stuff like that. And I think they just really, the humbleness, Gunner, and even Jeff Goguai, Jeff Goguai is so sweet.

[00:57:40] He is so sweet.

[00:57:42] Just contributing and contributing to the point

[00:57:44] that they shared beyond their tattoo,

[00:57:47] they shared their personal lives, I was giving out to my mom. She started with making me believe that I can do anything. She really honed that in on me. I remember playing music. I was a very young girl. I come from an artistic family, a lot of musicians. And I would go and I would compete in these violin competitions

[00:59:02] and I would play for state and stuff like that.

[00:59:04] We did it every year. don't even waste your time. Yeah. Not even worth doing. And little by little, you know, all those years that stuck with me. Yeah. Lita, this has been amazing. And I know I'm one of the many things that I'm sure you have just taken on. So please be sure to tell Dawn that I appreciate borrowing you for this time.

[01:00:22] I will do that. I will do it under, you know what? She loves beer, send her beer. She'll

[01:00:27] be happy.

[01:00:28] I will. Um, I've already marked it off on my calendar to be out there for like five or six days and, uh, go fuck around in Oklahoma and see what I can find out. I need to get her on the show. That's another one I want to get on here because she is actually, she has her own apprenticeship, like, uh, like seminar that she kind of gives to kind of ferret out whether or not people are dedicated.

[01:01:41] So she's definitely an entity. I want to get on there, but we were on a strip, like a, you know, a strip mall kind of thing. And on foot, we had a couple strippers from the strip club down the way on foot giving

[01:03:00] goodie bags to drum up business and coupons for the strip club.

[01:03:05] Now I don't know what kind of hard times, but they're good people and they're willing to go on foot for their profession.

[01:04:21] That's awesome.

[01:04:22] I know. And give out boobs that everybody loves. Like, you know, it is awesome.

[01:05:22] and nipple as a word. And so my last name is Nichols.

[01:05:23] So I was like, oh, that's funny.

[01:05:24] So she'd come into the shop and she'd be like,

[01:05:26] hello, Amy nipples.

[01:05:29] Do you want to know what's funny as I recently

[01:05:33] within the last few months got connected

[01:05:35] with this fundraiser or not fundraiser,

[01:05:38] but this local nonprofit foundation found me

[01:05:44] and they raised money to pay, people like you who are like amazing and Nick Baxter is going to be on like I'm getting interviews that I just didn't even think I could and it's it's pretty exciting. I'm not going to do anything with it except for embrace it and be super excited and just enjoy the journey. I'm telling you man. It's really cool. I'm right there with you in it. Do you want to announce your guest spot for anybody who wants that come and go. I have three other artists that come and go on a regular basis. One of my friends out of Virginia, she came down Friday the 13th. I was in Massachusetts and it's kind of a big deal.

[01:08:22] So she came in and sort of filled my spot for me while I was out of town.

[01:08:26] That's awesome. have. Do you have any closing things that you want to leave people with? Don't give up. Fight your battles. When you know, you know, if you think, if you feel like where you're, where you're supposed to be, stick with that. And if it doesn't work out in one place, it doesn't mean you're out. I love it. Yeah. Don't show up without a portfolio by God.

[01:09:44] Yeah. How many of them So if somebody will close on this and then say or goodbyes, but if somebody

[01:11:02] wants to reach out and work with you, what are the best ways to get in touch with you

[01:11:06] and then where can they follow you? reach out, they work directly with me, unless everything. So just shoot a message. We prefer email. That's where we sort of catalog because you can get so much going on with all these different social medias and stuff that we have to keep up with. So email is usually the direct way. Send an email. You'll get a response usually within 24 hours. Fantastic. Thank you so much. You're

[01:12:22] welcome. It was a pleasure. It was an honor. You're awesome. Let's do it again. Yes, we have to. We Again, that's artist Lita L I T a is her name and that's Instagram and like like she said her email address There's also boobs underscore and underscore tattoos that you can follow to follow to actually See some of her nipple

[01:13:40] restorations and and things of the like

[01:13:44] She does trademark the name. That's why we really wanted to highlight that today

[01:14:44] I'm just gonna admit that I got it wrong, but regardless I want everyone to know that I'm sending you lots of love and

[01:14:48] appreciation and what I hope most is that all of us recall the gifts that we already have as

[01:14:55] Much as we're looking forward to giving and receiving

[01:14:59] Please understand and be grateful for all that we already have

[01:15:03] Thank you diary listeners. God bless and great week