Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lita Edwards Benduhn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lita , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Alice. She set the course of my future in the tattoo industry, instilled emotion and meaning in my work, and gave my life a true sense of purpose. Alice was a double mastectomy breast cancer survivor having lived with her scars over a decade. Her body was left mis-figured with no chance of corrective surgery, and to this day one of the worst cases I’ve worked on.
When I met Alice for the first time, she told me this horrific story of what it was like living post breast cancer, the emotion, the change in yourself internally. Certain things she said left a lasting impression on my soul and this journey through life. It also shined a light on where she was mentally, and had been for so many years. She hadn’t even begun healing.
In her words :
1. “I cry everyday when I get out of the shower and have to look at myself”.
2.”I have a younger boyfriend and refuse to have sex with my shirt off”,
3.”I wear full coverage shirts so no one sees anything.”
Alice set the course my future as I was about to embark on what would be my most meaningful and powerful tattoo I would ever do. I was a 4 year artist at this time beating my head against the wall trying to figure out how to be different, how to make it special, how to replicate the same images that have been replicated a million times over and make it my own. The question being asked over and over “who am I in this industry?”
Over the next several months, we transformed her scars to a Pheonix and her favorite flowers (the Tennessee iris being center chest. She was a little difficult at times to work with, but I carried her emotion with me, so it was ok. For several months we worked 1 maybe 2 times per. Then one day she stopped unannounced to inform me with great enthusiasm she “bought a lower cut top for the first time, and a woman commented on my flower”. I noticed the first step in coming out of her long time dark shell.
A couple months later she came in again, this time gleaming with pride to tell me she “took her shirt off for the first time during sex and he LOVED tattoo. Again I saw yet another step out of the shell. Alice came in one more time, the third and final time to announce she had accepted a modeling position for prosthetic bras on stage at a local engagement for women.
That one story changed my life as much as it did hers, and I knew exactly why my journey lead me down all the artistic paths I’ve gone through to end up following my destiny and becoming a Mistress of tattooing, taking it to a level its never gone before.
Today, 13 years later, we have a studio dedicated to “Transforming Scars, Transforming Lives, One Drop of Ink at a Time”. Our walls hold tales of transformation, rivers of tears, healing on a totally different level. There is laughter, and art, and beautiful boobs.
Metamorphosis Ink LLC of Dunedin, FL. was founded in 2019 with me, my wife Dawn, and my protégé Ciara of 8 years. Every artist that works here is with the intended purpose to also carry this torch. It takes a team and we’ve built our own. Seven years and a lot of happenings, accreditations, and publicity later we have made major waves. From publishing the first medical coffee table book for offices, showing women options. Give them something beautiful to look at as they sit there not knowing the fate of their lives, or their chest. . I’ve written the first book on how to tattoo areolas for the tattoo industry. We are one of the first studios to attain a health care provider number, which puts us in the medical category, and allows women to apply for insurance reimbursement on areola reconstruction only. Because of this, and Alice it has set in motion to go after the insurance and health care providers and change how the money can be used, implement a standardization for breast tattooing so each woman has the right to equal quality tattooing and provide the course to do so. We own the trademark for the brand we are building “Boobs and Tattoos”…now becoming its own company. And lastly I will share a bit of a recent deal, that camera crews will be coming in as we move towards the next step of a documentary and series…which will help build our audience as we move to change policies. This will lead us to hold our first “Live Art Gala & Fundraiser”. The transformation happens in such a way that now they will be the art shown in a crowd of people. That’s change. From there…who knows? There is no limit. This is just a little bit of what has and is happening…..since the day I met Alice, and began the most meaningful project I have ever had.
Lita , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My government name is Bridget Benduhn but as an artist, I do business as Lita Edwards. I am first and foremost an all encompassing artist, but through years of hard work, I found my destined path ias a Tattoo Artist, specializing in tattooing all regular artworks, paramedical 3D areola reconstruction, gender re-affirming realistic detail, and bodily scar cover-ups. Since my journey as a tattoo artist, I now have many more titles to add behind that I never saw coming.
My mother is and was my favorite artist in the whole world, encouraging us to follow everything our minds could imagine. For that I discovered early on how to be a versatile artist of many mediums. She gave us things of inspiration, bought us all the supplies…though cheap, we got to create. My dream was always to grow up and become an artist, of what medium I’m wasn’t sure, but as a youth really lacked the confidence in myself to believe I could do it as a career.
My love for tattooing was very early on. With bikers in the family, I remember they always came over with new tattoos of the coolest designs like daggers, roses, skulls, Harley Davidson, lol all the biker kinda tats. And there weren’t just a few, they were covered with them. I’d stare for hours just amazed you could paint on skin. At the age of 10 I did my first ever tattoo on myself with a sewing needle and Bic pen. Went into my first studio when I was 12 for a few minutes and thought I was in heaven. At the age of 15, I convinced my mom to let me get a couple more from my cousin and his homemade machine. And of course as soon as I was 18, right to the local tattoo shop I went.
Becoming a regular, made friends with the artist, and lo and behold he offered me an apprenticeship…for $800. We were rural county Tennessee, I didn’t have $8 by the end of the week. So I passed on it. 10 years later, I was 32 and at a really bad place in life from chasing a dream that didn’t work out. I decide to spend my grocery money on a tattoo out of anger and a need to feel it. I hadn’t had one in a few years, was in a different town, different studio, walk in and there is the same artist that I had on so long ago. Sitting with him again over the next few weeks, he brought that apprenticeship up again and offered it to me. The moment the words left his mouth a voice said “Opportunities like this don’t come twice in a lifetime.” That’s all it had to say to know this was my next avenue. Only now the fee was $5000.
This is where it all gets magical. I had a friend that paid that fee on two conditions…put it under contract and make something of yourself. I smile every time my mind remembers those words. And it was all uphill from there. At the time only 3% of all licensed artist in the nation were female, so it was a time that it was much harder on the women, and the women had to be much harder to make it in this industry. Because of that voice I was comfortable knowing that I was on a path led by a higher energy. It just took over and I began speaking things out like opening the first ever all female studio just barely finishing my apprenticeship which ended at 9 months, but I had a dream, and the clients I had attracted were the same ones that wanted to be a part of that dream. I had no money, no credit, barely a dependable car, and had no doubt whatsoever, blind faith, that all would be taken care of. That was a strange feeling to have no fear at all about it. And so it happened…with so many miracles (watch for the documentary).
Four years in I met a woman named Alice who came to me post breast cancer, a broken woman needing anything to help her restore her chest and her mind to something beautiful again. She set my course and destiny to chase the most purposeful tattooing work anyone can do. I get to say I change lives on a daily basis, giving back what could not be restored by any other means or by any other words.
At year 6 of my tattoo career, the wind blew (again, a term I use a lot for major changes), and I landed in Florida. On a random invite and trip down, we got to Atlanta and this voice started in again “There’s something here for you, there’s something here for you…” would not leave me alone. No connections, family, or prior visits, but through the determination of listening to that voice and signs in life, I moved. I love new starts, clean slates, the opportunity to rewrite your journey, or rather, start the next chapter…and did I!! Met and married my wife and business co-owner Dawn and the seed of Metamorphosis Ink began to grow and has not stopped yet.
Metamorphosis Ink opened in 2019 with the purpose of becoming a studio known for Mastectomy and Scar Cover Ups. Even our overhead sign had this lit up. Right out of the gate, we exploded as a tattoo shop but grew slowly into the reputation we have today with the tattoo, medical, and breast cancer communities. Even in growing a team that would have the same vested interest in this as a focus in their career.
My heart has always been to leave a legacy from the start of doing mastectomies. I began working my angle as to how I could make this my specialty. Today, I wrote the first industry book on areola tattooing for tattooers. I travel and teach the craft. Kept beating on the door (speaking it out) that we would get insurance reimbursement, and we did. Wrote the first book in multiple offices and states called “Boobs and Tattoos”. Attained the trademark for Boobs and Tattoos and so much more, GOT OUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER LICENSE, for insurance reimbursement. Are beginning to film the documentary that will be out in the next 1-2 years, which will move us forward with the audience and backing in my goal of changing insurance policies for the benefit of women after breast cancer. Next is changing the medical mandates and create a standardization platform for equal quality breast tattooing. We are having our first ever ‘Formal Live Art and Screening Gala’ at the end of the year. Volume II is in progress for Boobs and Tattoos and so much more. I’m honored to have the knowledge and connection to listen to that voice and follow the wind.
This career, this art form has made it possible for me to do things no one else is doing and that feels spectacular. I will leave a mark on this industry, on this world. It also gives me a platform to create and be successful in so many other art mediums.
But before tattooing, there were many things I did that aided in my success of being a tattooer. Most all I’ve ever really done has been an artist of some form. I was violinist for 10 years. I thought I’d be a musician. Rock and landscape designer, won Nashville, TN. Annual Best Landscaped Yard Award and attained a Master Gardener Certification. Was an interior renovations and kitchen designer for years. Owned a painting company “Creative Creatures” doing wall murals and faux finishes. Heck, for a very brief time, I was a free-lance makeup artist for Mac Cosmetics, (even did a movie set…it was terrible!, but I did it). These are the ones that earned me a paycheck that let me keep creating…something…anything, until I found tattooing. It wasn’t until the opening of Metamorphosis that I felt like a real artist for the first time, and could call myself that title. Looking back, I realize I was that all along.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
YES!
The first is “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkerson. It is Christian based, and though I don’t claim any specific religion other that Spiritualist, the story is for anyone who dares to have a dream they feel is impossible, or a dream they turned away from for this or that reason. It is the most simple story you will ever read. The story is the first half of the book.
Next ones are by Andy Andrews — Mastering The Seven Decisions ; The Travelers Gift ; The Noticer (which should be read first) ; The Lost Choice
Les Brown — “Its not over until you win”
Brene’ Brown — Dare to Lead
These are a few but the most impactful for honing the person and business woman I am today.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Aside from creating beautiful art on women they will be proud of, the goal and mission is to really make changes for women who have faced breast cancer for years to come and long after I’m gone. Utilizing my career and the many stories that have come through, we will change insurance policies because it is a woman’s choice to say what will be the best for her mental health. Design and implement a medically recognized standard for breast tattoo reconstruction from health care providers, mandating qualified certification, and bring more awareness to women struggling that this is an option.
This is the first step of achievement then we go after what that could mean for so many more people, but it’s gotta start somewhere.
Using art like this, has got me putting so much more emotion into my pieces personally and for clients. Pushing my creative journey to places I didn’t see myself going or that I could. we are creating a path that doesn’t yet exist, and we are doing it with art…our passion…changing lives o e drop of ink at a time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BoobsAndTattoos.com / www.Metamorphosis-Ink.com
- Instagram: @ArtistLita / @Metamorphosis_ink
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/LitaEdwards.1
- Linkedin: Lita Edwards – Boobs and Tattoos
- Youtube: Metamorphosis Ink
Image Credits
All images taken by artist Lita Edwards aka Bridget Benduhn at Metamorphosis Ink LLC