Every once in awhile an imprudent idea plants itself in my head and has trouble finding its way out. Two weeks ago something inspired me to look up a picture of Nathaniel Rateliff’s tattoos. I was struck by them when he played the Varsity a month or so ago, but couldn’t remember why. As I saw this photo of him sitting in a chair, arms folded to reveal the tattooed outlines of black squares on his forearms, my immediate reaction was: “I want that.” I’ve always liked the idea of having a tattoo, but have never been this resolved on an actual design. I even know exactly where I want the black square outline of my own: on the inner side of my left arm, right above my elbow. I honestly can’t articulate what I find appealing about this location or shape. I do know that I’ve been thinking about squares a lot lately; or, more precisely, the tension between the “natural” and man-made. It occurs to me that while squares and boxes are everywhere around us in the constructed world, I can’t think of one example of them occurring in nature. If you can think of one let me know. And if you can explain to me why I want a tattoo of a square on my arm, rather than a circle or a bird or a flower, I’d be curious to hear that, too. For now I’m going to hold off on the tattoo. As a person who can’t commit to putting a bumper sticker on my car, I think I have a little ways to go before I can consider body art a prudent move. But if you see me gazing longingly at tattoos or squares in the future, you’ll know why,

Every once in awhile an imprudent idea plants itself in my head and has trouble finding its way out. Two weeks ago something inspired me to look up a picture of Nathaniel Rateliff’s tattoos. I was struck by them when he played the Varsity a month or so ago, but couldn’t remember why. As I saw this photo of him sitting in a chair, arms folded to reveal the tattooed outlines of black squares on his forearms, my immediate reaction was: “I want that.”

I’ve always liked the idea of having a tattoo, but have never been this resolved on an actual design. I even know exactly where I want the black square outline of my own: on the inner side of my left arm, right above my elbow. I honestly can’t articulate what I find appealing about this location or shape. I do know that I’ve been thinking about squares a lot lately; or, more precisely, the tension between the “natural” and man-made. It occurs to me that while squares and boxes are everywhere around us in the constructed world, I can’t think of one example of them occurring in nature. If you can think of one let me know. And if you can explain to me why I want a tattoo of a square on my arm, rather than a circle or a bird or a flower, I’d be curious to hear that, too.

For now I’m going to hold off on the tattoo. As a person who can’t commit to putting a bumper sticker on my car, I think I have a little ways to go before I can consider body art a prudent move. But if you see me gazing longingly at tattoos or squares in the future, you’ll know why,