I am usually up for just about anything, but when James asked me if I would tattoo him I was a little reluctant. After all, I may *have* a tattoo of my own and a background in art, but does that qualify me to prick him full of holes and simultaneously flood said holes with ink? Well, he really wanted this design (Indiana love!) and he didn’t want to actually spring for a pro. You know what they say… you get what you pay for. Man, do you ever.

OK. So I was able to draw the design and transfer it to his side with no trouble. Feeling pretty confident by this time, I wielded his (rather unwieldy!) tattoo gun. Dip into the ink. Hit the foot pedal. Bzzzzzz. Bzzzz!! And then I hurt him like no else ever had (and he is someone with a considerable number of tattoos.) I had to go over my lines several times, and yet they still look like one of my pen-and-ink drawings — tentative, spindly, and awkward. Needless to say, he’s going to end up paying a pro to fix my “work.” Still, he claims it was “a good experience,” and I learned that I should stick to works on paper rather than works on rib cages. (Sorry, James!)