2. Methodology

Study Design
Mixed-methods qualitative research focused on symbolism and recovery. Data was gathered from individuals who had engaged in symbolic actions related to their mental health journeys.

Data Collection

• Timeframe: September 9,2023 – June 30, 2024

• Participants: 1,103 individuals

• Methods:

  • Online survey (18 questions)

  • Narrative submission option

  • 42 follow-up interviews conducted with tattoo recipients and event participants

Demographics Collected:

• Age, gender identity, race/ethnicity

• Whether participant had a semicolon tattoo or participated in World Semicolon Day

• Motivation and emotional impact of symbolic action

• Connection to recovery status (self-reported)

3. Participant Overview

| Gender Identity | | | Women | 60% | | Men | 29% | | Nonbinary/Other | 9% | | Prefer not to say | 2% |

4. Key Findings

1. Symbolic Action Creates an Internal Shift (79%)

“It felt like reclaiming my life. Like saying, ‘I survived—and I choose to keep going.’”

Most participants described their tattoo or symbolic ritual as a turning point—marking survival, identity, or a new chapter.

2. The Tattoo Is More Than Ink—It’s a Declaration (74%)

“I look down and see proof I didn’t give up.”

Participants overwhelmingly described their semicolon tattoo as an active part of their healing. For many, it was a daily visual reminder of resilience.

3. Rituals and Shared Days Reduce Isolation (58%)

“On World Semicolon Day, I don’t feel alone anymore.”

Events like World Semicolon Day helped people feel part of something bigger. Sharing stories, lighting candles, or gathering in tattoo shops turned a painful past into collective meaning.

4. Symbolism Helps Process Trauma (43%)

“I couldn’t talk about what happened yet. But I could put a mark on it.”

Some used tattoos or rituals to externalize trauma they weren’t ready to speak aloud, giving their experience form, space, and eventual language.

5. Symbolic Action Encourages Others to Speak (36%)

“People asked about my tattoo. It gave me a chance to tell my story.”

Many found their symbolic action became a bridge—sparking conversations, creating connections, and helping others feel less alone.

5. Quotes from Participants

“It’s not just a semicolon. It’s every night I almost ended the sentence.”
— 26-year-old participant, Pennsylvania

“Getting the tattoo didn’t fix everything. But it was the first decision I made to live.”
— 34-year-old male, Australia

“When I posted my semicolon candle for my brother, strangers replied with love. It was the first comfort I’d felt since losing him.”
— 40-year-old participant, California

“World Semicolon Day makes grief feel sacred, not shameful.”
— 19-year-old participant, UK

6. Implications and Next Steps

The data confirms what Project Semicolon has believed from the beginning: symbols heal. Not by erasing pain, but by giving it form—and giving survivors the power to own their narrative.

Recommendations:

• Expand World Semicolon Day, increasing access to free or low-cost tattoos and remembrance events globally

• Offer digital and physical ritual kits (candles, journals, prompts) for individual or community use

• Create space for people to share tattoo stories and memorials, making symbolism part of our collective healing archive

• Partner with mental health professionals to explore how symbolic action can be integrated into recovery plans

7. Acknowledgments

To everyone who turned pain into ink, memory into ritual, and silence into symbol—thank you. Your story lives on, written in the spaces between endings and beginnings.

8. Contact

Want to get involved in World Semicolon Day or support our tattoo network? Reach us at:
📧 research@projectsemicolon.com