The semicolon tattoo is more than a symbol—it’s a declaration of survival, a sign of solidarity, and a reminder that your story isn’t over.

It all began in 2013, when Amy Bleuel started Project Semicolon to honor her father, who died by suicide. Amy wanted to create a space where people could talk about mental health openly, without shame. She chose the semicolon as the symbol for the movement because of its deeper meaning in writing: a semicolon is used when an author could’ve ended a sentence but chose not to.

In the same way, the semicolon became a symbol for anyone who could’ve ended their own life but chose to keep going.

Shortly after the launch of Project Semicolon, people around the world began tattooing semicolons on their bodies—on wrists, behind ears, on ankles, and near hearts. These tattoos became a quiet but powerful way to say:

“I’ve struggled. I’ve survived. My story isn’t over.”

The movement spread like wildfire, shared from person to person, from story to story. It crossed borders, languages, and backgrounds. It grew in hospitals, in high schools, in military circles, in friend groups, and in tattoo shops across the world.

Each semicolon tattoo holds a different story—some honor personal battles with depression, anxiety, addiction, or trauma. Others are tributes to loved ones lost to suicide. For many, it’s a daily reminder to keep fighting, to keep writing, to keep living.

Today, the semicolon tattoo is one of the most recognized mental health symbols in the world. What started as one woman’s act of hope has grown into a global movement—one inked semicolon at a time.