The tattoo is small, just two tiny symbols, but the meaning is huge. Punctuation can be powerful. All tattoos have some sort of connection to the person who chose to get it. Whether it is a symbolic meaning, or just an image they like, it is a personal choice that could mean something different to every person with a similar image. It’s a tattoo that has gained popularity in recent years, but unlike other random or mystifying trends, this one has a serious meaning behind it.
In the rapidly growing business of body art, where more is usually more, this simple design is attracting national attention. People across the country are asking tattoo artists for the semicolon, that odd little punctuation mark that keeps the writer’s thoughts separate, but connected. It’s a casual, thoughtful version of the period.

As a movement, it stands for all those who suffer from anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and other mental health problems. The tattoo is to honour those who are going through it everyday, managing to survive every single day.
Project Semicolon began in 2013 as one woman’s way to honor the father she lost to suicide. Amy Bleuel, who battled her own struggles against depression and mental illness, saw the period-comma combo as a symbol of hope. “A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life,” the organization’s website says.
Project Semicolon is a faith-based non-profit that encourages and supports people with depression, addiction, and thoughts of self-injury or suicide.