An online movement is gaining popularity among people who understand what it is like to struggle with depression, thoughts of suicide and addiction. It has made semicolon tattoos trendy, as users share photos of this symbol, now permanently etched on their bodies, in their social media accounts.
The movement is spearheaded by Project Semicolon, which was founded by Amy Bluele in the United States. She said she chose the punctuation as the movement's main symbol since, "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."
Bluele started the campaign back in 2013 to honor her father who committed suicide, but the idea has caught on and gained even a wider following on the internet, where several individuals have been sharing photos of themselves with their tattoos. Many of them have a history of depression and other mental health struggles.
Emma Richards from the U.K. recently got a tattoo after learning about the movement online, according to Mirror.
"Tomorrow I will be getting a semicolon tattoo to symbolize my courage of overcoming the darkest time in my life && [sic] I'm so grateful for those who have stuck by me. I will always suffer from depression but the self-harm && [sic] suicide ideation has finally ceased. The sentence of my life is not over; #semicolonproject," said one other participant, according to the Mirror.
Bluele said that the movement is officially described as "faith-based non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction and self-injury."
"Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love and inspire," Bluele added, but she also made it clear, participants don't have to believe in God to support the movement.
