Choosing Life

Snow Tattoo’s Semicolon Pop-Up for Suicide Awareness Month

Snow Tattoo NYC’s tattoo artist Sarah Gaugler and NY-based poet Wohaii hosted a healing pop-up for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, using tattoos and poetry to raise awareness and inspire resilience.

L-R: Wohaii and Sarah Gaugler at Snow Tattoo for Suicide Prevention Month, Tattoo and Poetry Pop Up

Suicide Prevention Awareness through Tattoos and Poetry

In September (2025), internationally acclaimed tattoo artist Sarah Gaugler, founder of Snow Tattoo NYC, collaborated with NY-based poet Wohaii for a deeply meaningful pop-up event in honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The event took place in the heart of New York City at Snow Tattoo located in Tribeca, and served as a safe, inclusive space where survivors, families, friends, and fans could gather, reflect, and share their stories and the powerful message that life is worth continuing.

At the center of the initiative was the semicolon tattoo, a widely recognized symbol of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Just like a semicolon in a sentence, the tattoo represents a moment where life could have ended — but didn’t. It’s a reminder that life can still continue—if we choose it.

Guests were welcomed into the calm and intimate setting of the Snow Tattoo space, where they had the opportunity to receive custom fine-line semicolon tattoos designed and applied by Sarah Gaugler herself. Through poetry filled pages from the books by Wohaii and shared storytelling, many attendees found the courage to open up about their own journeys and shared inspiring stories of loss, survival, and the strength it takes to choose life in the face of pain. Through intimate conversation, art, and poetry, the event created a safe space for connection and healing.

There were tears. There was laughter. There was silence, and then the breaking of it. What emerged was a beautiful and unfiltered exmple of resilience, remembrance, and shared humanity.

They also had the chance to contribute to a growing collection of inspiration by writing messages, memories, or affirmations on Post-it notes. These handwritten notes — some deeply personal, others powerfully uplifting — created a shared space of healing and remembrance.

The collaboration between Snow Tattoo and Wohaii bridged visual art and poetry to create something truly meaningful. Through the simple act of writing and sharing, attendees honored those they had lost, those still fighting, and themselves. It was a quiet but powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit — and a reminder that no one is alone.

For Sarah, this event echoed her lifelong belief that art is more than aesthetics — it’s healing.

“Tattooing is personal. It marks a moment, a choice, a transformation,” she says. “The semicolon is a mark of survival. To help people wear that with pride is an honor.”

Wohaii has a special message to everyone that participated, and to anyone that needs to hear this:

“Thank you for choosing life.”

This pop-up was was a living memorial, a safe haven, and a celebration of the courage it takes to stay.

This special event aligned with Snow Tattoo’s mission to create art with deeply emotional and personal experiences that resonate with the human journey. By combining fine-line tattoo art, poetry, and a powerful cause, Sarah and Wohaii brought together a community united by empathy, remembrance, and hope.