The story behind the ‘I love you so much’ mural and how it celebrates every kind of love

The simple red text on the mint green wall on the side of Jo’s Coffee on South Congress has generated attention from locals and tourists alike since it first appeared in 2010.

Today, it serves as a popular backdrop for pictures, many of them appearing on Instagram. The hashtag #iloveyousomuchaustin directs you to thousands of images taken in front of the simple mural. Many are unaware of the story behind the mural, which since 2010 has been repainted several times.

It was initially spray painted onto the wall following an argument between Amy Cook, a local musician and her then-girlfriend, Liz Lambert, a partner at MML Hospitality and re-developer of the San Jose Hotel, adjacent to the coffeeshop.

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During a 2015 interview with the American-Statesman, Cook described the mural as “a little blip…that’s impacted the most people.”

Those who take pictures with the mural embody every form of love possible — parents with children, same-sex couples, heterosexual couples, and more.

“It’s the personal made universal. I wrote it to somebody, but it sort of became for everybody,” Cook said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The true story behind Austin's iconic ‘I love you so much’ mural