The story behind Austin’s iconic “I love you so much” mural

When people think of iconic murals in Austin, Texas, the first thing that often comes to mind is the “I Love You So Much” mural on South Congress Avenue.

But not many know much about the mural, like when it was created and whether the original artist is cashing in on the recognizable slogan. Thanks to a new episode of Tiny Talks Austin—a live event where some of the capital’s most fascinating people share their experiences in bite-sized presentations—locals and newcomers alike now know the answer.

But the story is much deeper than many may think, and the person who put the slogan on the wall claims she is not receiving a dime despite being promised royalties. In the episode “Tiny Talks,” filmed at the Austin School of Film on June 11 and released on YouTube on July 9, artist Amy Cook revealed the story behind the mural and what she says happened later.

Cook says the idea for this simple yet powerful mural came about during a trip to New York City with her then-partner in 2004. While walking through the Chelsea neighborhood, they came across a brick wall in an alley with the words “I love you so much” spray-painted in yellow cursive.

Over the next six years, Cook reflected on the slogan “I love you so much,” which she and her former partner, Liz Lambert, co-founder of Jo’s Coffee, came up with that fateful day in New York.

Then, in 2010, Cook decided to do the wall outside the cafe. Since she had painted Jo’s iconic green wall countless times, Cook figured she would spray the slogan in the now-recognizable red ink on the side of the cafe so her partner could see it before painting over it again. But her partner loved it, and so did the community. 14 years later, the mural is still one of the most iconic parts of the SoCo area and Austin as a whole.

However, Cook explained that she and her partner separated towards the end of 2012 and things got a bit messy regarding allegedly unfulfilled financial promises.

Artist who painted “I love you so much” speaks out about royalties

Although Cook claimed at Tiny Talks Austin that she was promised a share of the cafe and a percentage of royalties, she said she did not receive “a dime in royalties.”

Cook said she hired a lawyer but was unsuccessful. Besides, starting a legal battle with a company over copyright isn’t cheap since Jo’s Coffee is run by the Bunkhouse Group, which is reportedly owned by Standard International.

“All I wanted, basically from the beginning, was to be able to just let this go,” Cook shared on the Tiny Talks Austin episode. But that proved difficult considering there are numerous items in stores across the city and online featuring the mural with the slogan she painted.

But as Cook tries to move forward, she thinks about what matters most, like community and friendship. As for the “I love you so much” mural, Cook said she’s happy to have created something that means so much to the community, “and no one can take that away from me.”

If you want to support Cook’s original work, you can check out her “I love you so much” merch here.

You can watch Cook’s full episode at Tiny Talks Austin below: