HOUSTON — The "Be Someone" mural painted on an I-45 bridge near downtown Houston more than a decade ago has become a beloved icon.

It even inspired a documentary, a National Be Someone Day , and a petition to have it declared an official landmark.

The artist behind the original mural, painted in 2012, told KHOU 11 that the simple message is credited with motivating drivers to make life changes.

"Like, they just drive by it every day. A nine-to-five job. There are people who have told me they have quit their job and followed their dreams, and they’re doing great," the artist said.

Over the years, vandals have defaced the message with their own graffiti, much to the chagrin of "Be Someone" fans.

One of them was charged in 2024, but the charge was later dropped.

The most recent case

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