The New Year brings with it new beginnings. New resolutions, new opportunities for change, new successes, and new goals. It’s like being reborn as a Christian virgin. They say cleanliness is next to godliness, and there’s nothing cleaner than a virgin…touched for the very first time! Just ask Madonna (the singer, not the mother of Christ). So, with my first post of the new year, it’s only appropriate that I present you with another first.

The good folks at IVP Designs have given us (Ahoodie.com, duh!) the privilege of premiering their first t-shirt of 2010, and it encompasses all the new beginnings I mentioned above. At first glance, the Coleman Creative Writing tee just looks like a great t-shirt with a cool design, but under that is a doll, inside of a smaller doll, inside of an even smaller doll!!! Okay, that’s not true, but the concept behind the t-shirt is even greater than a Matryoshka doll (I know its hard to believe, but just trust me).

Similarly to Angelina Jolie (but with a lot less dirty diapers), the Coleman Creative Writing t-shirt not only looks great, it supports a great cause. The t-shirt print features a pencil-wielding fist, on a standard lined-paper backdrop with a signature of its namesake. The back features the words “write to life” in contrast colours, and the tee also has IVP’s classic rectangle label on the lower front hip. To be released as a limited edition “living commemoration” of George Martorano a current inmate at FCI Coleman prison in Florida who is believed to be serving the longest sentence in US history for a first-time, nonviolent offense: life without parole. George is currently serving his 27th year on this sentence. In that time George has been a model inmate, writing several books, and teaching creative writing to his fellow inmates. His lengthy incarceration has attracted the interest of several prisoner rights organizations and has resulted in a well publicized letter writing campaign to the U.S. Attorney General and the President of the United States seeking a commutation or pardon.

As a sign of support for his cause, upon its release this month, IVP will be donating several of its Coleman Creative Writing tee shirts to several of the organizations dedicated to securing George’s release including The We Believe Group. Perhaps this new year, before you throw your resolutions out the window, including the ones promising to quit smoking stubs from the ashtray ‘cuz you’re too hungover to go the store, to no longer practice drunk-texting your now-married ex whom you dated 5 years ago, and vowing to do laundry regularly rather than flip your underwear inside out every other day; why not do one thing you can feel good about and help someone else (because based on those resolutions, you’re probably a lost cause anyway).

For more information on George Martorano, and how to support this cause please visit www.webelievegroup.com or www.ivpdesigns.com.