Colouring in can be a nostalgic pastime that many of us associate with badly drawn outlines of dinosaurs, fairies and houses; a 99p pack of colouring pencils (which supposedly has 12 colours, but they’re all just different shades of brown) and paper that tears on the first drag of the nib. Nevertheless, we still thoroughly enjoyed the process of bringing life to a piece of art that we didn’t have to think about or execute. And then, to top it all off, getting the finished masterpiece take prized place on the fridge. But what if I told you that there are actual benefits of colouring in? ‘Adult’ colouring books have become hugely popular in recent times and there are good reasons why.

After a long stressful day - maybe at the office, running around after the kids or things just haven’t gone your way - it’s seems as though whipping out your colouring book and laying some colour down really allows your brain to relax. It takes away the stress of actually drawing, as it’s already done for you and thankfully, it seems as though the outlines that are available now are much more beautiful than what we previously had access too. Funnily enough, it seems that this feeling of safety is recognised by some art therapists and is used a lot with patients who suffer from dementia and anxiety as the familiarity is comforting.

Quite a few people describe the process as a form of meditation and in addition to the relaxing appeal of the activity, it can also be used to hone a level of focus you might find difficult to unlock otherwise. Using colouring in as a method to better build your ability to focus doesn’t seem so out of touch. Recognised by psychologists, it seems as though colouring requires creativity and logic, meaning it activates both parts of the cerebral hemisphere. As a result, it helps with your hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills - a useful artistry for a lot of professions and hobbies, including art.

It’s also important to mention that colouring is a great way to express yourself. Many adults have reported using the process to ‘rediscover themselves’ as they find what defines them is often lost in the midst of being a grown up. It can really allow your mind to open up and can often be a gateway to experimenting with other art techniques - you never know, you could unlock a new passion just by scribbling between some lines!

I think it’s safe to say that there are no real cons to colouring, other than maybe time. That being said, there’s no reason you couldn’t do 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there - the advantages are almost too good to not find some time in your day, week or month to incorporate it. There are an array of adult colouring books to choose from, ‘the enchanted forest’  by Johanna Basford seems to be one of the most popular and rightly so! There are a lot of other colouring books on the market and it’s pretty easy to find one that really resonates with what you like to look at.

It made sense to us that it would be fun to mix this phenomena with what we do best. You guessed it... The classic tee.

Doodlr is a new brand, exclusive to Shirtbox, that creates fun artwork that can then be coloured in by you guys at home. Whether it’s a fun thing for the kids to do, or just something a little different that you can really lay your mark on, Doodlr has something for everyone. The guys here at Shirtbox have an array of products that can be printed on, so if t-shirts aren’t your thing, that’s cool. Maybe a tote bag or a cushion cover will take your fancy? Each product is treated with a special coating before we print the design meaning both the artwork and your colouring will be more vibrant, even after washing. It’s been tried and tested by me, and it was glorious.

You can get Doodlr ‘colour-your-own’ T-shirts RIGHT HERE on Shirtbox. (pssst, it makes a great gift!)