Do you Have a Case of the Soap Isms?

What's an Ism? 

Well, thankfully it's not as bad as having a case of the runs!  

Read on......

1. The Soap Crafter "Isms"

There are many definitions for the slang term "Ism". In our case, "Isms" refer to the wildly adventurous soap crafters who get just as excited over an experimental mess, as they do a perfect loaf of CP Soap. In the case of us soap crafters, it's the excitement of the process, born of our own ideas, (albeit sometimes pretty whacky) that keeps us coming back for more. Someone with a true case of the soapisms will have any or all of the following characteristics:

1. Knows that any CP (cold process) soap mess can become an HP (hot process) delight, allowing our imaginations to go wild in the kitchen.

2. Someone with the soapisms gets excited over oils, lards, butters, and may even day dream of making the next soap batch while staring into a pan of frying bacon. The Soapisms are something like having shiny ball syndrome.....we are distracted by anything and everything that reminds us of our next batch of hand made soap.  All of that white fat accumulating in the pan.....bacon soap? Hmmm..... These are the thoughts of a true soaper who is afflicted with the soapisms.

"Incidentally.....There is a positive correlation between people who have the soapisms, and those who have shiny ball syndrome (i.e. distracted by all things that shine).  We all know who we are, and we're not embarrassed by it whatsoever.  Those with Shiny Ball Syndrome are more likely to have the soapisms as well"

_{©Soapisms.Com Definition, Me, sometime in 2009.}

And that's why:

3.  We live for the art of soap making. The next batch always expected to be better than the last, the best bar ever is always about to come out of our next batch. We are like mad scientists in the kitchen. We scream at people who dare to enter into our physical domain while we are in the depths of our soapismness.  Many of us wait until the wee hours of late night or early morning to engage in our soapismness, so that no one else is awake, and the fear of others walking into our kitchen can be avoided. 

4. We are so proud of our art that we flash pictures and even videos of our soaps all over the internet.  What separates a soap crafter from someone who has the soapisms?  It's kind of like the ugly baby scenario.  You know that thing that happens to us parents when we give birth to a child with a cone shaped head and hideous facial rash, that only a mother blinded by love could pass portraits around with beaming pride and we are certain that our child is the most beautiful child ever born on the planet?  We don't see the cone head, or the facial rash.  What we see is the most meaningful creation we have ever been responsible for making.  Similarly, the soap crafters with the soapisms will also flash pictures and videos of their most hideous soap disasters ever.  We even compete for the "ugliest soap title".  Are we nuts?  No, we are in love with the craft, and every born disaster is a learning experience for ourselves, as well as the fellow soaper we share it with.  Our disasters are as equally important as our best results!     

 2. The Soap Seeker "Isms"

This type of Ismness is one in which the person who has the soapisms is not interested in making soap, but rather

1. Has an unquenchable thirst for owning the best looking, most wonderfully smelliest, most purposeful soaps ever made. 

2. Like the soap crafter, this group may also suffer from shiny ball syndrome, being unable to resist purchasing a good bar of soap, like the shiny ball buyers, who are unable to resist buying anything that shines or sparkles. 

3. Also like the soap crafter, this group sometimes prefers to operate under the cover of darkness, thereby avoiding interruption  by family members while surfing eBay, and other online shops that sell soap. 

4. Also similar to the soap crafter is this group's need to hide the expense of their soapism from family and friends.  The soap crafter hiding the actual cost of oils and additives from loved ones, while the soap shopper can be as equally secretive about the expenses of purchasing these delectable items. 

5. Like the mother blinded with love, handing out portraits of her cone headed, rash faced baby, the soapism shoppers are proud enough to show off their most recent purchase, even if it has the title of "ugliest bar" as long as it has that skin disorder miracle we've been looking for.  

So, you see crafters and shoppers are much more alike than we are different.  My personal thanks to this group of soapismers.  If it wasn't for the soapism buyers, soap crafters afflicted with the soapisms would have no one to share their isms with at all.

By the way, my name is MJ and I am addicted to making soap; cold process, hot process & melt and pour.  I really enjoy all of the soapers' blogs I have come across, and I am hoping that you all will enjoy mine too.  If you're looking for a free link exchange, please visit my website and submit your URL so that I can list your site in my links section.  Happy Soaping!

© Original Content can be found at www.Soapisms.Com