In Kerith's words:
Kerith Elizabeth Henderson created Pisces Soap out of necessity. Her necessity. She wasn't happy with most bars she tried. Soaps she thought pretty didn't lather well, or were overly perfumed. Others felt good, but were visually dull, the usual rectangular or round shape. This twenty-something Piscean artist decided to create soap that was both functional and fun. "But mostly," Kerith says, "I'm dedicated to pushing the envelope on soap. My customers know that pleasing all the senses -- and turning a daily ritual into an indulgence -- is the 24/7 rule with Pisces Soap."

undie girl: Kerith, your soaps have been with WACKYJAC for so very long now. How do you decide on what shapes you make? Do you get your inspirations in the bathtub, or do they come from other parts of your life, too?

Kerith: I think the best part about being my own boss is that I get to pick every design that I want! I am like a kid in a candy store. I have no set method for coming up with designs. Everything is actually very random. I may have a dream about typewriters or think "Why aren't there guitar-shaped soaps out there!?". My inspirations come from many sources: dreams, retro cookbooks, my childhood, my favorite foods...I have access to an unlimited amount of ideas. It is so much fun.

undie girl: One thing I think our products have in common is they have the capacity to transform ordinary parts of our day-to-day -- like bathing and putting on undies -- into pleasurable and even political acts. How do you see your soaps fitting into the lives of your customers and fans?

Kerith: When I first saw WACKYJAC undies, I almost died! It was so thrilling to come across a company that "got it". It is all about transforming every day chores and necessities into something fun and exciting. We have to do it anyway, why not dress it up a little bit? I hope that my soaps give my customers as much joy as they give me. I would love to think that my creations can help open up a whole new world to other people. There is nothing better than adding a little creativity and fun to life. Most importantly, I want to reinforce to my customers that pampering and taking time out for ourselves should be a priority.

undie girl: What do you have to say to our crafty readers who are thinking about making a business out of their crafting? How did you promote your business so that people who would never hear about Pisces found you? What's the strangest attention you've gotten?

Kerith: (1) If you have a dream, go for it. (2) Don't be afraid of failure...or success. The most important lesson I have learned is that it truly doesn't matter if I fail or succeed. It is all about the passion and time I put into a project. It's about not letting fear get the best of me. If you really go for what you dream of, it's not the end result that is going to matter, but how you got to the end result.

The best way I have promoted my business so far has absolutely nothing to do with my own efforts. My best promotion so far has been other people's efforts through word-of-mouth. No doubt about it. It is word-of-mouth that turned my hobby into a real bonafide business. It is word-of-mouth that got me my first magazine coverage (including Bust Magazine) and my first year of wholesale orders (including WACKYJAC!). I never really knew the impact of other people saying great things about your products, but I guess I understand it now!

I think my strangest attention, is the attention I am receiving now. Which I guess isn't necessarily strange, just bigger that I expected. I have been making crafty items since kindergarten and everything I make *I* personally find fabulous...but that doesn't mean that I expect everyone else to feel the same way! So having so much attention focused on something that *I* make is completely overwhelming. It is a FANTASTIC overwhelming, but something I definitely need to get used to I guess! Never in a million years did I think that so many people would like something I do. It feels like a dream come true.

undie girl: What's you favorite thing to do in your undies?

Kerith: My most favorite thing to do in my undies is to lay in bed with the tv on and a stack of magazines next to me. I haven't had a lot of free time lately, so doing this feels totally decadent.

I have a wonderful garden...only I live in an apartment andshare that backyard with 8 neighbors. I can't wait for the day until I can buy a house and garden in my undies! Sometimes when I am cooking (oh! also in my undies!) I want to run out and get some chives or oregano or something. Can't really run out in my undies, so the whole process of putting on a robe or pants in order to pick some fresh herbs is really frustrating. I mean I guess I can run out in my undies, I don't know my neighbors *that* well. ;)

undiegirl: Has anyone made assumptions about you because of your undies? What were they? How did that make you feel? How right were they?

Kerith: Yes! I was about 11 yeras old and I was jumping on the bed with some friends. Of course I had a dress on and they caught a glimpse of my undies. Pink flower undies! They all laughed and made fun of me, calling them "baby panties". I was so hurt...and totally confused. I thought all girls wore undies like mine! From that day on, I always made sure I had "grown up" undies.

To this day, I have an underwear collection to die for! (and some of them include pink flowers!)

undie girl: How do ever have time to put on undies? What does a day in your life look like?

Kerith: Good question! I overslept today and was running very late to get to the office. I had like 15 minutes to shower, comb my hair and get dressed. I am slow in the mornings, 15 minutes isn't nearly enough!! I actually got out of the house in 13. That is a record for me!

My days are extremely hectic. I am still getting used to this being a very calm and mellow Pisces! The first thing I do when I get to work is check my e-mail and voice mail. Once I answer everything, I check orders and start filling them.

I then start on soap production making as many bars as I can. And for the rest of the day I go back and forth between filling more orders, making more bars and taking more calls! I don't have a set time when I stop work, I just work until I can't work anymore. On Saturday that was only until 7pm, last night I stayed till 9pm. Most importantly, I listen to my body and base my schedule around what SHE wants to do!

undie girl: If you could have a soap box to stand on, what would it be? Okay, if you need two, that's fine!

Kerith: Can I get 10? ;) There are so many things out there that I feel really tied to, but there are 3 things that are closest to my heart: Racism, Sexism and Child Abuse.

Being multiracial (Black Indian Russian Romanian Jewish) has really exposed to all faces of racism. Although I would never ever change who I am ethnically or culturally, I must admit that the pain runs deeps when someone else choses to judge me for the very things I can never change. There is nothing like that pain.

I also consider myself a womanist, as part of the feminist movement, and make it a priority to call out things I find repressive. It is very important to me that as woman, we find our own voice.

I am also very involved with stopping the pattern of child abuse. As an abuse survivor myself, I feel it is my duty to help others through sharing my own stories and methods of survival. Although I couldn't stop what happened to me, I can make sure that what did happen, stops with me.

undie girl: Finally -- sex, spirit, power, and freedom -- how do all of these play into your life? Do they fuse? Do they fight? Tell us a story.

Kerith: For me, they are all one in the same. Very directly connected to each other. Exploring my sexuality is freedom. And having that freedom is power, and that power feeds my soul.

As I get older, I make it a priority to work on all of the above. In order to keep my spirit alive and healthy, I feel that I have no choice but to work on all aspects of my life. As I grow, I start to get glimpses of what my real power is, how much I have inside of me and what I am capable of doing. It is thrilling. As I get more confident, I get to explore who I am as a woman and get to tap into my womanly powers. And as I learn how to harness these elements and blend them together, that is the ultimate freedom. That is what I work so hard for.

You can check pick up Kerith's sweet soaps here at WACKYJAC and at Kerith's site, Pisces Soap.