I like to hear of people who are not afraid to stand up for who they are. It seems to me that society in general is not a great place to be, with attitudes that almost always seem to say, "I'm OK! If you're like me, you're OK, too. If you're not like me, you're not worth dealing with." (To be honest, it's often much stronger than that, but you get my drift.) It's something Goths are getting used to — but to be murdered just for being Goth (as happened recently) is not right, and a society that breeds this sort of behaviour is not really civilized in any sense.

But enough of me ranting on, here's a story of one girl who stood up for herself in the face of family taunts, and is beginning to make a go of things, in her own words.

Reading Katie at Gothlings' article, I'm struck by how so many of us are pushed or leaned on to be "sensible" and "normal". Two words that strike terror in my heart ... It is possible to be "different" and still be a good person and still have a life!

I started out making Scottish soap - because I'm Scottish, LOL, and because there is a market for it up here in weddings and expats in the US and Oz. But after the first few hundred pink/white/lilac guest thistle soaps I lost the will to live.

So then I started making soap that I like and I want and I would buy (does that sound a tad mememe here? Cool. LOL) — and the family sneered, scoffed, sniggered, and eventually fell over in hysterics.

So I made more, and I got an Ebay shop, and then a website. Just because I wanted to.

I was dead in the water for AGES and the family swapped knowing looks... (dont you just HATE families?) But then I got some customers. Not many, but they are my kind of people and they buy soap and bath stuff that is a joy to make: scents of Patchouli, Tuberose, Nag Champa, and Violet... even Absinthe in deep purples, burgundy reds, crimson, violet and blackblackblack.

Still don't sell in the millions, still don't care. But I enjoy what I'm doing and I'm keeping on doing it — which matters a hell of a lot more than making money, even in these hard times.

Saffydaff, Soapbops.co.uk

Click on one of the photos to be taken directly to Saffydaff's site. These are just a couple of examples of what's on sale. There's so much to choose from, you will be amazed.

I can't force you to go look at Saffydaff's site, still less buy anything when you get there. But it would be nice if she could do what she's doing — which is all about providing a service to the Gothunity — and make a reasonable living at it, agreed? So if you do like her stuff, buy some, tell your friends and get them to get some too. Her prices are really good, so I'm sure you will find something you would love.

Go on, you know you want to...