Soul Bonding

WARNING. The following may cause you to become confused, appalled, worried, or wary of my sanity. I cannot prevent or absolve that, so I encourage you to have an extremely open mind. Any close-minded reponses or flames will be ignored. I will dismiss it, forget about it, even pity you, and go on with my life. If this is unappealing to you, it is best to go Back.


What is Soulbonding?

Anthony Trollope said it best. (Since it's a general quote, I think I'm allowed to use it)
"A writer's characters must be with him as he lies down to sleep and as he wakes from his dreams. He must learn to hate them and to love them."
-Anthony Trollope

It's not schizophrenia or any mental illness or crisis. It's not an obsession or religion either. I can't go into the specifics of the characteristics of soulbonding, or relate the experiences of other people. So I can only explain my experience with soulbonding, which may be similar to others, and attempt to describe the other possibilities as well as I can. ^^;;
Soul Bonding for me is a profound connection with a character of my creation. These characters are called SoulBonds, I refer to myself as a Soulbonder. As an artist and a writer for as long as I can remember, I have had many SoulBonds without realizing it. When I discovered the webpage kurai.com, I instantly related to it. "Hey! That's me!" A lot of SoulBonders have discovered themselves in this way. The fact that this trait existed in many other people was an amazement, a joy.
My SoulBonds, as many others are, are all embodiments of my own personality. It's like knowing many different personas. Some hidden, that dwell in secret, and some evident in my daily life. They are minds that interact with my own, each other and themselves. Besides that I share a largely significant personality trait with each of them, I may or may not be largely connected to them- they have their own personal experiences and life stories, dreams and mysteries even I do not know about. They do not rule or control me, but accompany me.
Their life stories? I tell them as well as I can- in my writing.


Who?

Who SoulBonds?
Anyone with a creative or imaginative nature can soulbond. They can be writers, artists, gamers, role-players, actors.
Some Soul-Bonders can feel the prescence of their SoulBonds with them all the time, wherever they go. Their SoulBonds can be talkative or silent, emotional or serious. SoulBonds may comment on situations frequently, be close to, or detached from their SoulBonders.
The Benefits: Having such intimate, almost spiritual connections with one's characters can make an amazing impact on one's writing. There is absolute and totally realistic character development, a rare find in ficticious literature. If you believe they are real, they will become that way.
Was there ever a time when you acted "not like yourself"? Or silently argued with two or more conflicting emotions/personalities in a difficult situation?
These could be your SoulBonds awakening.


What is this page for?

To try and inform the world of this fascinating and liberating concept, and hopefully, help other SoulBonders discover themselves.
It's my great joy to share with you my Soulbonds- fragments of my personality and imagination, converted into form.


My Soulbonds

As I have had created countless characters in my lifetime, I can't possibly list them all. But upon reflection, I find they all fit in divisions of my personality. Here they are:

Aiko... if I were to draw a picture of my soul, she would look like this.
Aiko has no determinable personality. She is Everything. She includes my past, present and future. She encompasses my universe. That's all I can say about her. ^_^
Traits: Aiko is always seen wearing a plain blouse, grey suit pants, and a blue scarf. Her hair is black but her bangs are bleached blond/gold. She never wears shoes, only socks. I don't know why that is. Notes: Aiko's name is rather meaningful. My chinese name is Ai-Huey. (Ai meaning love and Huey meaning grace). Take the "Ai", and then the Japanese suffix for most girls' names (-ko) and: Aiko!

The In Crowd (Self-centered) My major Soulbonds.
Blue (front, middle): A sensitive and pensive individual who can be very defensive and stubborn. Her main interest is writing- descriptive essays, short stories and very occasional poems. She's very articulate, but indecisive. Nevertheless, she is quick-witted and has a sharp sense of humor. She's fairly spiritual, but is depressed easily. She likes Baroque, dramatic plays, and riding the bus.
Traits: Blue wears thick-framed, rectangular glasses, and her hair is black with bangs dyed red. She looks a lot like Aiko.
Simon (front, right): An over-acheiver in academics and a sincere and open individual. He's very compassionate, understanding and reasonable, yet he can sometimes be smothering. His talent is art, mainly pencils and charcoals. He enjoys drawing from real life, even if his subjects are moving. He always seems to do his drawing in crowded areas, as he has trouble doing it on his own. He likes rhythmic music, foreign films and hiking.
Traits: Silver-framed glasses, black t-shirt and jeans. He has the misfortune of always looking about 5 years younger than Blue when they're pictured together.
Blue and Simon: Are the perfect couple. Seriously. Nothing happily-ever-after about it, but pure, actual love. Blue is the doing sort of person, Simon is the seeing kind of person. She's independent, he's social, she's aloof, he's affectionate; They are two halves to a whole. And they are utterly fascinated in one another.
Notes: Blue and Simon's relationship is a metaphor with my two creative sides. Neither can decide which wants to improve, neither can leave the other behind. It's a tumultuous relationship, but a beautiful one.
Oh yeah- Blue's name comes from my auntie. Not really an aunt but my mother's close friend. I call her "Auntie Lan" which means Auntie Blue. I thought it was a charming name.
Simon is a name I really like. He was a main character that was described as very attractive in Amy Tan's book: The Hundred Secret Senses. This really has no relevance to my Simon's personality, as the book's character was slightly antagonistic.

Puzzle (front, left): Puzzle is Blue's best friend, because she admires Blue's dark writing and sense of humor. Puzzle is brash and sarcastic, but not brutal. She's fun-loving and talkative, but too cynical to be overly popular or conformist. She likes singing, action films, and traveling. She loves constant change, and is not too fond of commitment. Her downfall is that she can be slightly materialistic and stubborn. I have a feeling that she has some hidden layers of personality, including a very lonely person, needful of affection.
Traits: Blond hair that she always has tucked up underneath a trademark hat. Wears light sunglasses, and enjoys dressing stylishly.
Notes: I'm not sure where Puzzle's name came from. I think I glanced around my room and saw the jigsaw puzzle I was working on on the floor. Hah.

Hell (back, left): Hell is a very unique and creative person. She's soulful and passionate, and can adapt to all sorts of people and situations. She enjoys dancing, writing lyrics, working with her hands, socializing, and occasionally risky acts. Deep down, she's a romantic.
Traits: Her clothing style varies. Gothic, alternative, and vintage, among others. She loves jewelry and dying her hair. Currently, it's red.
Notes: Hell may sound like a morbid name, but it's German for "light".

Richard (back, right): Richard is considerate and practical, but very, very serious. It's a fact that he rarely smiles, and never laughs, even when he's happy. He likes playing guitar, art films, and all sorts of dance music. He's quiet, but doesn't seem shy inside, and he's not secretive. He's pleasant conversation, and apparently philosophical. Overall, he's very mysterious, but it's rewarding to get close to him.
Traits: He dresses trendily. And he's fairly handsome to boot! That may be why he's popular with girls, but not many take the time to get to know him.
Notes: He looks like a grown-up version of Evangelion's Shinji Ikari (at least, his hair does.)
Hell and Richard: Their relationship takes a long time to get started, and even longer to develop. However, they're an excellent couple, and close friends, despite how complicated their emotions and uncertain their actions.

The Personas (Personalities) Major characters, in art and writing.
Slayer (left)AKA: Maja, Mai, Aeka
Truly a fighter's spirit, and usually a loner. A skilled and efficient fighter, she is agressive, ruthless and proud. Sometimes she is silent and cold, or brash and open. She hides a dark past somewhere, but she will never speak of it. Underneath she's fairly innocent and naive, no matter how much blood on her hands.

Inga (second left) AKA: Ayla, Tsubame, Komori, Tobiko
Mature, calm and collected, she is a mother or guardian figure. Her ideals are strong and timeless (almost old-fashioned), and she is fairly wise. She has seen a lot in her life, and is quick to provide empathy and caring. She is a deep-down romantic at heart, and she is very passionate about anyone she cares about.

Keiko (second right) AKA: Lene, Jirei, Ruth, Megumi
Innocent, optimistic and courageous, she is the basis for almost all my Main characters. She always has a bit of growth to do, in terms of experience and maturity. She has frequent bouts of angst, but is a survivor, and can summon strength to get through anything. After she matures, she is definately a Leader. She is trusting, and falls in love easily. And anyone can be charmed by her innocence and bravery.

Lora (right) AKA: Nina, Hikari
She is gentle, compassionate and deeply spiritual. She enjoys the calm and quiet, and meditates or contemplates often. However, she can be very strong and fight for anyone she cares for. When she falls in love, it is very deep in her heart, and she stays faithful.


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