Gensanchi no Kitsune

Air Earth Fire Water Void Index

Sui or Mizu, meaning WATER, represents the fluid, flowing, formless things in the world. Outside the obvious example of rivers and the like, plants are also categorised under sui, as they adapt to their environment, growing and changing according to the direction of the sun and the changing seasons. Blood and other bodily fluids are represented by sui, as are mental or emotional tendencies toward adaption or change. Sui can be associated with emotion, defensiveness, adaptability, flexibility, suppleness, and magnetism.

Concepts and Patterns

Everyone has beliefs, and everyone's beliefs are subject to change based on the things they encounter in their life. I've always found that people whose beliefs are too rigid often find themselves getting into trouble when they come up against opposing views, and such people come to a loss when they face concepts that simply aren't a part of their belief patterns. A fluid mind that remains malleable is a key to survival in the modern age. This is a time when new ideas are flung at us far quicker than we can possibly hope to comprehend them, but this doesn't mean we can't learn what we can before passing on to the next concept.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
- Guatama Buddha

I've become known among certain circles for my eclectic range of tastes. This includes the variety of music I listen to, the types of books I read, the other pastimes I enjoy. Like John Safran in the television series John Safran Versus God, I have looked deeply into quite a few of the world religions trying to find the kernel of truth that I believe underlies them all. I've also tried a huge variety of alcoholic beverages and other herbal concoctions to expand my consciousness, or at least see what all the fuss is about.

In my exploration of the mind and the soul, there are defibitely places that I wouldn't want to go back to, but I believe that without experiencing the widest range of events there is no way to truly understand the world. I have sympathy, but little respect, for narrow minded people who believe that something is evil just because it's a bit different from what they believe (or what they have been told to believe).

I haven't experienced everything; being a member of Generation X, I'm still pretty young.

The sections below are divided into links and thoughts I've had about different topics. The links below are some of the more interesting places I tend to frequent on the web, places which might lead you to do a bit of reasearch and experimentation of your own. The thoughts are just some of the ramblings that go through my head on occasion, ideas that have come to me in the dead of night, or correlations I've made when reading books, listening to songs or just enjoying the world.

Don't take any of these comments or thoughts as gospel truths, don't simply accept the words found on the linked websites. Go out and investigate for yourself.

Places for Art

One of my primary interests is the arts. This includes most media; whether painting, drawing, sculpting, calligraphy or anything else. Over time I've studied many forms and have created many of my own pieces.

In the course of my artistic study and practice, I've come to respect a number of artists for their skills and for their ability to inject character, atmosphere or just a special something into their works.

The following links are not an exhaustive list of the artists I'd admire and respect, they are just some of the more common places that I tend to frequent when looking for inspiration of my own.

Quotes I remember

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.
- Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
- Jules de Gaultier

If you want to make enemies, try to change something.
- Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
- Walt Disney

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.
- Albert Einstein

Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.
- Tom Stoppard

Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one.
- Albert Einstein

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
- Thomas Alva Edison

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.
- Woody Allen

Religion is the fashionable substitute for belief.
- Oscar Wilde

A truly religious man does not embrace a religion; and he who embraces one has no religion.
- Kahlil Gibran

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.
- Guatama Buddha

One man's theology is another man's belly laugh.
- Robert Anson Heinlein

Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say that there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe.
- Francis Vincent 'Frank' Zappa, Jr.

One of the definitions of sanity is the ability to tell real from unreal. Soon we'll need a new definition.
- Alvin Toffler

Places for Game Development

One of my other interests is roleplaying games, this includes playing them, as well as their writing and devlopment. Some of my work can be found over on the Vulpinoid Studios side of the website, while a lot of my works and theories have been posted more publically in forums.

The following lost of links are some of the places I frequent in order to develop my ideas or seek inspiration. A few of these links includee other local game developers with whom I have made contact.

Places for Costuming and Props

I met my wife through "Live Roleplaying" and one of the first things she remembers about me was the costume I was wearing at the time. I guess that says a lot more about me than I'd be willing to normally admit.

Costuming is another of the interests that has been present in my life for quite some time. I have crafted costumes for a wide variety of genres from ancient and mediaevil through to science fiction, some of my older costumes have fallen into disrepair through neglect and through moving houses, but most of them see occasional use through annual events such as halloween parties, game events or supanova.

Places for Pop Culture

I guess it's only natural that my interests in art, fantasy and other forms of self expression, led me to the world of comics. Like most kids, my family were always interested more in grounding me in the present physical world rather than flights of fancy, but there was always something more interesting in the world of roleplaying and comics.

Many of my earliest memories of comics were the issues of Marvel and DC comics found in the local newsagent, I had no idea how far the underground community of comics really stretched until the early 1990s, when Image comics was born and when I started to visit comic shops on my own. I began by collecting issues that were different to those of my friends, who all sought to find heroic characters with special powers...I looked for character driven pieces, ofteen involving female protagonists, or deeper and more introspective tales.

When possible, I've tried to meet the artists for whom I have gained a respect, David Mack, William Tucci, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri. I've even spoken to Stan Lee.

Maybe some day, people will want to talk to me...I can only hope.

TV Shows

Inspiration can be found in many places, and I'll admit that sometimes I just like to sit back and watch a good TV show. The medium of television is different to that of comics, movies or books, and while some claim that it's an inferior source of culture, I find that it's possible to just sit back and absorb the information provided with a minimum of critique. I guess that's one of the reasons why tellevision has become so popular since the 1950s.

Naturally, there are far more television shows than these that I watch for sources of inspiration. As I find better websites for more of them, this list will expand.

Image credits and Fine Print

Unless otherwise indicated, all images on this website are copyright 2008 Michael Wenman. All Rights Reserved.
Quotes referenced have their authors indicated. Any copyrights on these quotes are held by their respective owners and no infringement of these copyrights are intended by their placement on this page.

All links on this page were accurate at the time of writing, but the internet changes rapidly. If you find any errors in the links mentioned on this page, please send me a message and I'll make sure the links are updated. Thanks.

Contact Michael Site Map Privacy Policy