I see each character like a campaign. I have a vision of what the character is going to be like, but he/she is shaped by the environment they are put into. Like for my first long term character, Kosher Daesmon, he originally was a bastard born noble. He got turned into a bandit by a chance encounter, then becoming a proper nobleman through a war. He then went on to become a Prince of a dying nation, keep it somewhat alive, then retired off to generally cause little mischief throughout where he could for entertainment. Most of those were spurred by his base traits of ambition and greed, but it all occurred through RP chances and encounters. That's how I separate myself from my characters, by seeing it as a building game.