Arts & Literature
Creativity of Heaven: Janice VanCronkhite on Dreams, Visions, and Art
by Michell Spoden
My guest today is an artist who art stems from a deeply spiritual realm. Meet Janice VanCronkhite, a sixty-three-year-old, artist living here in the United States.
Michell: Please share with our viewers how you became an artist and what inspired you.
Janice: Though I have always enjoyed art, I became an artist when God answered my prayer. “ God give me a passion for something that I can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning to do.” He answered that prayer by downloading dreams and visions and the passion to paint what He showed me in the Spirit. For the last 10 years I’ve had the blessing of traveling to paint live in conferences and meetings, display my traveling art gallery, and lead Free to Create workshops and seminars.
For the last 5 years I have also hosted Free to Create Art Retreats at my studio/home on Lake Oconee in White Plains, Ga. The message I carry is about people getting free of their obstacles and released into their OWN form of creativity. After the first couple of years after my art release I was invited to paint at a large conference… on stage so people could see the process. I was scared to death and because I was staying near the ocean I headed to the beach to walk and talk with God about my fears.
Next thing I know a red apple rolled from the sea to my feet! As clear as I have ever heard His voice the Lord said, “You are the apple of my eye!” All the fear instantly lifted. Not only was the fear of man and failure gone but He had instilled a desire in me to help others get free to create as never before. By the way, I keep that apple in my freezer with a note that reads… Janice’s supernatural apple, DO NOT EAT! Doors opened after that first conference and for 10 years I’ve been painting live in large and small conferences throughout the States. I’ve had the honor to paint in meetings with Heidi Baker, Patricia King’s Women on the Frontlines, Randy Clark’s Voice of the Apostles, Bill Johnson, and Chuck Pearce.
Michell: Do you believe that this gift was always inside of you?
Janice: Looking back, I believe that I have always been creative but never had the desire to be an artist as a profession and now ministry. Mom was an amazing commercial artist and a great encourager for whatever I put my hands to. I learned a great deal about art in general from her but tennis became my passion and landed me at Florida State University as the first female player to receive a tennis scholarship. I needed a major and ironically chose art since tennis wasn’t a major! It happened to be an excellent art school but again it never crossed my mind to be an artist until the Lord did it supernaturally.
Michell: How do you think people should become open to the heavens?
Janice: After getting revelation of Jesus, I wanted to know Him as never before, I had an insatiable hunger for His presence—dreams, visions, words of knowledge, and understanding His Word. He desires to answer our prayers and I was relentless with my prayer for a passion to get out of bed to pursue. He will reveal Himself in many ways to those who seek Him. He’s looking for the hungry ones.
Michell: Are there actual bible scriptures that reflect the importance of art?
Janice: In the beginning God created. He is the greatest artist and creator of all time. He has always been available to co-create with us. In Exodus 31:1-6 and chapters 36 to 39, it speaks of Bezalel, the chief artisan of the Tabernacle, who was in charge of building the Ark of the Covenant. God bestowed His Holy Spirit to enable Bezalel with wisdom and craftsmanship to complete the task.
Michell: Do you offer consulting to businesses?
Janice: I personally believe that without a vision, the people parish. I agree that without vision people parish. Many have good ideas but need encouragement and direction to see them through. When I first pursued my art passion I unfortunately had no mentor. Mom always said to not be afraid of asking questions. I asked the Lord what to paint and man how to make it available. He used individuals such as Patricia King, Heidi Baker, Kathie Walters, Shawn Bolz, Chuck Pearce, my husband, David, and many others to encourage me along the way. Over the years I have experienced great favor in many venues and have witnessed wonderful freedom come to participants in my workshops and retreats. Because of what I have learned over the years I believe I can be a great help to others by consulting them in their own art business/ministry.
Michell: What are some of your favorite causes or charities that you help?
Janice: My current mission is to help others get free of the obstacles that have kept them from pursuing their God given creative destinies. Fear of man, perfectionism, procrastination, and lack of faith are just a few of those hindrances that block the passion that they hunger for. Through prayer, impartation, and activation, I get to witness life come to participants of the workshops and retreats. I love to paint during wonderful and powerful worship in conferences but even more I love to see freedom come to those who seek it. David and I founded and led an inner city ministry called Blood n Fire for eighteen years. We housed, fed, and clothed the homeless and helped many get free of their addictions. I led worship at BNF and prophetic art became another way to worship. We hosted Creative Combustion nights of worship and the arts with the rich and the poor coming to life from the freedom they experienced.
Michell: Please share a bit about your classes or workshops and how they work. Is there any music involved at all? Does location mean anything such as in a park or by the water etc.? Also please share an impactful story of how your class helped someone.
Janice: The Free to create workshops and retreats have been a powerful forum to help people identify their creative blocks, remove them, share about prophetic meanings of colors, numbers, and symbols, and help launch them into their God given destinies. Worship music is vital part of the activation process. I’ve led these workshops in many different settings and God always shows up and brings healing and life and artists begin to thrive. I never get tired of witnessing the miracles. But there is something very special about my studio/home at Diamonds on the Lake where He first released prophetic art to me before I had a name for it years ago. It’s such a peaceful, beautiful open heaven atmosphere. Countless stories of healing, freedom, and joy have emerged from this intimate 4 day retreat. The improvement in their paintings was merely icing on the cake! One lady had been very discouraged about giving up her passion for painting at the request of her mother twenty years ago. She was told she wasn’t good enough to make a living with art. After prayer her countenance changed and hope was restored. She began painting again, started working on her web site and even forgave her mom and relationship was restored. For several years I’ve witnessed the joy that comes to those who finally pursue their passions!
Michell: If there was one thing you could say to the world what would it be?
Janice: Dream big then paint your dreams.
Michell: What are some of your future goals? I recently finished my book, Free to Create, Releasing the art and creativity of Heaven, which I believe oozes creativity. My hope is that those who read it and view the God inspired paintings will get a creative release in the process. I plan on painting live at Women on the Frontlines International and Voice of the Apostles again this year as well as other venues nationwide. My goal this year is to develop online prophetic art classes to reach more artists who can’t come to workshops and retreats. I also desire to explore new techniques as well as deeper revelation for my paintings.
Michell: What are some of your future goals?
Janice: You can go to my web site and view more about my plans at www.jvcArtworks.com view galleries, workshop and retreat info, and sign up for my weekly newsletter. I can be reached via Janice@jvcArtworks.com.
About the Interviewer
Michell Spoden is the author of Stricken Yet Crowned and is also pursuing a transitional housing project for woman with an agricultural aspect. She has a degree in Business Science Administration and is finishing her bachelor’s in Project Management.
