THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Janet Lamb

CONNECTION TO NOHO: Lived at 11911 Weddington from 1941-1949

MEDIUMS: Pen and ink, pastels, watercolor

WEBSITE: http://janetlamb.net/

I’m a spiritual person to a certain degree. I practice a metaphysical faith and try to affirm positive reinforcing statements about my life, but I have to admit I fail miserably at simple things like meditating and quieting of the mind. I prefer to say I get my “connection” and inner peace by performing my art. That’s because I believe I’m an expression of something larger than myself. And so it goes with Janet Lamb although she’s tapped into something at a much more sensitive level because she IS a sensitive, often referred to as a medium; someone who uses his or her psychic or intuitive abilities to tune into the spirit energy surrounding a person. Only Janet’s special gift is a constant communication from her heart center that is graciously and generously given to her recipient in the way of a symbolic energy drawing.

When I first met Janet Lamb at an 11:11 art gathering, she stood quietly in front of me and observed my face in what was neither confrontational or a discomforting way. Rather, she seemed to exude an inner calm and peace in the midst of the wide-open space filled with chatty gallery patrons.  And suddenly, out of nowhere, she offered to read me. Admittedly, I have always been somewhat of a skeptic when it came to anyone claiming psychic ability. Perhaps the onslaught of PSYCHIC READING signs spattered across the valley Houdini’d me into thinking they were mostly frauds preying on unhappy misdirected victims. But Janet got my goat, so to speak. How could I refuse an offer from someone willing to draw a portrait of my inner aura? Game on.

The outside temperature on the day of my late afternoon appointment with Janet must have been near a record high of 99 degrees. Upon entering her home, the first thing noted were rainbow lights dotting the walls of her living room from sunlight refracted through crystal pendulums hanging on her western facing windows. My sister who’d been visiting me that week and I took a seat at her dining table where glasses of cool iced tea were placed before us. The interview and our readings began. I went first.

Andrea's energy drawing

To watch Janet sketch was clearly a magical moment. Without pause, she began to map out four hemispheres on her rectangular sketch pad with lines she said depicted elements of my personality; light for my soul, water for reflection, fire for inspiration, and earth or my earth walk. She told me each set of symbols laid within these drawn boundaries revealed fragments of my life specifically placed on the paper at the present moment, meaning NOW. In other words, if a drawing was to be done a day or even hours later, the symbols might change based on any changes in my life from that present moment to the next. (Pictured on the left is my energy drawing)

Exactly, what had just happened here? Googling later, I found that during the advent of Spiritualism in the mid 1800’s, some mediums were more suited to private explorations of “automatic writing.” This involved the medium seated in front of a mirror lit by candlelight while he or she held a pen over paper ready to write any message that would come to them through a semi-trance state. But Janet hadn’t gone into a trance. She was as present and cognitive in the moment as my sister and me. This basically bashed any apprehensions I might have had about mediums before sitting down with her.

Turns out, Janet’s spiritual awakening happened to her in 1982 after attending a workshop of Luiz Gasparetto, a Brazilian intuitive known for channeling artists like Renoir, Monet, and Picasso among others. It was then she discovered she too was a HSP (highly sensitive person) and learned how to artistically express the energies she felt from other people. Although Janet’s drawings are nothing like Luiz’s and encompass a style all her own, they most definitely are a language from a dimension unseen.

So what of my reading? All I can tell you is she was spot-on as she was also of my sister’s. I can also say that Janet and I were strangers before this meeting and she didn’t know beforehand that I was in a huge transition in my life or that I had a big heart or that I’d had certain life-altering events (depicted by breaks in lines) which have led me to where I am today. She didn’t know if I was spiritual or if I used the feminine or masculine side of my brain, which, by the way, I’m definitely reasoning with the masculine side these days. And what did I walk away with when my energy moment was symbolically drawn before me? Well, because Janet only weighs into the positive by complimenting and emphasizing one’s strengths, I can say I came away empowered, hopeful, and with a great sense of ease knowing my life is always changing and with each change there is always good. You may learn this about yourself too by contacting Janet Lamb for readings here . She does not charge for her services but will accept your gracious donations.