I first met JD Aricchi at a Psychic Fair in Upstate New York where he was offering Spirit Drawings.
By Kimberly Ward
As I stood at his table watching the magic that was occurring as he laid charcoal to paper, I knew he was someone I needed to speak to. JD Aricchi was born into a Catholic family in Bloomfield, New Jersey and has been an artist as long as he can remember. He obtained his first drafting kit in the second grade and says it was made by Crayola.
Up until middle school JD’s plan was to be a car designer, however, music moved him into wanting to be a musician and he began playing guitar. JD confessed that he had always been a little challenged by things that require you to ‘put in the time to make it perfect” preferring to just go with what comes natural. In speaking with JD, I get the impression it is for enjoying the adventure that keeps him from buckling down with a book to study.
You could almost call him the ‘lazy workaholic’ which I find to be an inherent nature of most artists. JD jokes about his Catholic upbringing saying that he was given his “last rights” at the age of two due to a diabetic complication. I smiled as JD told me he lived and continued to enjoy Sunday school until they stopped “finger painting.” When they gave him a book and classroom, he says he “just did not want to work.” I asked JD about his spiritual beliefs and he said he was never pushed by his parents to remain the faithful Catholic. His parent’s allowed him to formulate his own opinions and at a pretty young age, after watching Kung-Fu movies, developed an interest in ‘self-discipline, meditation and Buddhist philosophy.’
JD’s lack of scholarly discipline did not launch him into the musical career he had fantasized. He came up with a name for a band, got some friends together and soon became frustrated. JD says he “never really got the jam down because of the ‘the work’ and having to learn the songs.” JD’s music style was much more ‘free-style,’ a form of expression, and playing guitar became a hobby that he still has today.
Early in his education, a school counselor suggested he be in a special education program. Not because of a learning disability, but because it would allow him to work at his own pace and give him more freedom to express himself through art. He was told that he ‘does not think like other people.’
After seeing an ad on TV late one evening for the Art Institute, he got an idea and dropped out of high school in the tenth grade. He obtained his GED and enrolled in the Philadelphia Art Institute to study Commercial Art. JD was living in the city, going to art school and says he really did not like school. He was more interested in socializing than studying. When he left art school, he focused on music for a while before moving to Florida. Listening to JD relay the story of his life, it was obvious that he has always allowed himself to be guided by his intuition and did not resist the subtle nudges when he strayed off course.
While living in Florida, JD was working in customer service hoping to move into middle management. He has a natural inclination to want to help people and when policies got in the way of that, he became frustrated yet again. JD has always operated to the strum of his own guitar, so to speak. He says “that he struggles due to some old issues and he gets frustrated reaching an end through unacceptable means.”
While in Florida, JD began opening to a higher spiritual belief. He said he was always interested in Astrology and felt it was a doorway into being open for other ideas. He attended a Metaphysical church that did energy healings and message service with a friend and admits he ‘liked it,’ however thought the healing part of the service was strange. Regardless, JD says the experience was significant and as the “novelty of Florida wore off” he began planning his next move and was being guided to the Rochester, New York area.
JD was not doing any type of artwork and had no creative outlet after moving to Rochester. A friend asked him to go to a Psychic Fair and he says he spent most of the day walking around taking it all in and wearing out the carpet. However, he wanted clarification on an idea someone had planted in his mind, but his attempts at finding an open table for a reading were not working. As he sat listening to someone else’s reading, he heard the reader say his given name John, artist and Florida and his antennae perked up. He knew he had to have a reading from this psychic. During the reading, he found that she knew people that he worked with and he took notice of the synchronicity. He asked a yes or no question to obtain clarification of the ideas his friends had planted and she told him about a Spiritualist Church.
On the following Sunday he attended this church and the ‘fill-in’ speaker during the message service looked at him and said “the answer to the question you have been asking the Universe is yes.” This message intrigued him and he continued going to the church and attended board meetings to see how he could help. He said that he kept getting ‘messages’’ from people and signed up for the Guided Meditation workshop. Even though he had lost his job the day prior and had concerns on spending the money, he attended the workshop. During the meditation, he says he felt that he was making up the things he was seeing, however, when the blue woman popped out of him and turned around to look at him, he knew this could not be just his imagination. He asked her what he was supposed to do and she pointed to an easel and he thought “whatever” because he never liked his work in art school. JD did not completely disregard this message. He was led to purchase some art supplies and try his hand with chalk. He felt that “chalk was messy and may feel less controlled.”
The Spiritualist Church was hosting the National Convention that particular year and his friends were encouraging him to do a Spirit Drawing for the auction. Even though JD felt they were only being nice, he did the drawing. JD had never done a spirit drawing, though he had heard about them and had taken a Mediumship class. He said he felt frustrated with the drawing and not completely happy with it. Nonetheless, a woman purchased the drawing and came over and insisted he sign his full name and date the back of it. She claims she saw the image in a prior dream. JD said this taught him about ‘not setting limitations’ and this was his first real confirmation that “it was bigger than him.”
JD also started receiving other messages that he might have overlooked if he were not paying attention. JD says that every mundane job he has held since the message about art had continuously worse working conditions, a message from spirit that it was not ‘his path.’ JD stated that he drug his feet for many years regarding his art, however, not anymore. He eventually took a Spirit drawing class at Lillydale with Bonnie White and his first ‘show’ was in a small coffee shop where he offered to do Spirit Drawings for free.
JD’s career as a Spirit Artist has grown; he now resides in Ohio and travels into multiple states and venues to showcase his art and do spirit drawings. Infinite Creations by JD LLC offers workshops on how to do spirit art drawing and says “you do not have to have an artistic background or even be able to draw.” Spirit drawing is intuitive and about allowing yourself to be guided on what to put on the paper. JD has been guided his entire life, following in whatever direction spirit has led him.
JD also offers on his website spirit art, visionary art and spirit drawings, in addition to his newly released “The Ethereal Oracle Deck.” For a spirit drawing, he merely needs to know who the drawing is for and sometimes does not even need a name. He shared with me that he once did a Spirit Drawing for someone’s child; even though he put down her other child’s name, the image resonated spot on for the child it was intended for. JD prefers not to have any information at all when he does a drawing. If you visit his booth at a fair, the only questions he will ask you is what size drawing you would like and your first name.
JD explains it like this:
“Initially, when I create a drawing for someone, I first write their name on the paper I am drawing on. This is my statement of intent. It is my action and thought aligned to create for that person in a way that is most beneficial for them, or “highest and best.” Although this part of the process is pretty seamless for me, it is only though the focus of my intent that allows it to work clearly. During the short time I am doing this, I explain that I wish to know nothing about the person I am drawing for, present or not. The purpose for this is to have as little mental clutter in the process. As little external influence as possible. My experience and intuition tell me that it does not actually affect the drawing itself, but it makes the process smoother. If there was an indication of a particular scenario showing in the drawing, it is a much clearer message when I do not need to question if I created it that way. When I know nothing, there is nothing to weed out.
Commonly, the subject matter in the drawing, both picture and message, is about the individual’s path, but in a dynamic unique sort of way. It can indicate blocks or challenges, or complexities that a drawing can convey, if not words. Beyond all of these processes and examples, ultimately I believe it is the energy in the picture more than the picture. Just like all things are made of energy, so is the drawing.”
I asked JD what he hopes people get from his drawings and he replied “In essence I want people to see themselves energetically. A glimpse of themselves on a level they could not comprehend before.”
As I sat for JD to do my own Spirit Drawing, I was amazed at images I recognized and some that triggered emotions as they appeared on the paper. JD says that the pictures open a window and he only gives the primary message; what he sees as your main block or struggle in life that keeps you from moving forward. His drawings are more than a spirit guide, they are the story of your life and a tool to assist in your growth. While at his booth at this fair, I also had opportunity to play with “The Ethereal Oracle,” a deck of cards that he has created from his art. As I pulled a card for myself and read the meaning, I laughed at the irony of the message and bought the deck. JD has two additional decks in the works, one of which is a Tarot deck, taking his spirit artwork to a new level. The channeled drawings speak volumes and anyone with an interest in Tarot or the Oracle should own one.
JD has a natural talent for channeling information and expressing it through art. He also has a wonderful sense of humor and balanced outlook on life in general. You are going to want to keep an eye on this artist and check out his website at: http://www.infinitecreations.net/ or find him on Facebook: Infinite Creations by JD LLC.
About the Author:
Kimberly Ward is a Certified Psychic, Medium, Shamanic Practitioner, Healer, and Ordained Spiritualist. Kimberly has been an empath her entire life, just “knowing” things on a deep an profound level. She uses cards in her readings as well as clairvoyance to tap into what is happening in your life. Through mediumship and Shamanic work she can identify passed loved ones and spirit guides around you. Find out more at her website, www.newbeginningsholisticwellness.com.
