The following is this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree; by Ashton Greer and Nicole Van Hyfte
If you have been in the Danville area for any amount of time, you know the name John Jansky. At 53 years old, he is living out his passion as a husband, father to three adult children, grandfather, entrepreneur and artist, inspiring anyone who experiences his kindness, enthusiasm, and talent.
How did Danville end up with a gem like John? He came here when he was only 11 after his father had passed away with his mother and two biological brothers. He grew up in the area and eventually landed a job at Auto Zone Distribution Center, and for 28 years, he was one of the Operations Managers of the facility, recently retiring in October. He is thankful for the opportunity he had there and remarks, “Hard work is good for people. It gave me stability. I learned a lot during my time there.”
In addition to his career, John always enjoyed magic and art. He says, “I’ve always drawn for as long as I can remember. I knew I could draw since before I started kindergarten. I just was not sure how to make a living out of it. I never thought of art as a career.” Until when he was 40 years old, he lost a bet about who would win the 2016 presidential election, and the cost of losing was speed painting President Obama on a video that circulated online. That video caught some attention, and before he knew it, he was invited to do it again on live television. John says that from there, his performance career evolved organically.
He began combining his love for magic and speed painting, “reading minds” and then painting an image of the person that they were thinking of. One event led to another that led to another, and now John travels all over the place to perform his speed painting. As John’s art and performance career catapulted, he began receiving invitations to meet and paint for some noteworthy people such as Gene Simmons from KISS, Dick Van Dyke, Jesse Jackson, Pete Rose, Duck Dynasty, and Elvis’ Daughter, Lisa Marie. John says, “I love to paint people and draw portraits because I just love people.” And a cherry on top; John doesn’t speed paint for personal gain. One hundred percent of his live speed paintings are sold with profits being donated to charities and nonprofit organizations.
In addition to all this, he is very proud of his recent partnership with his firstborn son, Jett. Together, they are opening a tattoo studio in Downtown Danville. John says, “I love to see Jett continually improving and living his passion. I’ll do anything to help him pursue his dream and lay a solid foundation for his career.” He is also so proud of his sons Gage and Drew, and he loves being a father.
John says if he could give a word of advice to Danville, it would be, “Keep pushing! Persist, Danville!” He says he lives here because his family and friends are here, but also, “Danville has huge potential and it is a privilege to be a part of it.” When asked about his legacy John remarks, “I don’t think about my legacy often. I just remind myself that life is about people and relationships. There are times when we need help, and then there are times when we help others. It’s okay to be either person, and we’re all both at some point in our lives.”
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
News story here.
