She found solace by turning to her own creativity. "It was a difficult time for me, and so I sang songs that would bring me through the trying times," Winans told the Detroit News. Winans took control of her own business affairs (she handles her bookings and PR through her own firm, Viviane, Inc.), and came through her time of trials as a stronger performer than she had been as part of the Winans family circle. Channeling the emotions engendered by her divorce into such songs as "Long as I Got King Jesus," Winans began to make waves with her live appearances, and capitalized on them with the release of her 1997 album Live in Detroit, recorded at the city's Straight Gate Church.

That album sold over 200,000 copies, a strong success by gospel standards; it remained on Billboard magazine's Top 40 Gospel Albums chart as of the summer of 1999. It spawned a follow-up, Live in Detroit II, which had a more upbeat mood than its predecessor. I'm healed and I'm celebrating," Winans told the Detroit Free Press. "I'm in my groove now. The Lord has defined me and showed me what I'm here to do." The album was accompanied by a concert video featuring Winans's mother, and individual videos of songs from the album gained considerable airtime on cable-television gospel programs.

The large crowds that greeted Winans at promotional events for Live in Detroit II made an auspicious beginning for an ambitious jump in the intensity of her career. Two more Winans albums followed in quick succession, each displaying a different side of her personality and exposing listeners to her considerable versatility. The most unusual project was Share the Laughter, one of the few comedy recordings in the history of black gospel; the album included such Winans stage routines as "Y'All Raggedy Too?" and "Daddy Can't Sing." "People Think I'm funny, but I'm not just being funny," Winans explained to the Free Press. Laughter is universal and laughter is good medicine. The Bible says, 'A merry heart does good like medicine'" (Proverbs 17:22). Slated for release as of early 2000 was the third leg of the Winans trilogy, Woman to Woman, a set of gospel and inspirational songs aimed at women who were trying to survive periods of adversity in their lives. Winans had done just that, and emerged as a gospel star.