Astoria Creatives Spotlight: Widad Franco, Artist & Founder of About a Cloud and Astoria Tiny Market

This month, our spotlight is on Widad Franco, artist and founder of About a Cloud, a paper goods and gifts studio that’s all about creating art that makes people happy and inspires people to make connections. She is also the founder and organizer of Astoria Tiny Market, a hyper-local and always-changing collective of women artisans and entrepreneurs that pops up on holidays throughout the year.

Did you always know you wanted to be an artist? How did About a Cloud start?

I always thought of myself as a professional storyteller, and that includes telling stories through illustration. I used to be a journalist—I told stories, traveled, and saw a lot of things. I was always drawing the things that I saw, even if they had nothing to do with the story. Then I started writing and illustrating children’s books, and from there I went on to create greeting cards. I wanted to share my art but also make it accessible, affordable. I paint or make original art, reproduce it, and adapt my designs into greeting cards.

I also make greeting cards in Spanish. When I was first learning about the greeting card industry, I went to Ecuador and walked into a Hallmark and learned that Spanish language cards are just translated straight from English. I like to put actual culture into my greeting cards. For example, I made a card inspired by a well-known Spanish song—something that connects us with our culture. I can send that card to my cousin in Ecuador and she will instantly “get” it.

What brought you to Astoria, and what do you love about it?

My boyfriend and I moved from Brooklyn to Astoria in 2014. I loved Brooklyn, but I love it here, too. Astoria felt like it was a community ripe for creativity. It felt like a better community if you are a new artist. Brooklyn is more established, and it is hard to get into markets.

Fave neighborhood spots?

Judy & Punch is like a second home. The Brass Owl‘s owner Nicole is adamant about carrying things that are made in Queens and supporting local artists and makers. I hold a market once or twice a year at Q.E.D.; it’s not just for people to come buy stuff—you linger and hang out.

What inspires you?

I have to admit that I’m a big architecture nerd. I have always been in awe of the NYC skyline, and when I first started, I was really inspired by my surroundings. Now it’s more about seeing the magic of everyday life. NYC is a magical place. And now I have a cat and I’m inspired by the adorable, funny stuff she does every day.

What do you love about being an artist and entrepreneur?

I like telling stories and creating artifacts that allow people to connect with one another in a more tangible way. We’ve become so digital. But I feel like we’re moving back towards being more mindful about the way we gift. This is why greeting cards are doing well. Big box greeting cards, though, are not doing as well. People want to buy from smaller independent makers and designers. They want to buy something that’s unique. I sell all over the U.S. in independent boutiques. I work with Nicole at the Brass Owl and a couple other stores in Astoria, but my goal is not to flood my product everywhere.

What made you most proud in 2019?

I now sell my cards at La Guardia and JFK airports. I get to see my stuff on a different level. One time, I was going on a trip to Ecuador and walking around the airport, and I saw a girl looking at one of my prints. I overheard her say, “Mom, look at this. It’s awesome!” I told her I made that! It’s kind of surreal to see my stuff there. I make illustrations because I love it—and people are paying money for it. I’m proud of making decisions that led to this, in really believing in what I do, and in dedicating the time to do it.

How do you measure success?

I get to pay my own rent with my artwork. Being a working artist is about making a living because people are choosing to buy your products. That’s something I’m proud of. Last year, I left my other job because I wanted to concentrate and put my systems in place so that if, in the future, I decide to go back to a full-time job, then I can do that because all of the systems for my business are in place. I’m proud of having made that decision, too.

What challenges do you face as you grow your business? How do you handle setbacks and surprises?

I’m a big proponent of slow growth. My dad used to say when he was teaching me how to drive, “If you drive slow, you can avoid anything.” I plan for things. I set up a system and figure out how to always have a plan B of sorts. I can’t predict everything, but I try to prepare as much as I can.

I also have to adapt. For example, I have two kinds of consumers: people (who buy directly from me) and stores. I design a lot of my products based on what my consumers want. Stores buy based on trends. In the greeting card industry, there’s a perception that the bigger cards are mass-produced and the smaller cards are made by independent makers, so stores prefer to stock the small size cards. Meanwhile, in the local markets, everyone prefers my bigger cards—which makes sense because people want to see bigger art. These are examples of how I have to adapt. The truth is that I have to sell volume. I have to know how to satisfy retailers without compromising my artwork.

Tell me about Astoria Tiny Market and the inspiration behind it.  

We held the first Astoria Tiny Market in 2015. I specifically wanted it to be a women’s market, and I wanted to include those who maybe had never sold in another market before. I thought we could use this tiny market as an opportunity to test things out. We held the first one inside a wine shop. Nowadays, we often hold the markets at Judy & Punch. They don’t charge us for the space, so I don’t charge vendors either. We always try to get new vendors. Every once in a while, I’ll find someone new who pops up on Instagram and I’ll invite them. It’s a great way to build community. It’s also a great way to learn about how to be a small business, like how to price products.

I really try to keep this in mind with all the markets that I produce: I don’t want to reproduce Brooklyn. I don’t want to do the same thing they’ve been doing. Brooklyn is a brand now—and it’s great, and they’ve been doing it for years. But we have our own culture and our own flavor here in Queens. Our composition of creatives is different—it’s a different vibe, it’s more diverse. I think it’s very important that we know we’re creating our own aesthetic and our own story.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

I’m going to a conference called Paper Camp where I’ll learn a lot of new things about the paper industry. I’m going to go and reassess. I’m trying to create more prints and artwork with the theme of local love. I want to highlight what we love about different neighborhoods in NYC.

I’m also trying to host some more tiny markets because I get so many requests from new creative people, and one thing I’m very militant about is not having two vendors who sell the same product. There’s a reason it’s called a tiny market. It’s only four hours long, and if we have two vendors selling soap, both of them won’t do well. I hyper-curate the tiny markets so that people have a good time. And I want to keep it focused on women entrepreneurs from Queens.

What resources would help you achieve your goal of hosting more tiny markets?

I wish I had more time. I wish I could do a market every month. But it takes a lot of work to organize and promote a tiny market. I spend a lot of time on social media promoting. I wish I had help promoting.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists and entrepreneurs?

Do the thing you want to do and put it out there. There are resources like Astoria Tiny Market, as well as great businesses that will let you do pop-up shops. Just try it! You don’t know if people will like it until you try it. And then you start honing it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Once you put your stuff out there, you’ll get feedback and you’ll learn.

What are you reading or listening to right now?

I’m reading “Furious Hours” by Casey Cep, which is about the last trial that Harper Lee covered. I love true crime and nineteenth-century true crime and nineteenth-century industrial era. I’m also obsessed with the Bowery Boys podcast. I recommend it to NYC history nerds.

Anything else you would like people to know?

I’ll definitely have a tiny market for Mother’s Day! (Stay tuned for more info).

View more of Widad’s artwork on About a Cloud’s website and Instagram account. Learn more about Astoria Tiny Market on Instagram, and check Facebook for updates on upcoming markets.

Ready to meet fellow Astoria creatives? Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with us at our March hangout at Q.E.D.!