It’s Grace Miceli for Friends NYC!
You may recognize these doodles and icons from socials, in the store or on tissue paper and stickers when you receive your Friends NYC online order! Hand-drawn by one of the “9 Funniest Cartoonists and Illustrators on Instagram” (Vulture) – Grace Miceli aka @artbabygirl, is an artist, author, and friend living in NYC! Her work spans multiple mediums, including illustration, comics, and murals – (one of Grace’s murals is in our store!) Grace’s playful, self-reflective, and nostalgia-evoking work felt like the perfect way to capture the attitude of our friendship, our store, and beyond! Read on to learn more about Grace and find out what she’d put in a time capsule set to be discovered in 10,000 years and most importantly, what she’s proud of :)
Grace putting final touches on our mural in 2019
Do you remember your first Friends NYC store experience? If yes, do you remember what you bought??
I remember stumbling upon the store years ago when I lived in Bushwick and being like, “what is this magical place?”. I probably bought a candle and/or hair clips. You can never have too many of either!
Has sharing your deepest, most personal feelings URL online affected your IRL not-online life in any way?
For sure. I think opening up online was a test run for opening up IRL for me. Creating art about my inner-world and sharing it with others online felt like a safe way to start doing so.
What would you say is the most beloved comic you’ve ever shared?
Any comic featuring Tony :-)
Most favorite, proud moment of your career thus far?
Realizing that my definition of success could expand beyond who I worked with or how much I got paid.
We’re obsessed with your book, How to Deal, and reach for it often. What was it like making your own book and were there any takeaways during that process?!
It was the most challenging project I’ve ever done. It was super fulfilling to create a physical product that felt like a culmination of the work I’ve been creating for the last decade. My biggest takeaway was that it’s not only okay but in fact necessary for me to continue evolving my illustration style along with how I approach and create work.
More than halfway to 2024, do you have anything on the horizon you can chat about??
I’m releasing rugs featuring two of my illustrations with Valley Cruise Press, coming soon!
Currently working on: A series of flowers created by marbling paper
Currently listening to: Who? Weekly
Currently reading: Mad World: The Politics of Mental Health by Micha Frazer-Carroll
Currently watching: Six Feet Under
Currently eating: At least 1-3 sweet treats a day
One thing you contribute to a time capsule destined to be discovered in 10,000 years?
My sticker that says “Anxiety about my future”
Three essentials you just cannot live without: Tony, my espresso machine, hot pink nail polish
Stressed in NYC when: Someone is on their phone in front of me while walking up the stairs in the subway
Impressed in NYC when: I can remember the exact exit from the subway station that leads me closest to where I want to go
Where can we find you on the internet and beyond?
On IG as @artbabygirl and my website: https://gracemiceli.com/
