The art of life requires empathy, resilience, and a laugh or two—especially now. But after all that we've been through over the last few years, one question endures: How do we deal? This idea is at the core of artist Grace Miceli's book, How to Deal. 

Billed as “a weird but honest roadmap from a friend who wants to make it just that much easier for us to navigate our own journey,” How to Deal provides a creative respite from the "daily dreads" that pervade modern life. With thoughtful prose and a collection of original comic strips, illustrated lists, and diary entries, Grace renders a compassionate exploration of what it means to deal with—and embrace—the messier parts of life, both online and off.

In this interview, Grace shared more about the evolution of her creative practice, the process of working on How to Deal in a period of isolation, and what she's learned about slowing down—and trusting herself. This episode also opens with a story by Emily Freidenrich.