Comic: THEM CATS in "Grounding"

What grounds you? Today we talk about a specific grounding technique I call drawing. Yes, drawing, and more about it on The Resource of the Week.

Mar 26, 2026

Image 1 — Comic, Page 1 Hand-drawn color comic strip titled "THEM CATS in 'Grounding' by T. McCarthy." Top section: An orange cat (Therapist Cat) and a yellow cat (Me Cat) face each other; Therapist Cat asks what they are looking at, and Me Cat explains it is a tablet entry. A framed drawing labeled "@Barmel" shows a figure seated at a bar stool, rendered in dramatic black ink against a dark background. Middle section: Therapist Cat asks where the drawing was made; Me Cat replies it was at a bar in Carmel. Bottom section: A large human hand holds a stylus over a reMarkable tablet. A small Me Cat appears on the screen; another Me Cat stands beside the device. Therapist Cat says that's so neat; Me Cat says they draw to stay grounded and that it is very soothing. Caption at bottom: "This is not an ad for the reMarkable Paper Pro."

Image 2 — Comic, Page 2 Hand-drawn color comic strip. An orange Therapist Cat asks a yellow Me Cat what other things they do to ground themselves. Me Cat thinks, then says they have to think about that one. Me Cat then lists yoga, swimming, walking, and boxing. Therapist Cat says it all sounds like fun. Me Cat agrees it is very grounding. At the bottom of the page, two tiny cats appear — one labeled "–Zin" with the note "Those & Zingers" beside them. Printed text at the bottom reads: "Grounding: It's a thing we do to steady ourselves in a chaotic world."

Transcript

Page 1 Title card: THEM CATS in “Grounding” by T. McCarthy

Panel 1
Therapist Cat: What are we looking at?
Me Cat: It’s an entry from my tablet. [

A tablet screen is shown, labeled @Barmel — a high-contrast ink drawing of a figure seated at a bar stool, surrounded by heavy black shadow.]

Panel 2
Therapist Cat: Ah! Where was this?
Me Cat: I was at a bar in Carmel.

Panel 3
[A large human hand holds a drawing stylus over a reMarkable tablet. A tiny Me Cat figure appears on the screen; another Me Cat stands alongside it.]

Therapist Cat: That’s so neat!
The Human Hand: I draw to stay grounded.
Me Cat: Yes, it’s very soothing.

Caption: This is not an ad for the reMarkable Paper Pro.

Page 2

Panel 1
Therapist Cat: What are some other things you do to ground yourself?
Me Cat: [thinking] Hmmn.

Panel 2
Me Cat: I have to think about that one.

Panel 3
Me Cat: I like so much. Like yoga, swimming, and walking. Boxing too!

Panel 4
Therapist Cat: It all sounds like fun!

Panel 5
Me Cat: It’s very grounding.

[Bottom corner: Therapist Cat shrunk down. The word “fin” at the end to say it’s done. Note beside Mini Therapist Cat: Those Zingers.”]

Definition footer: Grounding: It’s a thing we do to steady ourselves in a chaotic world.

Drawing My World

“Person Sitting at Bar in Barmel,” Carmel, CA. By Tess McCarthy

ROTW: Resource(s) of the Week
Lynda Barry vs. WorldCat

Lynda Barry on Drawing: Very Grounding Content

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop called “Drawing from Workbook 52” with Lynda Barry & Dan Chaon in 2017 at the Omega Institute.

The book: “Syllabus: Notes From the Accidental Professor” is about drawing as a neurological act. But it’s kind of thing I do with THEM CATS, but mark-making as a way to access what the thinking brain can't reach. If you draw to stay grounded (like a certain yellow cat we all know), this is your guide.

I mean, last year I didn’t even get to a Lynda Barry drawing challenge like I wanted to. I’ll link to it later.

Lynda Barry says in a Canadian podcast—and in her workshops—that we draw characters when we are lettering at:

I still want to do her Writing the Unthinkable workshop when she does it at the Omega Institute, but we won’t wait, will we? It’s 20 minutes. Get out all your materials:

While this article isn’t by Lynda Barry, Eileen Cubbage’s Drawing Within newsletter will be a Subscribe this week. Take a look/listen at “drawing as a grounding ritual,” please.

This is my messiest handwriting, BTW…

Grounding: It's a thing we do to steady ourselves in a chaotic world. — “Grounding” by Tess McCarthy, 2026

Anyhow, Lynda Barry will make you want to draw. Her books are available wherever books are sold. Your library probably has it—but you can find it on WorldCat here.

WorldCat: Not a THEM CAT, But a Cat-alog

WorldCat.org results for Lynda Barry's "Syllabus." — WorldCat results for Lynda Barry’s Syllabus: Notes from the Accidental Professor.

You can find my favorite Lynda Barry book Syllabus: Notes From the Accidental Professor on the biggest federated online catalog of the world at worldcat.org. Trust me when I say this because I used to use WorldCat extensively as a public librarian. If you’re low on commitment, get a book at the library. Not sure? Go to worldcat.org.

WorldCat means World Catalog. It’s where you can find almost every book without searching in AI or Google.

Actually, if you want to know how AI search (GEO: Generative Engine Optimization) works, ask me. I'm a librarian who has been working in AI since 2015, when I started my journey as a contract research assistant at Google. Here I am, a decade later building AI frameworks like PROMPT. Recently, I built a scoring rubric based on key performance indicators I've researched in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), then built it with the help of Claude. One of the key signals AI scans for when you're searching in ChatGPT or other LLMs is E-E-A-T. It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

→ My AI disclaimer: My artwork and comics are 100% hand drawn by me.

But for 95% of the THEM CATS episodes, I use AI when I can to help me write out two things:

1. The Alt Text (which is what screen readers for the blind hear when they’re surfing the web)

2. The transcripts (which aren’t accurate all the time).

I have the articles grammar-check/typo-correct by Claude, ChatGPT, Deepseek, and CoPilot. The ones that have massive typos are mine.

When I do research on comics or on the resources of the week I perform a “Big Six” analysis using a Chrome extension called ChatHub…and the developer declares it won’t sell your data to third parties outside of their approved use cases.

Outside of Jungian coaching with astrology and tarot at redthreadintuitive.com, I make a living consulting in AI using semantic architecture, then I help people write from their heart so they’re findable. I do this especially when I’m not making cartoon cats talk about their feels at vveloxltd.com. So there.

(Shameless self promo)

POSTSCRIPT

What do you do to stay grounded? Yoga, walking, drawing strangers at bars like me? Common, nothing is too small or too weird. Drop it in the comments.

THE BIG CTA

If this comic helped you feel grounded, please share it with someone who needs it: like your therapist. Don’t tag them. Tag someone else. Forward this post. Grounding works best when people believe you. They do.

👉 Read the full archive at visualliquid.substack.com/s/them-cats
👉 Visit themcats.com

THEM CATS™ © 2026 T. McCarthy / Visual Liquid Media. All rights reserved worldwide. THEM CATS is born from a 2020 nightmare in which I dreamt of vampire cat fox bats invading a tropical island. My therapist said to draw it all out. After thirty-eight years of therapy, I’ve internalized those healing conversations. This comic is the result of that work.

THEM CATS Substack Card, by Claudine—my customized AI that helps me with research and grammar.

Ciao for now.

Emily Mack

Always inspiring me!

1 reply by Tess McCarthy

DIANA ADMIRE

I make lists... Good intentions really.... Sort of Brain drain daily of things I could/should do... but I find myself making lists and journal entries throughout the day when prompted to. Something I am trying to do more of and share if appropriate.

I feel more creative when I journal ...so long story short... Writing I guess is my answer.

2 replies by Tess McCarthy and others

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