Roxanne Derhodge chats with Alison Rand about her creative journey and move to Italy, focusing on writing from her dog Dea's perspective. They explore mindfulness through pets, highlighting the therapeutic benefits of pets in combating loneliness and fostering trust. Alison shares insights on creating Dea's voice, producing an audiobook, and the resilience and support pets provide. They also discuss workplace loneliness and adjustments in the post-COVID era, concluding with reflections on writing and creativity.

I have just published my first book, a memoir called A Place Called Grace. It can be purchased on Amazon in soft cover or Kindle. A Place Called Grace is a bittersweet memoir of finding yourself amidst the isolation and loneliness one can feel in modern day life. I was an actress with an outwardly good life but felt unmoored and desperately needed an adventure. So I moved alone to Rome, Italy without knowing a soul, speaking the language well or having any work lined up. But, I made a life there for nearly three years until a terrible accident forced my return to New York. While back in NY I went through a series of personal losses that left me floundering, until salvation arrived from a most unexpected source. https://aplacecalledgracebook.com https://www.amazon.com/A-Place-Called-Grace/dp/B0853D253T

(0:00) Introduction of Alison Rand and her background (2:07) Alison's move to Italy and creative journey (3:54) Writing from her dog Dea's perspective (6:15) Insights on mindfulness from a pet's view (10:25) Exploring therapeutic benefits of pets (13:39) Therapy dogs and client experiences (16:05) Pets and meditation for mindfulness (17:42) Pets in combating loneliness and building trust (21:29) The making of Dea's voice and audiobook production (25:08) Resilience, support, and tackling loneliness (29:49) Workplace loneliness and post-COVID adjustments (32:26) Reflections on writing and the creative process (35:09) Guest information and closing remarks (37:05) Sponsor: [Sponsor Name]