154:The Alchemy of Sound - Clare Hedin on Belonging, Risk, and Regenerating Our Inner Landscape

Description:

In this unique and deeply moving episode, we sit down with our good friend, musician, and entrepreneur, Clare Hedin. Clare takes us on a journey into the world of sound alchemy, exploring how music and vibration can be powerful tools for personal and collective regeneration. She shares her personal story of finding her purpose, not through a predefined plan, but by following a persistent sense of longing and taking courageous leaps into the unknown.

Join us as we discuss how sound can help us navigate challenges, dissolve problems, and reconnect with a profound sense of belonging. Clare offers practical wisdom for entrepreneurs on how to work through moments of darkness and uncertainty, and reminds us that the work of healing the planet is, first and foremost, an inside job. This conversation is a beautiful exploration of the intersection between art, healing, and the regenerative movement.

Highlighted Promotions:

• regenBEE Community: As a regenerative entrepreneur, do you ever feel like you're in "the cave"—a dark, uncertain place where the next step isn't clear? You are not alone. Navigating the risks and challenges of building a life-affirming enterprise requires inner resilience and a deep connection to your purpose. If you're looking for a community of fellow pioneers to walk this path with, we invite you to join the Regenerative Business Economies Ecosystem (RegenBEE). It's our free and open community for impact entrepreneurs, where we support each other through the darkness and celebrate the emergence of a new, regenerative reality.
• StorySeed: Are you a regenerative entrepreneur who wants to be the change you wish to see in the world? We know it can be challenging to build a business that serves as a catalyst for the cultural shift from a degenerative to a regenerative one. The StorySeed course was created to help you pave that path to regenerative change through the power of your brand story. You will learn how to naturally grow and scale your enterprise using brand storytelling in a way that influences change rather than forcing or manipulating it.

Show Notes:

• [01:38] - Josh and Noam introduce the episode and discuss the connection between music, personal regeneration, and the health and wellness realm of the permaculture flower.
• [07:16] - Clare Hedin joins the conversation and shares what she was up to right before the podcast: a "booster camp" for music sync licensing.
• [11:04] - Clare explains what sync licensing is: synchronizing music to something visual like a film, TV show, or commercial.
• [17:22] - Clare discusses her journey with music, how she was intimidated by it as a child due to rigid classical training, and how it was disconnected from the contemporary music she loved.
• [21:32] - Instead of a verbal answer, Clare shares a musical one, playing her Shruti box and singing to demonstrate the power of sound healing.
• [27:48] - Clare shares that the core of her life's work is a "journey of belonging" and connects it to the regenerative principle of inclusion.
• [29:58] - The work is defined as "Sound Alchemy," the ability to use sound to change one's state of being and consciousness.
• [42:45] - Clare begins to tell her origin story, which she describes as an "ongoing story" of following a feeling of longing and traveling through layers of reality.
• [49:00] - Clare shares an article she wrote, "The Light in the Cave," which describes the process of navigating darkness and uncertainty.
• [50:39] - Clare tells the story of her decision to move to the United States from England in her early twenties, a leap of faith into the unknown driven by a deep sense of longing.
• [55:47] - A more recent story of facing uncomfortable feedback on her music and the choice to grow through the challenge rather than give up.
• [01:03:06] - A discussion about the challenges entrepreneurs face and how to navigate moments that feel like a "dying" to find rebirth and new energy.
• [01:09:37] - Clare introduces the two tenets of Dynamic Emergence: "Nothing is fixed" and "Energy waits to be noticed."
• [01:25:27] - Clare concludes that healing the planet is an "inside job" and that we must first change ourselves to see change in the world.

Resources Mentioned:

• Clare Hedin's Website: Explore Clare's music, art, and writing at clarehedin.com.
• Dynamic Emergence: An online course series created by Clare that explores the nature of energy and how to work with it as a living system. Visit dynamicemergence.net.
• Article: "The Light in the Cave" by Clare Hedin, an exploration of navigating uncertainty.
• Music: Clare mentions her album "Moon Mist," which includes tracks "Journey" and "Arrival," designed for passive listening and restoration.
• Band: Formidable Vegetable, a permaculture-themed band.

The Universe is Music: Clare Hedin and the Entrepreneur's Journey of Belonging

At Seeds of Tao, we often speak about the importance connection, empathy, and the quiet power of belonging to this suppurative regenerative business community. In our latest podcast episode, we had the privilege of speaking with Clare Hedin, a musician, artist, and healer whose entire life's work is a testament to this very principle. Her story is a beautiful melody that weaves together the threads of risk, creativity, and the profound search for where—and what—is home.

Clare's work, which she calls "Sound Alchemy," is not just about creating beautiful music; it's about using sound as a tool for transformation. To demonstrate, she didn't just tell us about her work; she showed us. With the drone of her Shruti box and the expansive quality of her voice, she shifted the energy of our conversation, creating a space of grounding and connection. "I immediately just suddenly flashed on... that I belong," she reflected afterward. "That's my whole life has been this exploration of what does it mean to belong?"

This question is at the heart of the regenerative movement. A sense of belonging is the antidote to the alienation and disconnection that fuel our extractive culture. "When we don't feel like we belong, we disassociate," Clare explained. "When we disassociate, we do harm." Deforestation, pollution, social injustice—these are all symptoms of a world that has forgotten its interconnectedness. Clare's work is a powerful reminder that the path to healing our world begins with healing our own sense of separation. It is, as she says, an "inside job."

The Longing That Leads Us Home

Clare's journey is a powerful illustration of our Explorer archetype. She was not driven by a clear-cut career plan, but by a persistent, unnamable feeling she calls "the longing." She described it as a "homing call," a deep, physical sensation that pulled her toward something she couldn't yet see. It was this feeling that led her, in her early twenties, to leave a life of "cool jobs" in London and move to the San Francisco Bay Area, a place she had never been, knowing only one person.

This is the courage of the explorer: the willingness to step into the unknown, guided only by faith and an inner compass. "I have to trust life to know more than I do," she said of her process. For many entrepreneurs, this is a familiar feeling. The act of starting a regenerative enterprise is a leap of faith. We are often called to create something that doesn't yet exist, to build a new model that defies the logic of the old one.

Clare’s story teaches us that this longing is not a sign of dissatisfaction to be ignored, but a sacred call to be followed. It is, as she beautifully put it, a form of "teleology for us to grow." It is the universe whispering to us about the next stage of our evolution.

The Light in the Cave

Of course, following this call is rarely easy. It often leads us into what Clare calls "the cave"—a period of darkness, uncertainty, and perceived unpreparedness. "At the time," she admitted, "it feels like a dying. It feels catastrophically dead-end, because you can't see what's next."

She shared a recent example of being in the cave after receiving harsh, public feedback on one of her songs. Her initial reaction was a desire to give up or dismiss the critique. But a third option emerged: the choice to grow. She had to step into the discomfort of not knowing, of feeling unqualified, and trust that a new possibility would emerge. And it did. Through collaboration and a willingness to be changed, she transformed the song and, in the process, herself.

This is where our Designer archetype comes into play. The designer finds inspiration anywhere and can be creative in almost any condition. The cave, the moment of crisis, is not an endpoint, but a crucible for creation. It's in the darkness that we are forced to let go of our old identities and our fixed plans, and open ourselves to what wants to emerge.

Clare's work with Dynamic Emergence is built on two core tenets: "Nothing is fixed" and "Energy waits to be noticed." This is a profound framework for any entrepreneur. When we are faced with a challenge that feels insurmountable, we often fix it in place with our perception. We tell ourselves, "I don't know how to do this," and that becomes our reality. But if we can simply notice the fear, the discomfort, and the uncertainty without judgment, we create space for the energy to shift. By paying attention, we become alchemists, transforming the lead of our problems into the gold of new opportunities.

Practical Alchemy for the Regenpreneur

So, how can we apply this wisdom to our own entrepreneurial journeys? Clare offers several practical pathways:

1. Acknowledge the Fear: When you're in the cave, the first step is to witness yourself. Say, "This is scaring me." In the simple act of noticing, the fear can begin to relax its grip, allowing you to think more pragmatically about what tools and support you need.
2. Use Your Voice: Clare teaches the simple practice of "toning"—using your own voice to activate your cells and ground your energy. You don't have to be a professional singer. Seven simple "Ohms" can have a profoundly calming and centering effect, shifting your state of being and opening you to new perspectives.
3. Trust the Process: Remember that you can't fail. "Wherever you get to with it is where you get to with it," Clare reminds us. A perceived failure is often just a detour, a necessary part of the path to a destination you couldn't have imagined from the outset.
4. Change Your Mindset: The external pollution we see in the world is a reflection of our internal pollution. The most powerful regenerative work we can do is to cultivate a mindset of trust and belonging within ourselves. Is the universe a hostile place, or is it a safe and loving one? The answer to that question will shape everything you create.

Clare Hedin's work and life are a beautiful testament to the power of sound, the courage of the human spirit, and the profound wisdom of the universe. She reminds us that the journey of the regenerative entrepreneur is not just about building a business; it's about becoming a vessel for the regenerative impulse of life itself. It's about learning to listen to the quiet, persistent longings of our souls, and having the faith to follow them into the dark, trusting that we will always, eventually, find our way to the light. It is, in its purest form, a journey of coming home to ourselves, to each other, and to the living, breathing, singing Earth that is our one and only true place of belonging.