This episode isn’t one of our usual Conversations, but the first of a series of what we call Reflections, in which we embrace the ever-present opportunity to find gratitude for all mothers—perfect and imperfect, absent and present, received and chosen, familial and spiritual, God Mothers and step mothers. Carly reflects on her own difficult but beautiful relationship as a daughter and as a mother; the wild love, the raw edges, the big, vulnerable truths. And then: A special Infinite Crescendo Microjourney crafted from Carly’s own lullaby for her girls layered with voices from the community, sharing from the heart. It’s a gift, in audio form, and it’s meant to guide you toward whatever it is you might like to affirm, expand, shift, or hold as your own experience with the mothers surrounding you and the mother within.

In a world that values clearly defined brands (personal and otherwise) but also rewards jack-of-all-trades who jump from one modality to the next, creative growth can be tricky. As Australia-born filmmaker and vocalist Kelsie Moore attests to here, our continual unfolding will ask us to stay open. Our offerings will only take the shapes they’re meant to take if we allow them the space and freedom to expand and shift. These lessons came, in part, during one of Carly Jo’s Heart Song retreats; and, in part, over years of filming the Emmy-award winning documentary The Gerda That Remains, a study of one woman’s memory loss and the dichotomy and partnership of the heart and the brain.

As if it’s not enough that artist Elena Stonaker’s finely sculpted and intricately beaded fabric pieces are like, “big arms to hold you,” she presents them in sonic, immersive spaces that foster a new world feeling and a powerful sense of discovery and connection. In fact, that act of bringing people together with sound, sensation, and shared experience is a kind of parallel to Infinite Crescendo—which isn’t surprising given that Elena and IC co-founder and Conversations host Carly Jo Carson are best friends. As the two Angelenos talk through a relationship rooted in art and expression, they touch on mothers, daughters, early childhood education, workshop environments, and the kind of sisterhood that emerges when two people see and support one another in their visions and desires.

Somewhere in the middle of this organic and wide-ranging conversation between two very close friends, Manhattan-based fashion designer and sustainability pioneer Mara Hoffman evokes “that joke of tricking ourselves into believing that some things are spiritual and some things aren’t.” The joke, of course, is that everything we touch and do and see is part of our being, our unfolding, our ripening: The money, and the money wounds. The ego, and the unity. The love, and the loneliness. The striving for success, and the folly of “success.” The all-in definition of the spiritual path describes this conversation, too. Of particular note is Mara’s deep connection to the notion of divine timing; that everything happens in the right season and in the right space.

When Detroit-based poet Jacqueline Suskin asked the universe, “Can I have a reminder of everything that I’m doing with my life?,” the lines that came streaming through became “My Poetic Purpose.” We’ve been fortunate to use the lyrical, empowering, and universal totem as a bookend for many of our breathwork sessions and retreats since then. A teacher and channeler, Jacqueline has often written on the spot for seekers, for community, for the earth, and for the good of us all, together. In this conversation, Carly and Jacqueline talk about the challenge of actively cultivating kindness in difficult situations (and accepting one’s shortcomings with grace), the ongoing practice of presence, and the infinite source that supplies us with images, symbols, language, and song.

When Colorado-born singer-songwriter Josephine Foster woke up one morning to a cascade of pain that grew into a persistent clatter of ringing and other noises in her ears, she eventually felt “possessed, like with a demon.” Playing and making music was out of the question, although she found she was able to hum and chant and create vibrational sounding. Through her healing journey, which is generously shared here, she was unable to tour—unable, really, to connect to the gift of music—the very thing that makes her feel most alive. But she found the opportunity in that, and began connecting with other aspects of herself and humanity as a whole. Gracefully bridging genres from psych-rock to Spanish folk, and for applying her mesmerizing mezzo-soprano voice to poems by Emily Dickinson as well as her own self-produced solo and full-band offerings, Josephine is a singular interpreter of sound and soul.

On recalling his initial ascent into ambient music in the ‘70s, spiritual pioneer Laraaji remembers knowing that he “wanted to make music that would help people fall into the cosmic memory of our unity.” With both wholly freed intuition and extensive research across religion, music theory, neuroscience, and more, his explorations are known for their meditative delivery and curative tones. In this conversation, which was recorded at Laraaji’s home in Harlem, the 79-year old multi-instrumental talks about what he’s observed in his personal trajectory, and what he’s observed about how his music impacts others. “They lose their agenda and go off into trance or spell or timelessness,” he says in this episode. For Laraaji, playing music is an offering, a social experiment, and a way of life.

In which we share who we are, what our work is about, and why we love to do it, and how we think about this journey we’re all on—together. Welcome; we’re Carly and Paul, and these Infinite Crescendo Conversations are the gateway to a world of sensory-rich experiences in healing, growth, and connection. Before we begin sharing them—and before we begin sharing the Arcs and Microjourneys that can unfold from there—we wanted to put our origin story here for reference, for context, for safekeeping.