Samantha Mackay on Recovering Creativity, Unexpected Survival Strategies, and Using the Enneagram as a Path to Healing

What if your best traits—the ones that made you successful—were also the ones keeping you stuck? And what if your next chapter isn’t about reinvention, but about recovering the parts of you you had to silence just to survive?In this episode of The In-Between, Evan sits down with Samantha Mackay—visibility coach, former lawyer, and Enneagram guide—who helps solopreneurs and artistic humans birth the projects that won’t leave them alone.After a health crisis forced her to leave law and confront the chronic stress her body could no longer carry, Samantha began a journey of healing—one that led her to a quieter kind of strength, and to creative work that felt true.Together, they explore what it takes to trust your instincts again, how to tell when you’re coping vs. creating, and why expression isn’t just for artists—it’s for anyone who feels like they’ve outgrown their old life but don’t know what’s next.Takeaways:👉 When “strengths” like charm, productivity, or people-pleasing are actually survival strategies👉 How childhood creative wounds shape adult self-expression👉 The invisible cost of being “on” all the time👉 Why nervous system safety is essential for reinvention👉 How the Enneagram helps us reclaim essence—not just manage behavior👉 What it means to return to old work with new boundaries👉 How intuitive creativity—like painting or dance—helps us hear what’s been buried📝 Show Notes:⁠ ⁠⁠https://itstheinbetween.com/episode26-samantha-mackay/⁠