Liminal Spaces Spark Creativity and Transformation
I have worked non-stop for over 15 years—pausing only for maternity leave. (And no, that does not count as a break. It counts as a survival course in sleep deprivation.) I was exhausted, burned out, and afraid of slowing down. But I knew something had to change.
So after I left my job at Narvar, I went to Tulum.
Amidst the whispering jungle palms and the rhythmic crash of the Caribbean, I embarked on a spiritual retreat that promised more than just relaxation. It was a full-system reset. My days were filled with yoga that stretched both body and mind, sound healing that vibrated through my bones, Reiki that balanced unseen energies, and breath-work that unlocked doors I didn’t even know existed.
Normally, workaholic Heidi would have rolled her eyes at all this “woo-woo.” But Mexico Heidi? She was open to transformation. And in the stillness, she discovered something profound: the power of liminal spaces.
What Is a Liminal Space?
Liminal spaces are the in-between moments—the transitions between what was and what’s next. They’re the job gap, the creative lull, the post-breakup uncertainty. And while they can feel unsettling, they are also where creativity thrives. Most people rush through these periods, eager to “figure things out” and move on. But what if we embraced them instead? What if we allowed the unknown to work its magic?
Famous Breakthroughs Born in Liminal Spaces
J.K. Rowling was jobless, a single mother on government assistance, and grieving the loss of her mother when she started writing Harry Potter. That liminal space—between struggle and stability—became the foundation for a literary empire.
Jen Rubio, co-founder of Away, was mid-travel when her suitcase broke. Instead of replacing it, she identified a gap in the market and built a multimillion-dollar luggage brand. I brought my Away suitcase to Tulum!
Steve Jobs was famously fired from Apple, the company he founded. That career limbo gave him the creative freedom to launch Pixar and NeXT.
Liminal spaces are not voids. They are incubators for reinvention.
Why Pausing Can Help Your Career (and Life)
Stepping away isn’t about doing nothing. It’s an active engagement with the present. It’s where old ideas are shed, new ones emerge, and creativity flourishes.
Recently, I shared on my Instagram:
“A total unplug and reset is going to likely help my career (and life and love and all that good stuff).”
Poet Mary Oliver asked:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I know what I don’t plan to do—jump back into the grind just because it’s familiar. I need to make my life wilder.
Right now, I don’t have all the answers. But I’m embracing the pause. I’m sitting in the space between, where breakthroughs happen, and where the next chapter begins. I am talking to people and organizations I never before would have. On the other side of that liminal space, something extraordinary is waiting.
