"Subconscious gestation." Yes! A few years ago I started an experiment. I had my 'daytime project' and my 'nighttime project.' I'd work on the novel I was 'supposed to' work on in the morning and perhaps in the afternoon. But in the evening, just before bed, I would play in a journal dedicated to a project I wanted to dig into next. I might write a scene or do a character sketch or just brainstorm plot elements, but I did it with my hands loose on the handlebars. No pressure on myself. I found this worked so well for me, that it is now how I start all my new projects.
"Subconscious gestation." Yes! A few years ago I started an experiment. I had my 'daytime project' and my 'nighttime project.' I'd work on the novel I was 'supposed to' work on in the morning and perhaps in the afternoon. But in the evening, just before bed, I would play in a journal dedicated to a project I wanted to dig into next. I might write a scene or do a character sketch or just brainstorm plot elements, but I did it with my hands loose on the handlebars. No pressure on myself. I found this worked so well for me, that it is now how I start all my new projects.
That's really interesting that you can overlap projects. And very intuitive to realise that this is part of your process