This is such a well written article and provided so much insight into your creative process. My main takeaway was how important planning and getting to the "feature complete" point on that first weekend can help setup for the rest of the week as you fill in the gaps for "development complete". I also work full time and I really want to rethink how I'm setting myself up for success to just get a few things done each night. It would be amazing to have game dev just be something I regularly get to do and grow at without it feeling like I have to make tons of sacrifices to get time at my desk. The approach you walked through gives me inspiration to achieve that balance (with the right prioritization!).
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this up. The new UI looks really well thought out and I can tell it's factoring in a lot of the feedback from the jam as well. Looking forward to following your journey! I hope this article finds its way to many other developers who also need some encouragement to find that joy in game dev too.
Edit: I just saw you won this GWJ as well! Huge congrats and well earned!