Music metaphor:
If “project” is like “composition” and “skill” is like “scale” or “chord” I need something intermediate, like a raga.
Like “clockwork” is a raga but “rover” is a composition and “soldering” and “Arduino” are scales/chords.
Would fixing and maintaining things fill this niche? Gives you an immediate instrumental use for new marginal knowledge and tools. Carves out each next small incremental step into a huge system.
Not for me. I think that’s more like tuning instruments, restringing guitar etc? There’s pleasure of doing necessary work but no aesthetic rehearsal and creative aspect.