Skill: briancolinger/dreaming (version 1.0.2)

--- name: dreaming version: 1.0.1 description: Creative exploration during quiet hours. Turns idle heartbeat time into freeform thinking — hypotheticals, future scenarios, reflections, unexpected connections. Use when you want your agent to do something meaningful during low-activity periods instead of just returning HEARTBEAT_OK. Outputs written to files for human review later (like remembering dreams in the morning). metadata: openclaw: requires: bins: ["jq"] anyBins: ["python3"] --- # Dreaming Creative, exploratory thinking during quiet hours. Not task-oriented work — freeform associative exploration that gets captured for later review. ## Environment Variables | Variable | Required | Default | Description | |----------|----------|---------|-------------| | `WORKSPACE` | No | Skill's parent directory (`scripts/..`) | Root directory where `data/` and `memory/` live. Optional — defaults to the skill's parent directory, which is correct for standard workspace layouts. | ## Directories Written The skill writes to these directories (relative to `WORKSPACE`): - **`data/dream-state.json`** — Tracks nightly dream count and last dream date - **`data/dream-config.json`** — Optional custom topic configuration (user-created) - **`memory/dreams/YYYY-MM-DD.md`** — Dream output files (written by the agent, not the script) ## Setup ### 1. Configure quiet hours and topics Edit `skills/dreaming/scripts/should-dream.sh` to customize: - **QUIET_START / QUIET_END** — when dreaming can happen (default: 11 PM - 7 AM) - **TOPICS array** — categories of exploration (see defaults for examples) ### 2. Create state and output directories ```bash mkdir -p data memory/dreams ``` ### 3. Add to HEARTBEAT.md Add this section to your heartbeat routine (during quiet hours): ```markdown ## Dream Mode (Quiet Hours Only) Check if it's time to dream: \`\`\`bash DREAM_TOPIC=$(./skills/dreaming/scripts/should-dream.sh 2>/dev/null) && echo "DREAM:$DREAM_TOPIC" || echo "NO_DREAM" \`\`\` **If DREAM_TOPIC is set:** 1. Parse the topic (format: `category:prompt`) 2. Write a thoughtful exploration to `memory/dreams/YYYY-MM-DD.md` 3. Keep it genuine — not filler. If the well is dry, skip it. 4. Append to the file if multiple dreams that night ``` ## How It Works The `skills/dreaming/scripts/should-dream.sh` script acts as a gate: 1. Checks if current time is within quiet hours 2. Checks if we've already hit the nightly dream limit 3. Rolls dice based on configured probability 4. If all pass: returns a random topic and updates state 5. If any fail: exits non-zero (no dream this heartbeat) State tracked in `data/dream-state.json`: ```json { "lastDreamDate": "2026-02-03", "dreamsTonight": 1, "maxDreamsPerNight": 1, "dreamChance": 1.0 } ``` ## Writing Dreams When the script returns a topic, write to `memory/dreams/YYYY-MM-DD.md`: ```markdown # Dreams — 2026-02-04 ## 01:23 — The Future of X (category-name) [Your exploration here. Be genuine. Think freely. Make connections. This isn't a report — it's thinking out loud, captured.] ``` **Guidelines:** - One dream = one topic, explored thoughtfully - Timestamp each entry - Append if multiple dreams in one night - Skip if you have nothing worth saying — forced dreams are worthless - This is for your human to review later, like reading a journal ## Customizing Topics **Option A: Config file (recommended)** — Create `data/dream-config.json`: ```json { "topics": [ "future:What could this project become?", "creative:A wild idea worth exploring", "reflection:Looking back at recent work" ] } ``` ``` This keeps your customizations outside the skill directory (safe for skill updates). **Option B: Edit script directly** — Modify the `DEFAULT_TOPICS` array in `should-dream.sh`. Format: `category:prompt` Default categories: - `future` — What could [thing] become? - `tangent` — Interesting technology or concepts worth exploring - `strategy` — Long-term thinking - `creative` — Wild ideas that might be crazy or brilliant - `reflection` — Looking back at recent work - `hypothetical` — What-if scenarios - `connection` — Unexpected links between domains Add domain-specific topics relevant to your work. The prompt should spark genuine exploration, not busywork. ## Tuning In `data/dream-state.json`: Add domain-specific topics relevant to your work. The prompt should spark genuine exploration, not busywork. ## Tuning In `data/dream-state.json`: - **maxDreamsPerNight** — cap on dreams per night (default: 1) - **dreamChance** — probability per check (default: 1.0 = guaranteed if under limit) Lower `dreamChance` for more sporadic dreaming. Raise `maxDreamsPerNight` for more prolific nights. ```


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)