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Dreams Of: Desire

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Dreams Of: Desire

At its core, desire is a lack—a recognition that something is missing. When we dream of desire, we are essentially rehearsing a different version of reality. This isn’t merely daydreaming; it is a vital survival mechanism. From the explorer dreaming of a horizon they haven't seen to the artist desiring a color they haven't yet mixed, these dreams bridge the gap between biological necessity and cultural evolution. The Double-Edged Sword

We see this in the modern digital age, where social media serves as a curated gallery of "desire-dreams." We are constantly invited to desire the lives of others, turning our internal aspirations into a competitive sport. When desire becomes untethered from our actual values, our dreams become a source of anxiety rather than inspiration. The Redemptive Power of Longing Dreams of Desire

However, there is a haunting quality to "Dreams of Desire." The French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan argued that desire is never truly satisfied; once we obtain the object of our longing, the desire simply shifts to something else. In this light, our dreams are not destinations, but a treadmill. At its core, desire is a lack—a recognition

Yet, to live without desire is to exist in a state of stagnation. The most "interesting" dreams of desire are those that push us toward self-transcendence. These are the longings that require us to grow, to learn, and to sacrifice. They are the dreams that whisper that we are capable of more than our current circumstances suggest. From the explorer dreaming of a horizon they

About the Author

Elaine Chiew is a fiction writer and visual arts researcher. She is a two-time winner of The Bridport Prize, amidst other prizes and shortlistings. Her debut short story collection, The Heartsick Diaspora, will be coming out with Myriad Editions (U.K.). She is also the compiler and editor of Cooked Up: Food Fiction From Around the World (New Internationalist, 2015), and has had numerous stories in anthologies and journals. She also writes flash fiction (named Wigleaf Top 50 twice, along other honours). In October 2017, she was the Writer in Residence at Singapore’s premier School of the Arts. She received an M.A. in Asian Art Histories from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2017. In addition to writing freelance on Asian visual arts for magazines like ArtReview Asia, she also blogs about contemporary Asian writers at AsianBooksBlog and the visual arts on her blog, Invisible Flâneuse.

About the Artist

Fanny Cammaert is a digital artist living in Belgium. She adopted the stage name Lizzie Stardust as a member of the electro group Velvet Underwear. Since recording and touring with that group, she began working in visual media. Drawing on the kilim weaving that is part of her Ukrainian heritage, her art explores the interplay of digital patterns and electronic glitches. Thematically, her work brings digital infinity into connection with human emotions.

This story appeared in Issue Sixty-Three of SmokeLong Quarterly.
SmokeLong Quarterly Issue Sixty-Three
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SmokeLong Fitness – The Year-round Community Workshop of SmokeLong

Dreams of DesireIn September 2022 SmokeLong launched a workshop environment/community christened SmokeLong Fitness. This community workshop is happening right now on our dedicated workshop site. If you choose to join us, you will work in a small group of around 15-20 participants to give and receive feedback on flash narratives—one new writing task each week.