[1] I... Dreaming was described by Brakhage as "extremely autobiographical," and was produced at one of the lowest points in his life,[2] following his separation from wife Jane.

[4] Brakhage took a "collage" of Stephen Foster songs, composed by Joel Haertling, and set images to the music.

[4] Brakhage also scratched chosen song lyrics, such as "sweet spirit" and "see the dark void," directly onto the film emulsion.

[4][5] The visuals interchange between images of Brakhage, appearing a weary old man, and the restless movements of his grandchildren, sometimes captured with a time-lapse camera.

"[4] Laurel Gildersleeve writes that the film "elicits a melancholy and cold emptiness," and communicates the loss of vitality that comes with growing older.