In the 1970's we first heard about the link between "madness" and "genius," (the word referring to literary genius, scholarly genius, and creative genius). However, speculation dates back at least to the time of Aristotle. In Aristotelian tradition, genius was believed to be the quality perhaps responsible for both extraordinary achievement, and melancholy.

While there have been many studies conducted on the correlation between mood and creativity, all resulting in varying findings, one thing has been agreed upon. Negative emotions have been proven to increase the quantity in which a person will reflect and contemplate, ultimately leading a person to be more creative.

Author, Melissa M. Combs, also known as The Enchanted Poetess, states, "Writing A Disease Called Poetry was therapeutic for me. I allowed myself time to reflect, ruminate, even, and ultimately release some of my deepest thoughts and struggles, without the fear of judgement." She also states, "We are are all human, and we all should be given the grace to feel what we feel. Those of us that have chosen creative career paths are no different. Even if our emotions or our afflictions do not always fit perfectly within the social bounds of what is deemed 'normal, ' it is normal for us. My greatest hope for this collection is that it makes anyone (not just artists, ) that struggle with mental health related issues, feel seen. We are all in this together."