Note from the Editor

Insanity has long been a curious subject for humanity. It is a term we use for those who have true mental illness, but also those who are the first to see what is, in reality, sane. With it, we justify the unfathomable actions of other, yet also the bizarre quirks in ourselves. Governments have used it to control; artists have used it to liberate. One need only consider the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Cervantes, or Shakespeare to see its prevalence in art. Perhaps part of the intrigue is the light it sheds on what we consider sane. Additionally, there’s the link between insanity and the artist. Historically, of course, many artists have been afflicted by some psychosis; many more have surely wondered as much, being on the margins of society, yet unable to deny their art, or the cracks they see in the lens of reality. Here, then, accepting one’s personal ‘madness’ becomes a struggle for individuality.