Singer Lily Allen believes she writes her songs well when she is not in the best of her moods.
The 29-year-old took a break from the industry in 2009, when she married painter and decorator Sam Cooper. She now has two children, Ethel, two, and 19-month-old Marnie.
She says having a settled family life is not conducive to making her best music, reports contactmusic.com.
"I kind of feel like I want to be happy in my mind, but at the same time I want to be unhappy so I can write some good songs," she told a radio station.
While Allen is happy in her life away from the music industry, she concedes that spending extended periods of time away from her young family during tours inspires her to write new material.
"I find that when I'm sort of struggling emotionally, words come a little bit easier in the studio. So maybe that's why I've decided to start writing now, because I'm sad when I'm not with my family," she said.