Alexandra has been exploring her history with medication through embroidery:

My first year on Effexor was the only time I ever felt sane. I don’t mean zombie-like. I don’t mean beige and bland. I didn’t feel like a robot. I was sane. I could get out of bed in the morning and want to be alive. I could enjoy watching my daughter’s ballet class. I felt my husband’s love without insecurity. I made plans. I made friends. I got married again. I smiled sometimes. It was great.

Effexor is the second of three in her series The Promise of Pills. Intended to look like paintings, they employ masterful use of colors and stitches to resemble paint whorls. They’re spectacular works of art and craftsmanship.