CANDIDLY STILL

“I had my ups and downs but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons but I made lemonade.”
-Hattie White, Lemonade, Beyoncé

Lyne P. Erie, familiar to some as Lyne, and most as Mer, describes herself as an antisocial optimist, social worker. Her hometown is North Miami Beach, Fl, she has been refined in Boston, MA, and continues to accelerate her career and creative passion in Washington, DC.

After an unhealthy relationship ended in summer 2016, Lyne began her journey of self-discovery. With a background in social services and a knack for being detailed oriented, the following summer marked the inception of “Candidly Still,” where Lyne began capturing stories through photography and writing. Through the help of close friends (tribe), and the willingness to be vulnerable, Lyne found the strength to share her story with the larger world.

Lyne created a website to publish her first public blog post, “A Second Glass of Lemonade: Living Liberated and Pursuing Happiness Post Emotional Abuse.” This level of transparency marked her personal debut as a transformed Black women with a renewed sense of self and purpose. To her surprise, Lyne received positive feedback, which led to her first media publication on Blavity and assisting with developing interview pieces for Boston based online digital magazine Bèl Monique.

Aside from being a creative, Lyne has also functioned as a Program Manager at MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership supporting mentoring programs across the country with quality assurance. Prior to this, Lyne worked as an Intensive Care Coordinator at Justice Research Institute (JRI) Dimock CSA, where she collaborated with families to support in managing and coordinating provider contact and meetings. She also assisted families with accessing community resources and therapeutic services to meet family’s individualized needs. Additionally, Lyne helped create the first curriculum for JRI’s youth vocational training program Youth Point and facilitated workshops. Lyne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Emmanuel College and a Master’s in Social Work with a macro focus at Boston College.

Lyne continues to manage the work/creative/life balance with aspirations to pursue a doctorate in Psychology where she plans to provide family therapy for communities of color, with an emphasis on the West Indian/ Caribbean community.

Click here to learn more of Lyne’s work background.

“ I believe strength and relationship building can be found through sharing stories. Yes, it takes trust and vulnerability to do so but the break through is worth it. 

For those who are still finding their voice, this space is for you. 
For those just stopping by, this space is for you.

For my tribe, the amazing Black women and men in my life who saw and spoke life back into me, this space is for you.

Thank you, UBUNTU”

- Lyne P. Erie | Candidly Still