Hi there, welcome, and thanks for being here! Life is packed and so is the internet, so I entirely appreciate the time you are taking to read this blog (and the About section, even!).

What is “Girl Presence,” you may wonder?  Excellent question. “Presence” can be defined as “the bearing, carriage, or air of a person” or “the fact or condition of being present” (Thank you, Merriam-Webster!). So by “girl presence” I mean the handprint, footprint, lifeprint a girl (any female in the process of learning and growing) chooses or aspires to leave on the world, as well as the simple act of being here, being present in this girl culture which we both influence and are influenced by. Some of girl world is great, some of it is terrible, and most of it falls somewhere in-between. And, at least in my experience, it can make you feel all the things, all at once, which is both electrifying and terrifying.  But the simple act of consciously processing our world—of truly owning our presence—immediately brings it back within our grasps. That’s what I hope to do, with you, here: observe, explore, analyze, and celebrate all things girl, from relationships to pop culture to body image and beyond.

I can’t express enough how truly blessed I feel that you are here. I absolutely welcome—in fact, beg for—your feedback. Let’s go down the rabbit hole together.

Oh, and before I go, a little about me: my name is Marie Hansen, and I am a writer living in Lincoln, Nebraska. My writing has appeared on The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, HelloGiggles, Girls’ Life, Gurl, and Literally, Darling. Links are below!

xoxo

Marie

BuzzFeed

• “5 Books to Guide You on Your Body Image Journey”
• “6 Teen Nonfiction Books for Girls of All Ages”

Girls’ Life 

• “BGF or BF?”
• “Brighten Up Your Bedroom for Under $20”
• “Buh-Bye, Bad Mood!”
• “Cali Teen Fashions Beauty 4 Life to Help Ugandan Artisans”
• “Dress for a Monte Carlo Vacay”
• “Friendship Lessons from TV BFFs”
• “Genevieve Gets Her Game On and Gives Back”
• “GL’s Ultimate ‘Get Psyched for School’ Playlist”
• “Have a Prom-tastic Sleepover!”
• “Have Fun, You Two! 5 Great Spring Dates”
• “Host a Fab Fall Fête!”
• “How a Super Scary Diagnosis Taught One Girl to Be Brave for Life”
• “Instant Inspiration: Cheerleader Sarah Cronk Sparles” (August/September 2011 print issue)
• “How to Talk to Parents About Tough Stuff”
• “Leena Lends a Hand Across the World”
• “Let the Cupcake War Begin!”
• “Makeover Your Makeup Bag!”
• “Meet the Girl Giving ‘Heart Hugs’ Around the World”
• “Motorcyclist Davis Eames Races Ahead of the Pack”
• “Neha Gupta Raises Over $500,000 for Orphans”
• “Sarah Cronk Gives Girls with Disabilties a Chance to Sparkle”
• “Scoop Up a Sweet Ice Cream Social”
• “Snag That Dream Job: I Wanna… Start My Own Web Biz”
• “Speak Out! Paige Logan Stands Up to Bullies Everywhere”
• “Teen Talks to Celebs with ‘Camera By Her Side'”
• “TGIF: 13-Year-Old Helps Turn Grease Into Fuel”
• “The Science of Flirting”
• “This Girl is Giving Back in the *Sweetest* Way”
• “Toys by the Truckload: Ashley Helps Kids in Need”
• “Wisconsin Teen Fights to Make a Difference”
• “7 Amazing Spring Break Dresses for Under $30”
• “11-Year-Old Builds Rachel’s Village in Haiti!”
• “14-Year-Old Pumps Out Support to Kids with Type-1 Diabetes”
• “16-Year-Old Carrie Clicks for a Cause”
• “17-Year-Old Sami Brings Together Students for the Poor”

Gurl

• “Being a Perfectionist Made Me Feel like I Missed Out in High School”
• “I Used to Hate my Stomach”

HelloGiggles

• “I Spent a Week Taking the Advice I’d Give a Friend—Here’s What I Learned”
• “In Celebration of Being Uncool”
• “The Very Real Problem of ‘Fat Talk'”

The Huffington Post

• “Reconciling my Feminism with my Beauty Mag Obsession”
• “4 Books for Young Women Going Through a Quarter-Life Crisis”
• “5 YA Makeover Novels Where Inner Beauty Prevails”

Literally, Darling

• “Cheryl Strayed’s Truth Bombs Inspired Me to ‘Write the Thing I Needed to Read'”