May 2026

15 hours ago
5 min read

Hannah Rosenberg

Beauty of the Month

Hannah's journey is proof that when we stop making our lives smaller to fit others' expectations, we create space for our dreams to come to fruition. In the summer of 2020, when the world stood still, Hannah gave herself permission to do something she'd always dreamed of but felt too shy to pursue—she started sharing her poetry. @hannahwrowrites has blossomed into a thriving community and culminated in her debut book Same—a beautiful collection about womanhood, friendship, and motherhood, published in October 2025.

I'm honored to celebrate Hannah and share her writing with you all this month.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HANNAH ROSENBERG / interviewed by Beyond Beauty Project

“I stopped waiting around for external validation to believe in myself.”

I am a writer, poet, and the author of Same - a collection of poems about womanhood, friendship, and motherhood. I started sharing weekly poetry (what I called poetry blogging) in the summer of 2020 and now have the most amazing online community of supportive, empathetic, and compassionate readers. My first book was published in October 2025. I love writing and love connecting with readers– being able to meet and talk about themes that come up in my writing (and hearing other people’s stories) feels like the most magical thing.

JOIN THE BBP COMMUNITY

The Beyond Beauty Project is for every body.

How did you discover the Beyond Beauty Project, and what initially drew you to it?

Hannah Rosenburg: Jillian reached out, and I absolutely love the message behind it!

At some point, many of us realize that living by societal expectations doesn’t feel like our truth.

Did you experience a turning point when you decided to define your own path? What was that moment like for you?

Hannah: I always had the dream of being a writer and an author, but didn’t know how to make that happen, and life always felt too busy and “set” to try anything outside of the box. In 2020, though, when our collective worlds changed overnight, and I went from living a very busy life where I was barely ever home to a life spent mostly at home, I had a lot more time and space to think and to create. I found myself drawn to writing poetry and prose as a way to process things and find beauty and peace in the messy and unknown. I always felt a little shy and embarrassed to say I liked writing poetry, but something about this time period gave me the courage to live more freely without worrying about what others thought. I started the blog “@hannahwrowrites” in summer 2020, sharing one poem a week, and have never looked back. Writing as a part of my daily life has changed my life for the better.

“Instead of adjusting my physical appearance, I’m now working on adjusting & expanding my mind.”

Looking back often brings clarity and compassion.

If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say about perfectionism and comparing yourself to others?

Hannah: SO many things! Here are a few: Nobody is spending very much time thinking about what you’re doing (in the best of ways!) Don’t make your life smaller to try to fit others' expectations. If someone is being critical/judgmental, it always has more to do with them than with you. Same thing for yourself- if you find yourself being critical or judgmental, it usually means there is something you are struggling with internally- take time to reflect on that. Feeling jealous is completely normal, and everyone feels it. Instead of trying to repress those feelings, try to turn them into something positive. Giving voice to them is very powerful. “I’m so jealous my friend got x,y,z– I wanted it too. But I am really happy for her too; she deserves it.”

It’s easy to feel like we’re “behind” in life or not moving fast enough.

How do you remind yourself that your pace is the right pace for you? Or is this something you’re still learning to navigate?

Hannah: How do you remind yourself that your pace is the right pace for you? Or is this something you’re still learning to navigate? Still something I’m learning! I’m not sure I have the perfect answer, but I'm trying to practice as much as possible, being present and mindful in the moment. Yoga and meditation (even ~2-3 minutes a day) help me to practice mindfulness and gratitude. Sarah Beth yoga and yoga with Adriene are accounts run by amazing yogis that offer free YouTube videos- I’ve noticed that if I start the day with a short practice, I’m able to set the tone for the day.

Our understanding of beauty shifts as we grow. How has your perception of beauty changed over the years?

Hannah: I think I had a narrow version of what I had to look like to feel beautiful, and I tried to change myself to match it. I’m now working on adjusting my physical appearance, adjusting, and expanding my mind.

Authenticity can be a daily practice.

What helps you stay true to yourself in a world full of expectations?

Hannah: Honestly, writing for me is what helps me to find my most authentic self. I can be vulnerable in a way sometimes I struggle to voice otherwise. It can help me change my perspective from just seeing the negative to seeing the positive in things that feel overwhelming or hard.

“Children don’t learn by what you say, but by what you do.”

Self-love looks different for everyone.

How do you practice self-love in your daily life?

Hannah: I have small children ( a toddler and a baby), so I often find myself feeling guilty taking time to care for myself. Self-love to me is taking the time to do the things that will make me feel healthy and happy A friend recently told me that children don’t learn by what you say but by what you do so when I start feeling bad about taking time for myself (like my daily yoga practice), I remind myself that I’m also teaching my daughters how important it is to care for ourselves, too.

Caring for the body is both physical and emotional.

What are some ways you honor your body—physically, mentally, or emotionally?

Hannah: Walks, yoga, stretching on a daily basis, social time with friends, meditation, reading/listening to audiobooks, writing time, “luxurious” baths (aka with a book, a drink, bath bubbles) regularly- fill my cup. These things make me feel happy and whole.

Is there a story, lesson, or mantra that has guided you along the way that you’d like to share with others?

Hannah: I always wanted to publish a book, but had no idea how to do that. I felt insecure about sharing poetry– even saying that I wrote poetry once felt hard for me. I spent a lot of time submitting poems to poetry journals and publications- hoping that getting one published would give me the confidence to share my writing more publicly. In summer 2020, I decided that I was going to take a chance and start sharing online- that I was going to stop waiting around for external validation to believe in myself. It didn’t happen right away, but as time went on, I developed a community of readers and eventually, a few years later, got a book deal to publish a collection of poems with Macmillan in the US and Harper Collins in the UK. This is the highlight reel– but I hope it inspires someone else to boldly pursue what they love without waiting for anyone else to tell them that they’re “good enough”. We are the only ones who can decide that for ourselves.

Hannah's Socials:

IG & Substack: @hannahrowrites

Purchase her book:

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