How to Become a Full-Time Poet featuring Maria Giesbrecht
What does it mean to build a full-time career out of poetry in 2026?
In our latest podcast episode, we sat down with Maria Giesbrecht—the voice behind the popular Instagram page @TheGuelphPoet and the founder of the Gather writing community. Having amassed an impressive readership on Instagram (83,000+ followers) and Substack (2,000+ subscribers), Maria proved that business and poetry needn’t be separate in the same individual. In fact, they can work symbiotically.
Before becoming a full-time poet, Maria was working in “corporate Canada” as an accountant. However, she described always wanting something “more,” spending her lunch breaks writing poetry in the margins of her balance sheet.
Encouraged by her fiancee and fellow-entrepreneur, Corey, Maria describes the "peacemealing" process of leaving that world behind to diversify her revenue streams. This journey eventually led to the birth of Gather, a thriving community of over 100 writers dedicated to the philosophy of "caring for each other’s poems."
With a significant online platform, Maria offers a refreshingly candid look at the pressures of digital fame. She opens up about the moment two of her poems went viral and the tempting, "slippery slope" of trying to reverse-engineer her next hit.
In this episode, she shares why she eventually chose to stop writing for the algorithm and how to maintain a sustainable, lifelong relationship with your art.
Finding a "Feral" Voice
Maria also discusses her journey from a conservative Mennonite upbringing in Mexico to becoming a Jack McCarthy Prize-winning poet. Her upcoming debut collection, A Little Feral (Write Bloody Publishing), serves as a powerful testament to the transformative magic of finally finding—and trusting—one’s own voice.
A Little Feral by Maria Giesbrecht
Maria Giesbrecht's debut poetry collection which exploresw themes of family, faith, and personal identity after leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing.
PRE-ORDER on Amazon →To learn more about Maria’s journey and her tips for building a poetic career, watch the full episode below.
To learn more about Maria’s journey, click below to watch the full YouTube video below.
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