Brittany V Wilder has always been drawn to the art of storytelling—whether through photography, self-portraiture or the quiet intimacy of handwritten words. But it was a simple idea, a love for tangible, personal connection, that led her to create Poem Club: a monthly mail-based poetry project sending original printed works straight to readers’ hands.
What began as an experiment has grown into a cherished ritual for its members, a reminder that poetry – like memory, like art – is meant to be held. To celebrate our Just Start campaign, we spoke with Brittany about creative impulses, embracing uncertainty and the beauty of sending words out into the world.
Do you remember having a defining moment when beginning Poem Club?
Poem Club is really the culmination of so many different parts of my process. A love for tangible ephemera—paper, letters, physical media—and writing. In my early 20s I ran a similar project where I mailed people zines every month, and Poem Club is an iteration that’s more focused and gave me a specific reason to focus on my poetry.
I recently found a page full of studio ideas I wrote in 2021. Among others, on the list are: zines, print club, and print newsletter. It’s fun looking back and realising all the pieces for Poem Club were there, I just hadn’t put them together yet.
How did you unlock motivation to get the idea off the ground?
It was actually a lot of my artist friends talking about joining a new social media platform—I just had this moment where I thought, I cannot put my art on another platform. I realised that I’d rather put energy and work into finally launching this idea I’d had for so long. I’m an over-thinker, so I took that one spark and decided that I would launch it in the most approachable way possible so that I could get in online in a day. I knew if I debated all the options and tried to figure all the details out I would get overwhelmed and put it off.
When staring at a blank page, how do you overcome the initial hesitation to begin?
Honestly, by reminding myself that no one ever has to read what I’m writing. I can write the most embarrassing thing and never show it to another person, there’s really no pressure at the blank-page stage. I also love writing lists and find that’s usually more approachable if I’m feeling stuck. Some of my earliest poems are actually just really long lists (that I’ll probably never show anyone!)
How do you keep up momentum once you’ve started a project?
I really love working sequentially and working on projects that have a specific output—like every day, every week, every time I’m at the studio, etc. Basically I like creating rules and parameters for myself. Like I said, I’m an over-thinker, so the more structure I have at the beginning, the fewer opportunities I have for fizzling out on a project.
Also—finding a community to create a support system and a sense of accountability. This can look like many things, but my absolute favourite community is the small critique group I’m a part of. We meet once a month and all work in different mediums, but these women keep me motivated, inspire me, and always reaffirm why I’m making art.
What role does pen and paper play in your creative process?
A big one! I do all my initial brainstorming on paper. My studio is full of notebooks, journals, and scraps of paper with random ideas scrawled on them. I write my daily to-do lists on paper and I’ve kept a paper journal since I was 15 or so. I’m also incredibly sentimental so of course I have every journal or notebook I’ve ever used, and I find it really fun to go back and re-read journals or look through my old sketchbooks.
When was the last time you started something new? (aside from Poem Club!)
In 2024 I also started a newsletter on Substack. I used to write a personal blog that’s unfortunately lost to the internet, but it’s been really nice to get back to working on longer pieces of writing.
Is there a type of pen, notebook or stationery item that you consider your “good luck charm” when beginning a project?
My favourite pen of all time, the Pilot G-TecC4, which I buy handfuls of so I always have one no matter where I am. They’re the only pens I’ve ever fully used up, I love them so much.
Other than that, I’m a pretty simple blank notebook person.
Top piece of advice for anyone who wants to start writing poetry?
Easier said than done, but write as much as you can. Remember no one has to read your early work so spend more time playing than trying to get a polished poem on your first try.
Alongside writing, read as much poetry as you can. I like to read poetry out loud, even if I’m reading to myself. There’s a lot of poetry in the world, and the more you read the more you’ll figure out what you’re drawn to—not to replicate it, but to train yourself to read your own work with a critical eye.
What do you feel most grateful for starting?
Poem Club is the obvious answer—it’s changed my life in so many ways—but I can’t help feeling even more grateful to my past self for prioritising the studio as a whole. I know that’s a big thing and not a single project, but I am so grateful for this space and so grateful to my younger self for fostering a creative practice even when I felt like I had no time, or no money, or no real reason to do it beyond wanting to make art and writing. Having that foundation is what’s allowed me to start and work through every project I’ve done.
Is there anything you’d like to begin in the future?
I would love to publish a book of poetry or personal essays. That’s a big goal, so really I’d like to begin working on a manuscript.
