For many years, Višnjić travelled as a vagrant throughout the Balkans, reaching as far as Shkodër. At first, he begged in order to earn a subsistence living, but soon his storytelling abilities attracted the attention of a number of influential figures, including Ivo Knežević, a nobleman from Semberija. Around 1798, Višnjić married Nasta Ćuković, who hailed from an affluent family. The marriage produced six children, several of whom died in infancy. In 1809, Višnjić left eastern Bosnia, crossed the Drina and ventured into Serbia, which beginning in 1804, had been the site of a violent anti-Ottoman rebellion under the leadership of Karađorđe. Višnjić and his family first settled in Loznica, then in Badovinci, and finally in Salaš Noćajski, where they were accommodated by the rebel leader Stojan Čupić. Thereafter, Višnjić travelled along the Drina, playing the "gusle" and reciting his epic poetry with the aim of raising the rebels' morale. His recitations impressed many of the rebel commanders, including Karađorđe himself.