Episode 002: A Rough Start (How I Survived Meningitis)
Show Notes (transcript) Matthew: Hey, everyone. You're listening to the curious lens. I'm Matthew Cicanese. In today's episode, I'm going to be talking to you...
Show Notes (transcript)
When I was studying for my MFA at Duke University's Experimental and Documentary Arts Program, I was challenged with the first task of the semester - defining my influences.
We were asked to explore different facets of our life, from pop culture to family traditions, to better understand how and why we create our style of work. At first, I was pretty confused about where to start, but everything made sense once I cracked into what got me excited and curious.
As a kid, I lived for going outdoors. Escaping off my back doorstep into a fascinating forest felt like a magnetic force pulling me there. From birds and bugs to lizards and snakes, there was a constant canvas for my curiosity to explore.
I had tons of adventures with my brother growing up - building foxhole forts, catching bugs for our collections and toads the size of pancakes. We would go out half the night doing that during the summer, riding our gokart around the neighborhood and through the woods and visiting the Appalachian Mountains every summer to go see my grandparents.
When it came to television, I loved education. Watching things like Bill Nye the Science Guy, Steve Irwin's The Crocodile Hunter, Zaboomafoo with the Kratt Brothers, Jeff Corwin and when I was younger, things like Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers.
All of these shows inspired us to be curious, to look at the world deeper, to be kind and to help each other collaboratively. The things they taught me still echo through what I do today.
Some of my favorite movies were the Disney classics like The Jungle Book, The Rescuers, Pocahontas, The Great Mouse Detective and Mulan. The painterly scenes and stories that drew me in left a lasting impact on my work. It taught me to get down on the level of my subject and see the world through their eyes.
I was a sucker for spy movies because I always loved gadgets and magic. Growing up, it's kind of embarrassing, but movies like Spy Kids, Agent Cody Banks with Frankie Muniz and Hilary Duff really anything with gadgets or cool technology, I was head over heels about, and Hilary Duff's pretty cool.
I was also a video game nut. My brother had a Super Nintendo Entertainment System or an SNES. And we'd play games like Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Taz-Mania, and even Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote. This opportunity to play and explore with some of my favorite characters felt similar to when I discovered photography.
The big upgrade came when we got a Nintendo 64. Better graphics, bigger storylines and more variety to the games available unlocked an entire world. My all time favorites were Zelda Ocarina of Time, Donkey Kong 64, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and Star Wars Pod Racers. There were many more in between, but these are the ones that always bubbled up.
When it came to books, I wasn't always the strongest reader. In fact, reading comprehension is an area that I still struggle with today. But I really loved mysteries and things like The Hardy Boys and Goosebumps - trying to solve who did it with a little bit of supernatural mixed in along the way.
Oh, yeah, for TV, I also loved Scooby-Doo, that mystery component. Speaking of which, I just thought of a few more TV shows - Ed, Edd n Eddy, Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls and the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. I also really liked Adventure Time.
You'll notice a theme here – a Hero's Journey – in most of the things I involved myself with.
When it came to computers, I was pretty shellshocked as a kid because I was working on a Windows 98 PC. The fact I could go on adventures with my favorite Disney characters or watch my grandpa play Myst and other puzzle games felt like experiencing another world.
The print publications that piqued my curiosity were things like National Geographic Magazine, Ranger Rick Magazine, ZooBooks, Boys' Life and other natural history explorations. If it was about science or the natural world, I was probably interested in it.
In college, these topics shifted, but ultimately the core curiosity remained. From fantasy and fiction like the Harry Potter series to natural history productions like BBC's Planet Earth, storytelling ran deep in my bones.
But at the end of high school, I had a big decision to make...
My first major crossroads – would I study science or storytelling?
In the next episode, you'll find out!
As always, thanks for listening and stay curious.
