At age 21, he left his native city, boarded a Greyhound bus, went to Vancouver. Unable (and unwilling) to find work, he spent his days writing and drawing in Joe's Cafe. Soon he was doing open stages and readings at places like Cafe Cafe, the Classical Joint, Kino's Cafe, Carnegie Center, The Pie Piper etc.

In 1990, Wicken moved to Yellowknife, N.W.T. He started to hang with the local theatre people and found himself part of an improv comedy show called Land of the Midnight Sin. He played Unity Haze, manic depressive vegeterian poet in the North searching for spiiritual experiences and fresh vegetables. It was in Yellowknife also that Wicken wrote and performed his first song. In Yellowknife, he performed at his first folk festival, Folk on the Rocks.

In 1992 he moved to Edmonton after a tree-planting contract went bad in Northern Alberta. He found himself hanging out with a pile of musicians and song-writers in one of the most vibrant arts scenes in Canada. People like Mike McDonald (of defunkt Jr. Gone Wild), Bill Bourne, Shannon Johnson, Lester Quitzau, Terry Morrison, Luann Kowalek and Chris Smith encouraged him to write and perform his songs as well as his poems.

In 1993, Wicken recorded an independent cassette of poetry, Deeds of Dogs and Heroes, at Cramer Brother's Productions in Edmonton.

In the summer of 1994, Wicken went into the studio of ARIA award winning producer Dave Mockford (Monster Tracks Audio Projects) and recorded his debut CD Something Wicken This Way Comeswhich was released in 1995. It was a mixture of poetry and song that included guest musicians such as Juno award winner Bill Bourne, Chris Smith, Shannon Johnson, Jason Kodie of Hookahman, and others.

As well as frequent solo performances, a riveting mixture of spoken word pieces and songs, Wicken has co-written comedy with Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie and Jr. Gone Wild. The summer of 1994 saw Wicken writing and acting in the sold-out Pirate Radio Show at the Edmonton Fringe Festival and broadcast live on CBC Edmonton. He also co-wrote and performed in Messiah, a rock opera/comedy of alien abduction and the birth of Christ with the same folks in 1994/95 in Edmonton and Winnipeg.

In 1999, Wicken released a 'short poetic film' for his poem Where Do the Souls of Children Go? with grant money from Bravo! Channel. The film was directed by Mario Madau of Giants Films and was produced by Ted Ellis. Sound Recordist was Doug Biggs of Cedar Tree Studio.

From 2000 to 2005, Wicken ran a roots rock band by name of Dinocopter with drummer Paul McInnis, guitarist Brent Hagerman and bassist James Craig. They released one CD entitled Helisaur before disbanding.

Currently, Wicken is playing a 1969 Ace Tone keyboard through a delay, reverb, wah, and distortion into a tube amp 'cos it sounds great with reggae band The Jolly Llamas. He also continues to play solo shows and occasionally plays out with friends. His poems regularly appear in a little local zine called CTRPLLR run by Marc Lecompte. Wicken also co-owns Old Goat Books, a used bookstore in Waterloo.