In 1706 he was sent to act as a diplomat to the court in Vienna, subsequently becoming the captain of Tounje and working his way up to the position of the royal chaplain and advisor.
During his studies in Zagreb, he was active as a poet, and also practiced drawing and copper engraving.
A Zagreb canon, Grgur Paravigić (who was his prefect during Ivans' studies at the Classical Gymnasium) called him a great poet and humanist in 1706, having many of his work printed.
His only surviving work,[3] a collection of Latin poems Ideae magnanimitatis Illyricae et Pannonicae was published by the notable Pavao Ritter Vitezović, who also had his own verses printed at the beginning of the book as a dedication to Čikulin.
His opus includes 24 historical works, 2 lamentations and 4 poetical dedications in which he lauded the heroics of Croatian and Hungarian individuals who fought against the Ottomans, namely Tamás Erdődy, Petar Zrinski, Miles anonymus Croata and others.