Bristow harnessing own curiosity to encourage Makerspace experimentation, collaboration

If life experiences and personal traits combine to make a person who they are, the building blocks of Matt Bristow might include a natural curiosity, a bit of 1980s television, some mechanically minded craftsmen in the family tree, and the “freedom to get into a little bit of mischief.” Bristow brings these influences and a wide variety of skills and interests to his role as KU Libraries’ new Makerspace Coordinator.  

On the second floor of Anschutz Library, the Makerspace offers students and faculty from all disciplines a collaborative venue to explore solutions to challenges and access technology and equipment. Bristow and Associate Librarian Tami Albin facilitate discovery and provide hands-on learning opportunities with 3D printing, podcasting, audio-visual editing and more.  

Bristow’s adventuresome spirit and openness to experimentation have already helped spark projects, including an interactive haunted house the Makerspace hosted just before Halloween, one of Bristow’s first programs as Coordinator. As students and faculty interacted with digital ghosts and creepy mansions, Bristow was introducing them to the Makerspace’s green screen and special effects – all with a sense of fun and lightness conveyed as much by his approach as his outfit, a full-body skeleton costume.  

“It’s proof of concept that gives people a laugh and also shows them that there is this capability here,” Bristow said. “You can make something really cool when there’s not a high bar of expectation, and if you use that as the entry point, you get people interested.” 

Creating “low barrier and low stakes” opportunities to experiment, collaborate, and try out ideas fits with the “maker mindset” that Bristow and Albin embody in their work -- a creative problem-solving approach that Bristow describes as a combination of imagination and resourcefulness.  

“Having the intuition and the hands-on ability to bring it all together – it doesn’t always happen the first time,” Bristow said. “Sometimes it takes a few tries to make something that works.” 

Bristow has had an affinity for tinkering from a young age, along with curiosity about how things are put together and how to fix them. He was intrigued by popular television shows in his childhood like “MacGyver” and “The A-Team,” where he watched unusual designs and outlandish inventions take shape. But his most direct influences come from family, including Bristow’s father who is a civil engineer, and his grandfather who worked for Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, building airplanes during World War II.  

“I’d get in trouble a lot with my dad for messing around in his workshop when he was at work,” Bristow said. “I think I tried to rewire a little desk fan at age 10. It worked for a while until the motor burned out.” 

Bristow saw his grandfather welding projects of his own invention at home and worked on tasks led by his father as the family embarked on home improvement projects. As a middle child with four siblings, Bristow often contributed to projects not as the lead but as a collaborator and a learner. He was encouraged to try out skills such as soldering copper pipes when the family was installing a bathroom in their basement. Being part of a large family with some room to roam at their home just outside Lansing, Kan., also influenced Bristow. 

“Growing up with three brothers and a sister we’d always be having our own adventures, using our imaginations,” Bristow said.  

His tendency toward investigation and an interest in multi-media led Bristow to earn a bachelor’s degree in Journalism at KU. He has worked as a photojournalist and videographer at the Emporia Gazette and Ottawa Herald. 

“Every day was different. You didn’t know what the story was going to be,” Bristow said. “Getting to meet all sorts of people, getting to interact with them and learn their story – my mom always said that I could talk to anybody.” 

Bristow also has a bachelor’s degree in history and loves antiquing, travel, learning the stories of places and having new experiences, whether he is exploring local music in Ireland, riding a motorcycle through Death Valley, hosting a concert on his front porch (he plays guitar), or following a fascination with maps and GIS software – the list goes on, and is ever expanding as he dives into projects with students and faculty in the Makerspace.  

“Being curious also goes back to the journalism mentality, asking questions and wanting to learn something new,” he said. “The excitement of making something is the fuel or the drive. Or helping someone else make something is a thrill, seeing how excited they get.” 

Prior to coming to KU Libraries Makerspace, Bristow worked as the Media Center Coordinator at Marian University in Indianapolis, helping to establish a video production studio, podcasting and classroom space. 

Bristow’s wife, Rachel Brown, got her doctoral degree in English from KU and currently teaches at Haskell Indian Nations University. The couple moved back to Lawrence last summer and Bristow was excited to return to KU. 

“It’s wonderful being back in Lawrence and working at my alma mater,” he said. “Having the opportunity to work in such a fun and creative role in the Makerspace has been greatly rewarding. Becoming refamiliarized with the buildings on campus and enjoying the beautiful surroundings atop Mount Oread has been surreal.” 

Drop in to the Makerspace to meet Bristow and Albin, schedule a consultation online, or sign up for one of the variety of workshops available to students, faculty, and staff at lib.ku.edu/makerspace.   

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