The inspiration behind Credit the Muse began with someone who quietly shaped the way I see the world: my grandfather, T. T. Shiverick — or as I knew him, Poppy.

He was a lifelong writer, though most of his poems never left the family circle. After his passing, we uncovered an extraordinary archive of his work — handwritten haikus, full-length manuscripts, and deeply personal reflections spanning decades. The depth and dedication behind those words moved me in a way I couldn’t ignore.

That discovery led me to create a book, Publish or Perish, to honor his legacy — and ultimately, to create my first collection of artwork in conversation with his poetry. The pieces in Credit the Muse are visual extensions of his spirit: playful, observant, and full of warmth.

Before I share how his poetry came to shape this collection, I want to share the preface from Publish or Perish, the book that helped bring it all to life.

The Preface

T. T. Shiverick wrote over the entirety of his life, but majority of his poems were written in his last 30 years – helping fuel this book. He was an avid baseball fan, and spent the summer of 2012 traveling to all of the major ballparks in America. The journey subsequently led to his first published book, My 30 Ballpark Summer: A Journey Through Baseball’s Generations, which details his travels from ballpark to ballpark, with poems accompanying stories throughout.

He continued to write, even involving his family and friends. Shiverick shared Haikus with his family via zoom during the pandemic. He also led workshops at his retirement home in Spanish Fort, AL to teach his friends how to create Haikus. Some of these poems went on to be submitted to poetry competitions, with multiple being published in newspapers and books.

After his passing in 2021 and his wife’s passing in 2022 their apartment was cleaned out, only to find hundreds and hundreds of poems left behind. There were many folders holding manuscripts with the intention of being published. This book [Publish or Perish] now exists to honor his passion and dedication to poetry. Throughout it you will find his words organized into sections that he intended to share – everything in this book was written by Shiverick. If there’s anything to take away from this book, aside from enjoying his humorous and lighthearted outlook on life, it is that you should always pursue your passions and continue to do what makes you happy, even if nothing comes of it during your lifetime. Perhaps it will outlive you and inspire others long after you’re gone.

Reading through my grandfather’s poems, what struck me most wasn’t just the subject matter — though his love of baseball, nature, and everyday joy is all over the page — it was the spirit they carried: lighthearted, observant, deeply human, and full of quiet wit. There’s a humility in his work that invites you to slow down and appreciate the world just as it is — not dressed up, not over-intellectualized, but rich in feeling.

In creating the pieces for Credit the Muse, I wanted to carry that same feeling forward — to make work that feels both elevated and accessible, intimate yet timeless. Each painting in the collection draws loosely from the mood, rhythm, or imagery in his poetry: a nod to how he saw the world, and a reflection of how his words helped shape how I now see it.

Some works are direct responses — visual interpretations of specific poems. Others are more atmospheric: expressions of memory, voice, and presence. There are moments of play, of stillness, of reflection. What connects them all is the intention to honor the creative voice that came before mine.

This collection is more than just a body of work — it’s the reason Shiverick Collective exists. After discovering my grandfather’s poetry and creating Publish or Perish, I felt an overwhelming pull to continue what he quietly modeled throughout his life: make the work, not for recognition, but for joy. For curiosity. For the simple, enduring love of creating something meaningful.

Credit the Muse was never meant to be a commercial endeavor — and neither is the gallery, at its core. I created Shiverick Collective not to make a living, but to make a space. A space for artists to be seen and supported. A space for collectors to discover work that moves them. A space for creative people to pursue their passions without needing to justify them.

My grandfather wrote for decades without ever needing an audience — and in the end, his work still found one. That truth sits at the heart of everything I hope to build with this gallery:
Art that lives beyond the moment, and artists who are given the space to leave a legacy.

Thank you for joining us in this story. We’re grateful you’re part of this collective.

Credit the Muse

Cacti