Today, host Scott “Sourdough” Power addresses a dilemma that many artists face: When is an artwork truly finished? This week’s episode encourages creators to rethink their perceptions of completion and offers three essential steps every artist should take to elevate their work.

First and foremost, Scott emphasizes the critical importance of copyrighting artwork. Protecting your work is paramount in an environment where art theft is all too common. Next, he discusses the necessity of capturing high-resolution images of artwork. A stunning image showcases the piece in its best light and can also serve as a valuable asset in an artist's portfolio or promotion strategy.

The final step Scott explores is cataloging. While it might seem mundane, properly documenting art ensures a lasting legacy and provides clarity for future generations. This episode invites listeners to envision their artistic journey as a series of works and a narrative that deserves preservation.

With a blend of insightful commentary and lighthearted banter, Scott creates a comfortable space for seasoned artists and newcomers to reflect on their creative processes. Whether it’s about safeguarding intellectual property or enjoying a few laughs along the way, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways that inspire confidence and joy in every artistic endeavor. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a piece of art, wondering if it’s truly finished, this episode is for you. 

For more information, please visit https://notrealart.com/finishing-your-artwork

The Not Real Art podcast is intended for creative audiences only.

The Not Real Art Podcast celebrates creativity and creative culture worldwide.

It contains material that is fresh, fun and inspiring and is not suitable for boring old art snobs.

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Greetings and salutations, my creative brothers and sisters.

Welcome to Not Real Art, the podcast where we talk to the world's most creative people.

I am your host.

Faithful, trusty, loyal, tireless, relentless host.

Sourdough coming at you from Crew West Studio in Los Angeles.

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All right, well, today we're doing something different because as you know, the last week of every month I do an auditorial and that's when I get on a soapbox, my soapbox, and I talk about something that's near and dear to my heart, something that's on my mind.

Whether or not, whether or not it matters to you.

Well, you know, who knows?

But it matters to me and I'm just sharing.

So hopefully there's value in it for you.

And usually I save that for the last week of the month.

And you know, they're short, you know, usually 10, 15, 20 minute rant, if you will.

And you know, but I decided to mix it up in August this year because, you know, we're in summer, it's dog days of summer, people are traveling, things are slowing down.

Hopefully you're enjoying your Summer, but it's dog days of summer.

And I thought I would spend August doing something a little differently because, you know, as we said last week of the month, I do these auditorials, and given a lot of things going on in my life, I thought I would mix it up this.

This August and turned this regular August into a special August.

And I'm calling it August Torials.

So rather than just waiting to the last week of every month there, this month, I'm going to drop an auditorial every week this month, every Tuesday, we drop a podcast episode.

And as I like to say, we talk to the world's most creative people.

Usually every Tuesday, we're talking to some amazing artists.

Amazing, creative, professional, and.

But not this month.

And historically, in August, I've taken time to celebrate Burning man and to talk to fellow burners and folks from the Burning man organization.

Not doing that this August.

This year, we are gonna focus on a few topics that are near and dear to my heart lately.

And we're gonna drop an auditorial every week of this month in August.

And so I'm declaring this month Augustorials, the month of Augustorials.

And you're gonna have to listen to me rant rave like you are right now about.

About something that's near and dear to my heart.

So, all that being said, I want to talk to you about something that's on my mind for this week.

And, you know, there's a popular question that artists get.

You know, people will say to art artists, how do you know when a piece is done right?

Some artists work quickly.

Some artists take more time.

All kinds of variables, all kinds of idiosyncratic attributes and characteristics in.

In art making and an artist process.

And, you know, people are curious, how does an artist know when that piece is done?

And every artist, you know, has a different answer, as they should, because every artist is different and every artwork is unique.

But I want to challenge the artists listening today to this podcast to think differently about when a piece is done, because I think there is a legitimate argument to make that no artwork should be considered done and complete until three things happen.

Okay?

So as the paint is drying, as the piece is getting framed, whatever the final, final details are of the completion of the actual work, there are three additional things that need to happen, I think, before a piece should be considered done.

Number one, that artwork should be copyrighted.

That artwork should be copywritten with the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office to protect it and protect you for having created the piece.

It gives you more legal leverage.

Should Anybody ever steal your piece or if, if there was ever a lawsuit, you get way more punitive damages and what have you.

When you have actually have the copyright filed, paid for and filed.

And yes, it's 30 bucks or 35 bucks or whatever the hell it is right now, but it's an essential step.

It is an essential step.

Number two, I don't think a piece should be considered done until you've captured a high res image of it.

A high res image, perhaps several images, different angles, what have you.

If it's sculpture or something, but if it's a painting or design of some kind, or what have you, whatever it is, a high res image or images of that work is essential for that work to be done.

So that's two things.

I think you have to copyright the work and I think you have to capture a high res image of it before you could consider an artwork done.

And lastly, and I think this is as important as anything, you have to catalog the work for posterity.

Unfortunately, we're all going to die.

Hate to break the news to you people, but when we do and we leave our artwork behind and our families have to deal with it, they're not going to know what they're looking at.

They're not going to know necessarily what you're thinking, what your motivation was, what, what the story was.

You're trying to tell.

Maybe the media, maybe the materials, maybe the, the, the, you know, the cost of it, the price of it.

And I think it is essential for artists to be, make sure that you are keeping an inventory log.

And you know, you're, you're, you're, you're documenting all the important details.

Cataloging it in some kind of spreadsheet doesn't have to cost you any money.

Just open a spreadsheet, create some columns, you know, put in the name of the piece, the date you created it, the materials used, the dimensions, the price, your motivation, inspiration, intention, the story, the meaning, all of those things in some kind of spreadsheet or document that people can look at and refer to when you're not around so they know what that piece is, what it, what, what it meant to you and what it was worth to you.

And so these three things I believe are essential for any artwork to be called done, to be called finished, to be called complete.

Number one, copyright it.

Number two, capture a high res image of it.

And number three, catalog it for posterity.

And obviously capturing the image helps you do a few things.

It helps you, you bring that into the, into the, to the sort of the spreadsheet and the cataloging and the, the, the log, the inventory log, you connect, you know that, that entry with the image, of course, but that image, when you have a high res image, it allows you then to license that artwork after you sell it.

If somebody ever wants to print, you know, create a product with, you know, that artwork printed on it, or create a product based on your artwork, they're going to need a high res image of that artwork.

And so if you don't have that high res image, it limits your ability to monetize that work down the road in different ways.

So number one, copyright.

Number two, capture a high res image and number three, catalog it for posterity.

People, that's going to help your family.

That's going to give them peace of mind.

That's going to give them confidence, empower them when you're not around.

Change your thinking, change your head, change the game, change your mind.

Your ass will follow.

Don't ever consider a piece done until you copyright it.

Capture a high res image of it and catalog it for posterity.

That's it.

That's all I got today people.

That's my auditorial.

Happy August.

Hope you're enjoying your summer.

Sourdough out.

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