Sagacious Cat Creative

Like many others during lockdown, I took some time to review my business, and associated websites. Out went Emma Lord Photography, and in came Sagacious Cat Creative. The aim, to combine my creative work in both writing and photography. And Sagacious Cat was a blog name which I used some years ago. I heard yesterday that my trademark application has been approved, so I thought it was time to acknowledge the changes in a short blog post.

Going anywhere with a lively toddler means that daytime chances to photograph are limited. Although I do find inspiration in observing our surroundings, and absorbing the experiences which we have together. Nevertheless, our son is my priority, and parenting takes much of my time and energy. It’s not a role I take lightly, neither is it a role I would swap for anything. It does mean that my working pattern has changed though, with my few hours of free time now falling through the evening and overnight. While I have always found night time lends itself to creating, it is also when I feel most drained. So the balance of my output has changed. I write more, and photograph less.

I need to be selective over the work that I do, prioritising the most important tasks. And I need to keep abreast of opportunities so that I can plan my schedule to meet deadlines. All of which is fairly routine in any line of work, and years in the civil service offered plenty of chances to hone my project planning skills.

Sagacious Cat Creative is my attempt to draw together the main strands of my creative work. As well as rebranding, I have been writing over the summer months, and have had poetry published in two anthologies. Second place in a short story competition was additional exciting news in August. Meanwhile, a steady stream of photographic prints have been selling through my Etsy store. All of which boosts confidence. Most important of all though, is the knowledge that somebody somewhere takes pleasure in the art that I have taken pleasure in creating. Which is what creatives of all walks hope for.

The creative industries have been the subject of much media scrutiny over the last few days. Not least because of the (at best) poorly judged advertising campaign backed by the government. In my civil service career, I spent some time as Head of Creative Industries at the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS). The department continues to be seen as a very minor player in Whitehall, and the struggles faced by creatives of all backgrounds have not changed over the years. Now I am on the other side of the fence, along with many friends who have creative careers. From actors to dancers, singers to writers … the saying goes “Art is Work”. And Sagacious Cat Creative is my art, and my work.