Clare Lock has run Clockstudio, a graphic design studio on the Moray Coast in the Scottish Highlands, for 25 years. Building a creative business in Highland Scotland on your own terms is not a common story. Clare has done exactly that – and this conversation gets into how.
She started in Oxford, built relationships with clients including BMW Manufacturing UK, then made a decision most people in her position would never have made. She moved to a small coastal town in the north of Scotland, and she stayed.
This conversation covers the move north, what it takes to sustain client relationships with large organisations from a rural Highland location, and why Clare has deliberately kept the business small.
Creative Business in Highland Scotland: What This Episode Covers
Running a creative business in Highland Scotland means solving problems that most industry conversations never address. Geography, connectivity, client perception and the pull of the central belt are all real factors. Clare talks through how she has navigated each of them over 25 years without compromising the quality of her work or the life she wanted.
About Clare Lock and Clockstudio
Clare Lock is the founder of Clockstudio, a graphic design studio based on the Moray Coast. She has worked with clients including BMW Manufacturing UK and has built a sustainable creative practice in rural Scotland over more than two decades.
About the Growth for Good Podcast
Drew Hendry hosts the Growth for Good podcast, featuring conversations with founders, business leaders and community builders from across the Highlands of Scotland. Each episode explores how people are growing with purpose, with community at the heart of their work. New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.