At work with Jessica Logan
Our Life | Style editorial this week features the talented Jessica Logan, co-owner of video production company, Studio Mustard. We invited Jessica to tell us more about living and working in the Scottish Highlands.
Q&A WITH JESSICA LOGAN
Q: Tell our readers about where you live, home life and what is your current work focus?
I live in Arisaig on the West coast of the Scottish highlands. I feel really lucky to live here. Life flows at a more gentle pace and the community spirit is strong. Being based rurally means a lot of travel for work as we have projects that are filmed across Scotland. But, being able to explore our landscape and meet so many interesting people are amazing perks of my job. We've been Mustard-ing for just over 8 years now so we're in a good place when it comes to working with lovely people on creative projects. More of that please! But next year I will be focusing a bit more on working with small businesses based in the highlands to tell their stories. I'd also love to bring to life some projects that have been on the back-burner for a while, like a stop-motion animation for the RNLI.
We've been Mustard-ing for just over 8 years now so we're in a good place when it comes to working with lovely people on creative projects. More of that please!
Q: With your business based in Scotland, how did you get to where you are today?
A lot of chance encounters, wanting to experience different things and a love of the arts has really brought me to where I am today. I'm really interested in design, creativity, storytelling and language whether that be through film, photo, design or art. So over the years that's led me to a wide range of interesting experiences. From working in marketing for the much loved Kelpies sculptures to teaching English in rural Greece. At one point I had a vintage online shop as I've always been interested in clothing and fashion. I see clothes as a means of expression and loving wearing things that are unique. Today my focus on fashion has changed into sourcing items that are made from sustainable materials, that are high quality and are going to last. I try to avoid fast fashion and buy a lot of second hand stuff from Vinted.
Q: How do you balance work and play, especially running your own business?
I'm a strong advocate of favouring play over work! Working in a creative industry is a lot of fun, and really does feel like play - I think this is key to being able to create work that other people resonate with. I'm not a very corporate person, I prefer informality. And although working for yourself does tend to mean 'working' a lot more hours, when it's all towards the goal of doing something you love it's more part of life than separated into work.
Q: Do you make the most out of living a Scottish lifestyle and enjoying the great outdoors?
I hike outdoors a lot thanks to my trusty Spaniel companion Mustard. We love exploring together - from white sandy beaches to the sprawling hills. I also love taking my paddleboard out on the water. Taking a moment to be present and appreciate the sights and sounds surrounding me on those trips helps to keep me grounded. I'm also an out and proud shell collector. Taking half an hour to ramble along the beach in search of the next best shell (I keep thinking I've found the smallest mussel shell to exist only to then find a tinier one!) and bringing them home to take a place in my shell library is my ideal slow living moment. Taking the time to head out with my camera outside of work also creates slow living moments for me.
Taking the time to head out with my camera outside of work also creates slow living moments for me.
Q: We know Scotland is a very special place to live. What does it mean to you?
Scotland at its heart is a wild place. The weather, landscape and people cannot be tamed. That's why there's so much culture, heritage and tradition. It's what brings us all together and why there's such a sense of pride in being Scottish. You can feel the push for authentic Scottish stories at the moment and that Gaelic is having a real come back. I have dabbled in Duolingo but becoming more fluent in Gaelic is a goal for me next year. I think it's really important to celebrate the language that communicates our Scottish stories.
Q: What or who influences you to make personal choices that improves your daily life?
I am lucky to have some fantastic people in my life who influence me greatly. My husband Kieran, the other half of Studio Mustard is a huge inspiration; his thirst for learning and positivity inspire me. He's a volunteer crew member of our local RNLI lifeboat and thanks to him I've also become involved as a volunteer Press Officer. I love being a volunteer. I think dedicating some of your time to helping others in your community is pretty essential - what it also gives you in return is life affirming. Work-wise, one absolute inspiration is photographer Susan Castillo and her partner, set builder, Darren Wilson. The creativity they put into everything and the lengths they go to for the smallest details is amazing.
Q: You have The Barnwell work coat in, aptly, mustard! How are you getting on with it?
It's become a staple in my wardrobe! Over the summer it's the perfect jacket for working on shoots and in the winter it's become a fab mid-layer. It's light enough to not get in the way when I'm shooting but is hard wearing enough to face the elements and dusty old distillery warehouses! My workwear for Studio Mustard hasn't always been the easiest to pick because it has to be quite practical. Usually I wear all black for ease so being able to add a pop of colour is amazing - It being mustard, of course, is just perfect. It has attracted a lot of compliments so far!
It's become a staple in my wardrobe! Over the summer it's the perfect jacket for working on shoots and in the winter it's become a fab mid-layer.
Q: What plans / aspirations do you have for 2026?
As we've just bought our first home, I'm looking forward to completely redoing the interior! Having rented for so long, I have a lot of ideas I've saved over the years (thank you Interior Design Masters!) so I'm really excited to see them come to life. Readers will not be surprised to hear that one of the first things on my to-do list is a mustard colour kitchen.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:
Best Coffee or Tea:
Favourite Book:
Tomorrow, & Tomorrow, & Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Favourite Type of Scottish Food:
It's got to be haggis!
Favourite Scottish drink:
Pint of Tennent's
Scottish Restaurant Recommendation:
Edinbane Lodge, Isle of Skye
Favourite Place to Visit on the Weekend:
I love to grab an amazing croissant from The Bakehouse in Mallaig and head along for a dog walk on Camusdarach beach with friends.
Something Undiscovered you need to See, Eat or Do:
I'm dying to get the ferry over to Skye to visit Café Cùil! I missed out this year - next season it's a must!
Special thanks to Jessica Logan / Studio Mustard for letting us feature your 'work-lifestyle' and for wearing The Barnwell work coat so well.
Image credit: Studio Mustard
Contact Studio Mustard for video production services via studiomustard.co.uk