Stooping to secure second creative work (9)

I believe the answer is:

designing

'creative work' is the definition.
(design is a creative activity)

'stooping to secure second' is the wordplay.
'stooping' becomes 'deigning' (to deign is to stoop to something beneath oneself).
'to secure' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are secured inside).
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'deigning' placed around 's' is 'DESIGNING'.

(Another definition for designing that I've seen is " Acting in a calculating and deceitful way".)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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