What does the cryptic crossword clue "Creative wake, say, to see off leader (4)" mean?

The definition is "leader". The wordplay uses a deletion. ARTY (deletion) = ARTY; definition: "Creative" The answer is ARTY.

Creative wake, say, to see off leader (4)

Guardian Cryptic #27559 | 26 Across | 2018-07-12 flower