Stories
Since its nearly Christmas, we thought we’d sit down with our resident Krampus/TG Devil, so you can get a peak into the mind of the creator behind this incredible costume!
My name is Jordan, and I guess I’m best known for painting myself red and running wild around the caves and the surrounding areas of Edinburgh in giant horns and a cockwhip.
The inspiration for my character was my interpretation of lucifer, I started designing and building it way before it ever really had a purpose as I hadn’t found Torture Garden yet.
“How you have fallen from heaven, 0 morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, 0 destroyer of nations.”
I didn’t see the devil as a monster but more of a delight something to resist as opposed to fear, so wanted to create an attractive and powerful silhouette! The cockwhip allows for endless fun and can be surprisingly accurate. The horns are heavy but balanced, and with practice can be worn and (far more importantly) vigorously partied in.
Getting ready on my own was always a challenge! I did get much better at it with the addition of rollers and spray paints, but a helping hand is always welcome!
I use acrylic paints as a base as they don’t transfer once dry, which is always priority number one! Getting it all off can certainly be a challenging experience, but many hands always make light work.
The biggest misconception about my work is that it is indeed work at all!
My creativity has always been my outlet – whether it be restoring antiques or old vehicles, spinning fire or building a crazy red devil; but my true work is my family and keeping them happy! I have been a carer for my eldest daughter for as long as I can remember, and at times this has been very challenging! Part of my coping strategy has always been Torture Garden Edinburgh – its ability to give you a safe environment with the most eclectic, outrageous, creative and deliciously beautiful people to explore yourself with.
I honestly feel one of my proudest achievements was getting asked to be Krampus for the TG Winter Wonderland in London in 2019! I had been an enthusiastic party goer for years, and quite literally it was a dream come true
My TG bucketlist is simple – making it to Berlin, Los Angeles and Rome! It may take a while, but you can always dream!
The greatest joy I get from my work has to be getting the chance to display my creativity in so many different environments! I love spinning fire to a beautiful piece of music…I love painting myself red and dancing the night away with friends I truly love, meeting new people and grabbing as much of this crazy life as I can!
OK I will tell you a secret, well a Tg based one anyway…the funny thing about painting myself is that I don’t ever feel naked, and as I never liked the jacket queue much I would always arrive ready to go! All very good for boosting straight to the after party, but often a nightmare getting home, as a good after party always results in me returning back to pink again! All I have is the horns and cockwhip in my hands!
It happened in Tokyo where no taxi driver would pick me up as I was near naked, deep in some suburb at 7am on a dreary Sunday…but the worst for sure was having to fashion a tesco bag in to a pair of pants and make it across Edinburgh in the early morning! I may of had a meek shame on my face, but I was quietly proud of my resourcefulness.
If money was no object I would be doing exactly what I’m doing now! I’m content and happy, although my bucket list would get fulfilled within the year for sure!
I am inspired by the people I meet through TG. Both creatively as there are always such an exquisite array of outfits and creations on show, to the people I connect with and share my fears and weaknesses, and beautiful people who push my boundaries to better help me understand who I am
You can follow Jordan on Instagram at @ishouldoflistenedinschool
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