Meet Southern Skull | SFX Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Southern Skull and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Southern, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
Hi, my name is Jordan Lynn but I go by Southern Skull in the makeup community. I live by many affirmations and quotes. A few that stick out to me are “to challenge yourself every day”, “to learn something new every day”, “mistakes and failures are just learning lessons to help you grow”, “you’ll receive one thousand no’s for one yes”; however, my life started changing when I started asking myself, “does this bring me joy”. If the answer was no, I would remove it. I know it may seem simple, but to me, this simple question changed my entire life. My world was turned upside down, from my career to personal relationships. I was finally able to quit a job that I was crying every day, and I left friendships that were draining me. These affirmations and manifestations led me to be in the position I am in now… a full-time creative.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am not the standard makeup artist; people hire me to change their look, to be anything they want entirely. Forrest nymph, got you, gory zombie; I can do that too. Turning myself and others into any character they desire ignites my creative passion. I have to say being a self-taught SFX makeup artist was highly challenging. I love to look back at my first creations and giggle, but I always tell myself and others… “you have to start somewhere.” It’s okay to be bad at something and then slowly progress into something you can be proud of. The journey starts when you don’t waste a single second on what others may think of your work. It takes brass balls to put yourself out there creatively, and everyone has an opinion. I have learned to stop being such a perfectionist; this helps me, but it also hinders me, that one flaw in makeup I can’t stop staring at, NO ONE will even notice. Once you let go of this perfectionist mentality, you’ll genuinely flourish.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Dallas is a fantastic city; I have lived here my entire life. The city is flush with excellent food and people. We put the comfort in southern comfort. I love to take my friends to scenic areas of the town to see the beautiful city skyline. One of my favorite things about Dallas is how beautiful the city looks at night while driving around. There are soo many unique food spots, but it depends on your mood. You could throw a rock and hit a fantastic restaurant to enjoy food. If you’re into country music and love to dance, my favorite place is Cowboys Red River. I have a secret place I take my friends to check out the Dallas skyline, but you could always go to Happiest Hour. They have incredible drinks and a view. If the weather is fantastic, I love to go to Katy Trail and bike; I will likely stop at Katy Trail Icehouse for great BBQ, drinks, and don’t forget your pup. I am a massive fan of art and culture, recommend checking out the aquarium and Perot Museum. Deep Ellum is full of excellent joints to enjoy live music as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The people closest to me, my family and friends, deserve the biggest shout out for believing in me and encouraging me to follow my heart. Without them, I wouldn’t have a safe place to explore my creativity. My mom went along with my crazy ideas but always knew I would come out victorious at whatever I put my mind to. My friends always put up with my crazy schedule and understand that this life path takes away time from them especially during the Halloween season. Also, a massive shout out to Dark Hour (local haunted house) for hiring me to not only scare the tarnation out of folks but to become a professional special effects makeup artist. Specifically, Allen Hopps for throwing me into the lion’s den of the makeup artist; he let me mess up (a lot) and encouraged growth by challenging me. I can say the pressure was on, but the creativity was flourishing. Also, I would like to thank Pildora Live. This brand is owned and operated by my best friend Christina Almeida. It’s is a new sustainable online marketplace that utilized the ability to connect with others through online streaming. When the pandemic hit I was laid off from my marketing job. I was at a loss because the haunted house also shut down. She inspired not only me but many other creatives to push through and to do what they do best through the online live streaming platforms whilst discussing her brand and other sustainable initiatives. I would not be where I am today without her and the Pildora family. Thank you so much for believing in me.

Website: https://southernskull.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southern.skull/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Southern_Skull

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southern.skull.sfx

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiK8NLi2UG21aX3hgXZMyw

Other: https://www.twitch.tv/southernskullsfx