Meet Pourtia Deal

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pourtia Deal. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pourtia below.

Pourtia, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience is rooted from my grandmother. She raised me with the help of my older sister & aunt, and did it beautifully. Her comforting hugs were always the “safe space” I imagined when needed. She was my favorite person, she passed away when I was 13 and took a big piece of my heart when she left. Instead, she left me with her will power and perseverance. My grandma showed me what true faith was. I come from a small country town, my mother moved me to Dallas, Texas, 6 months before she passed. It was the first time I moved schools or out of my hometown, I was overthrown with a million emotions and didn’t know what to expect. My hometown is so small you can run into someone you know by going to the few grocery stores or the only hospital. She encouraged me not to let my social anxiety prevent me from letting my peers get to see the real me. She reminded me that I am a work of art and to never dim my light because of the room I’ve been placed in, just find another room that can accommodate my shine. My grandmother instilled in me, that you are the creator of your future and you are the only one who can truly bring you peace and serenity. I feel as though all resilience stems from hardships or bitter-sweet situations; though, mine is mainly rooted in hearing stories of my amazing ancestors who made a way for themselves, despite the unfortunate things life can face you with. My resilience also comes from making it as far as I’ve came with the little help I had. I didn’t have much help, but it made a difference. It pushes me to continue to try to outdo myself and reach goals that I once would’ve deemed impossible. I’ve been handed a crazy set of cards but I’ve remained positive and manifested a better tomorrow. I know life has been hard but it has shaped me into the woman I am today and I’m grateful for the lessons I continue to learn.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Greetings to everyone taking the time to read about my life journey! I’m Pourtia (pronounced Porsha) and I’m a 24 year old, Tattoo Artist. Based out of Dallas, Texas. I find joy in pop culture and anime tattoos, though I love to do floral art as well. I’ve been an artist for 4 years and full time for 2 of those.
I love what I’m able to do everyday because the art I create has a long lasting emotional impact for my clients. I’ve had clients tell me that our creation has allowed their self confidence to grow. I had one client tell me that he feels seen with his tattoos, before the art, he felt as though he was a bystander and struggled with depression, the art showed him that he is seen and valued, in a literal and figurative way. Money could never amount to that feeling of being able to give a person confidence back. I love customizing my body and using permanent art to express myself. Tattooing has been a way for me to quiet the outside world. When I start a project, I’m only focused on finishing. Everything that isn’t the art, doesn’t matter.
My brand is PND TATTOOS, PND is my initials but it also represents “ Prosperity aNd Determination”. I’m grateful to be a partner and artist for a 1Up Ink Tattoo studio, where we specialize in all things anime and pop culture. I’m blessed to be a part of a team who wants better for the brand and not just themselves, they understand that we move as “ One band, one sound”. My career hit a new level once I was able to learn from the 1Up veterans. They took time out of their day to day schedules to give me advice on how to be better, took me under their wing and seen that I was determined and open to learn, so it was easy for them to pour into my cup. After being there for over a year, I’ve learned so much and I’ve grown in every aspect of life. Pnut (The owner and head boss man) always says “How you do one thing, is how you do everything”, and I take that with me everyday. It’s a constant reminder to give my all and to continue to strive for greatness. We recently have gotten invited to Crunchyroll headquarters for an office tour, where they showed us the beautiful office they have created, and even offered us a memorial wall for us to customize. Full circle moment for me, if you are educated on amine culture, Crunchyroll is the number one streaming service for anime, basically the Netflix of Anime. Overall, I love what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m always accepting new clients and welcoming the wildest of imaginations.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I feel as though, three main qualities that were the most impactful were definitely, my creativity, my patience, and my attention to detail. With enough consistency, these qualities can be taught. Practice makes better, but never forget there’s always room to grow. I find value in not being the smartest in the room, I strive to be put in conversations that involve people who are way more seasoned, they guide me through my mistakes and allow me to learn from theirs as well. Being vulnerable is a huge part of being successful, along with not being afraid to mess up. Learning to tattoo was never something I pictured myself making a living out of, I followed my heart and did things that made me feel complete. When you do things on purpose with the right intent, you start to walk on your path to your purpose. Once you learn that your thoughts shape your future, you’ll be unstoppable.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

I would say my ideal client would consist of someone who is open to trusting the process. Nothing feels better when a client gives me full creative control and lets me know their main inspiration or vision for the artwork. With the modern tattoo culture, the younger community has lost sight of what it’s like going to a true artist, who tattoos, and not just a tattoo printer. I understand some tattoos have specific items that the client would love “exactly” as someone else’s art, but I try to encourage my clients to let me create a unique work of art that relates to you. I try to utilize the important details that also translate well into a tattoo that is going to age gracefully and fit with the composition of the canvas, aka the client. I value clients that ask questions during the process. Most of the time I am already letting the client know what I’m using to prep the skin, and about how much time is left. Though, when clients ask me questions about my journey, We create the space for a genuine conversation and I greatly admire the appreciation of the craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://PNDTAT.com
• Instagram: Pndtattoos
• Facebook: Pourtia Deal
• Twitter: Pndtattoos
• Youtube: Pndtattoos