Good Life - Danny Dooreck of Danny D's Mudshop

What would you want the world to know about Danny Dooreck?

Angela Choe - "Without overthinking it, 2 things come to mind:

He’s covertly (for lack of a better word) a very curious person and that’s what makes him so successful at whatever he does. While on a camping trip, I observed that even in his relaxed state, he’s always trying to figure out how something works, what something is, etc.—all by himself, in his own head, not bothering or asking another soul, but it’s very obvious, lol.

And...

What you see online is what you get. Most 'digital personalities' are not really the same off camera but Danny truly is the same on and off. And that supports my [first] point! He doesn’t do anything for any other reason than his own pure curiosity. Versus the world is filled with so many creators who do things for attention, the lifestyle, the clout, you know?"

Can we quote you?

Angela - "Yurp."

Danny Dooreck's path to ceramics is not quite what you'd expect. If there is a professional vocation he has the most experience in, that would be food & wine. While going to school at McGill University in Montreal (from which he graduated with a degree in kinesiology), he began working as a line cook at different restaurants before discovering his interest in wine, eventually representing Canada at the Chaine des Rotisseurs Jeune Sommelier Competition in Seoul, South Korea. This lead to becoming part owner of a local restaurant called Taverne Bernhardts in Toronto, before selling his partnership in the restaurant and moving to LA, where he continued his work as a somm, this time at République.

Today he throws (for the past five years actually), turning "mud" into ceramics which have grown a global following that have sent him all over the world—most recently Tokyo, where he is hosting a pop-up at coffee & lifestyle shop Paddlers Coffee. The pieces are deeply personal, all wheel thrown, free hand carved, hand painted, and one-of-a-kind. But what has probably pushed his videos into your timelines and explore feed are clips of him chatting with neighbors who pass by his studio, arguing with his mother, hosting workshops--all of the ways he is just being himself & interacting with his community.

We had a chance to shoot Danny tooling around his studio and doing what he does best: tinkering and talking about life, people he loves, and adventures—the ones he's had and the ones to be had.

Chris & Jenny:  What book have you read that changed the way you looked at your life or the world around you?

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry.

Favorite comfort food:

Hong Kong noodle—and soup and shrimp rice rolls!! I grew up eating this.

Dream Toyota setup:

Rebuilt 1981 FJ60 with fresh paint and decals!! Australia safari version with a bubble top - very nerdy stuff lol.

A lot of people who know you from ceramics don't know you actually know quite a bit about wine - what do you tell people who want to know about what makes a good wine?

A good wine has to balanced and enjoyed with the right people! Company is most important.

Who makes you smile the most?

I smile the most when I find people that support my passion and what I do!

Who makes you laugh the most?

My dog Kaiya Jane makes me laugh all the time.

Why red clay from Santa Fe?

The red clay I use isn’t specifically from Santa Fe, but the color resembles the stones there. It’s an iron rich, very sandy clay.

What's your question for the next person?

Where do you want to travel the most?

Photographer: Calvin Nguyen

Danny wears the Freestyle Shirt Tan, Sleeve Logo Tee, Studio Denim Shorts White, then the Four Seasons Tee, Studio Denim Shorts Black, and finally the Freestyle Shirt Blue Pinstripe, Sleeve Logo Tee, and Tour Trousers.