Divine ratio

Nataša Škorja Djikanović, accountant at InnoRenew CoE and at University of Primorska

Where were you living in childhood and where do you live now?

I first lived in Koper’s city center for a few years but then spent my teenage years in Čentur. Now I live in the Semedela section of Koper. Definitely in one of the most beautiful places on the globe – just one step from the sea and two steps from the ski slopes.

What have you studied and what were the motives for your decision?

After obtaining a degree from the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport, I continued my studies at the Faculty of Management where I completed a special study programme.

At that time, there was little opportunity on the coast to really get inspired. Either you stayed in the region and enrolled in the “maritime school” or you found a job and studied part-time. Only those who could afford it found their way to look for inspiration in Ljubljana. I did not feel like going to Ljubljana, even less to Maribor, so I decided to stay on the coast. Nevertheless, I never felt shortchanged because of this decision, neither then nor today.

How would you describe your work to someone outside your field?

Whenever someone asks me what do I do for a living, and I tell them I work as an accountant, I often see people start scoffing at that. Yes, in such a job, one needs to love numbers. But you also need to be accurate and diligent, have some business acumen to think about business opportunities and have a rather short response time for problem solving. Imagine accounting as a water-treatment plant, where you can find clean, dirty or sometimes even contaminated water. Every plant needs to filter and separate dirt from water to release crystal-clean water at the end.

Numbers, numbers, numbers … We get along well together.

What does your typical working day look like?

I admit, I might seem very unusual to many people, but my day doesn’t start with a coffee. I never drink coffee. My workday starts at 7 a.m. with reading emails and continues with reviewing all the work tasks for the upcoming day with my colleagues. After that, phone ringing, email showers, problem solving, coordination with other services and other members of the university. Sometimes I go for lunch or a short snack.

What makes you excited about your work?

Dynamics of the work, new challenges all the time and, of course, numbers.

And what is the biggest challenge at your work?

To prepare accurate data in the shortest possible time with as little work input as possible. That’s one of the reasons I like working with Excel as it gives me an endless array of options to help me achieve that. Hmm … however, it doesn’t always work out.

Which scientist or scientific achievement are you fascinated by and why?

Leonardo da Vinci was versatilely gifted and very ingenious. He was not just an artist who painted the portrait of Mona Lisa, he is famous for many other inventions that also inspired me when I was visiting the exhibitions in Rome. If I think how art and science are intertwined, I instantly remember the golden cut (golden ratio) and mathematic definition, perfection between two quantities. Some people call it the divine ratio. This ratio is the most pleasing composition to the human eye, and we can find it abundantly in nature (ratio between tree stem and crown, curvature of the snail house, sunflower spiral, shells) as well as in art (painting, construction, photography) However, it’s not enough for humans to only enjoy and admire this harmony in nature and art. No, this miracle human mind needs to put this harmony down onto paper, in numbers, and explain it in mathematical terms. In quality photography and art paintings one can find mathematical interpretations of its composition’s balance with Fibonacci numbers, sequence and golden spiral.

Tell us about the work of art (books, music, movies, theatre, dance, visual arts) that has a special place in your life.

Please don’t laugh at me, but I still didn’t forget about the first book I read called Kdo je napravil Vidku srajčico. Also, Pinocchio, the only book I couldn’t finish. I love Latino dancing. My husband and I were attending classes for several years. Among all, I was the most inspired by Argentinian tango because it is so sensual and seductive.

What have you read, listened to, or watched lately?

IKS, a professional accounting magazine. On holidays I reach for some easy summer reading.

Which place on the Slovene coast do you like the most?

Strunjan, especially in the early summer mornings when there is no one on the beach and it is so quiet and chill. In the evenings, I am enjoying the sunsets and the city of Piran. In the winter, I often hike to the top of Strunjanski hill, where you get the overview to all directions – from Venice to snow covered Alps.